Girls Softball

Upon returning from Spring Break, the El Segundo softball team was looking eye to eye with some of the tougher teams in the league. West Torrance, Peninsula, Mira Costa, Redondo, and North Torrance all are standing in the way between El Segundo softball and a fourth straight championship. Poised and ready for a “Four-Peat”, the Lady Eagles’ first competition came against the Warriors of West Torrance.

El Segundo was all over the Warrior pitcher, driving a total of fourteen hits as a team. The fourteen hits were highlighted by Adrianna Villalobos and her power surge. She hit a solo home run early in the game, and just missed another one as the ball hit the very peak of the outfield fence. With five Eagles tallying two hits each, El Segundo improved their record to 5-1 with a one run victory, 5-4, over West Torrance.

The next game against Peninsula proved to be a very important battle for both teams. With a win, the Lady Eagles would stay ahead of the Panthers by two games in the Bay League and remained in a tie for first place with heated rivals Mira Costa. A loss would send El Segundo into a tie for second place with Peninsula and leave Mira Costa in sole possession of first place.

The game got off to a great Eagle start, with Jessica Doucette hitting a sacrifice ground ball to score Jenna Coburn, who doubled in her at-bat. Another run was added in the fourth inning to give starting pitcher Doucette and the Eagles a 2-0 lead. One run would have been enough for Doucette, as she allowed just two runners on base the entire game, while striking out twelve.

Hosting their own tournament, the Lady Eagles and Mary Star faced each other in the first round. El Segundo scored their first runs of the game in the second, with Caitlin Heck walking to lead the inning off. Originally, Aimee Glotz was to sacrifice bunt Heck to second base. But with a wild throw, both scored to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, Mary Star took advantage of errors and left the inning with a 4-3 lead. El Segundo eventually tied it up in the sixth inning, but was threatened again by Mary Star when the bases were loaded with two outs. Freshman hurler Jamie Escalante had a full count on the hitter after four straight pitches were sent foul. Escalante then reared back and threw it past the Mary Star hitter, forcing the game into extra innings. The winning Runs Batted In belonged to Jordan Thrasher and Ciji Rich, each getting singles to bring in a run. The Lady Eagles left the field with a dramatic 7-5 victory.

With a victory, El Segundo advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament. This game featured a classic battle of the pitchers. Doucette allowed only three runners on base the entire contest while striking out 16. The opposing pitcher was also giving her best, as she allowed two hits, two walks, and struck out eleven batters. The game went into the seventh inning scoreless, until El Segundo cracked the ice.

Escalante was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off, and put the winning run on first base. Christine Simper came into the game to pinch run for Escalante and proved to be the difference maker in this game. On a wild pitch, Simper moved to second base to put herself in scoring position. With one out, Simper was again on the move as she stole third base, but the Valley Christian catcher overthrew her third baseman, allowing the ball to roll into left field. With the ball not where it’s supposed to be, Simper trotted on home to win the game for the Lady Eagles.

With the exciting game against Valley Christian behind them, El Segundo hoped they could continue their winning ways against their rival Mira Costa. In the second inning, the Mustangs jumped to an early 3-0, but the lead didn’t last long. The Lady Eagles scored two runs in three innings to tie the ballgame up. Mira Costa retaliated with three more runs in the sixth inning to jump ahead 6-3. El Segundo started a rally in the last two innings, scoring in each inning once, but fell short as they lost 6-4.

Currently tied for first place with the Mustangs, both teams boast a 6-1 Bay League record and 14-4 overall. The final game of the season will be a rematch against Mira Costa, most likely deciding the fate of the Bay League championship.

Left fielder Christine Simper suffered broken bones in her left hand, forcing her to be benched and out of action for quite some time. Although down, don’t count her out. Simper is working hard to get back in the lineup at her teams practices, although she is limited to what she can do. She hopes to come back with her full potential and show Costa what they missed the first time around.