Carson softball takes control early against Chavez in Open Division playoff win
CARSON The Carson softball team showed up ready to play Wednesday, but had to wait in the opening round of the L.A. City Section Open Division playoffs.
Sixth-seeded Chavez arrived late, after their bus was late and traffic delayed their arrival.
“I was a little worried about that,” Carson coach Rudy Aguirre said. “I saved my pitcher until I saw the bus show up, didn’t want her to throw (warm-ups) and have her sit and now them out in the sun.”
The game, initially scheduled to start at 3 p.m., was delayed until 3:45 p.m.
Chavez, the East Valley League champion, struck first against Carson’s Giselle Pantoja, but the Colts responded with two runs in the first and six in the second on their way to an 11-1 win in six innings.
The Colts will be on the road at No. 2 Birmingham in Tuesday’s semifinal round.
“I thought it was going to some time to get our timing back (at the plate),” Aguirre said. “We had a big talk and kept everybody focused and make sure everybody is here to win a championship and repeat.”
The Colts are the defending City Section Open Division champion.
Chavez (23-5-1) led off the game with a single by Alyssa Anaya and with two outs, Kailey Duran doubled for a 1-0 win against Pantoja.
“This wasn’t my best outing,” Pantoja said. “But I did not doubt my team. I had trust in the team that we would get through this game.”
The Colts picked up Pantoja in their bottom half of first. Ashannalee Titialii led off with a bunt single and with one out Riannah Maulupe walked. With two outs, Alana Langford doubled them home for a 2-1 Carson lead.
In the second inning, Carson batted around, eventually scoring six runs for a commanding 8-1 lead. Titialii, who finished the game 4 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, drove in two runs with a triple. Rylee Gardner, Ruby Grajeda, Langford and Kayleigh Allen all had RBI singles in the inning.
In the fourth inning, Maulupe hit a solo home run for a 9-1 lead.
“The first pitch I had, I thought I missed it,” Maulupe said. “I knew I couldn’t a second one go, so I saw it and drove it.
“We knew we wanted to jump on them early and we didn’t want to let off, we wanted to score our runs and being consistent.”
Allen’s two-run double in the sixth gave the Colts the 10-run margin, ending the game.
Grajeda and Langford went 3 for 4 for the Colts. Allen had three RBIs. The Colts finished with 15 hits.
EL CAMINO REAL 7, SAN PEDRO 1: The fifth-seeded Royals scored five runs in the fourth inning on their way to the win over the fourth-seeded Pirates (14-7). Four of El Camino Real’s runs were unearned.
Tarryn Macias and Senia Gutierrez had two hits apiece and Remy Glassman drove in two runs for the Royals.
Kaitlyn Borges had two hits and drove in San Pedro’s only run.
El Camino Real will face top-seeded Granada Hills Charter in Tuesday’s semifinal.
BIRMINGHAM 11, BANNING 8: The seventh-seeded Pilots rallied with a four-run sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough against the second-seeded Patriots.
Kali Su’e and Jaqueline Perez were 3 for 5 for Banning. Perez drove in three runs, Su’e had two doubles.