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Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
High School Roundup: Marina softball mashes at the plate in CIF opener
Ava Kim homered and drove in three runs, as Marina tallied a dozen hits en route to a 10-0 win over visiting Arcadia on Thursday in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. Liz Byer supplied three hits, two runs scored, and a run batted in. Gabby DiBenedetto, Mia Valbuena and Byer each had a double. Byer, DiBenedetto and Valbuena each picked up multiple hits in the contest. The Vikings scored nine runs in the third inning, and the game was called after five innings with the mercy rule in effect. Valbuena allowed just three batters to reach base safely (one hit) while recording 12 strikeouts in a complete game. Marina (15-13) plays host to Sea View League champion San Clemente (21-7-1) on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Huntington Beach 8, Covina Charter Oak 7: Morgan Drotter and Tea Gutierrez homered for the visiting Oilers, who scored the first six runs of the game, then held on to win in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs on Thursday. Maleah Humble, Zariah Billinger and Gutierrez each had three hits for Huntington Beach (22-7), which also got two-hit performances from Bree Carlson, Willow Kellen and Drotter. Humble had a pair of stolen bases and scored twice. Gutierrez scored three times. Huntington Beach plays host to Chino Hills (20-8) on Saturday at 11 a.m. Both sides are co-league champions. The Oilers shared the Sunset League title with Los Alamitos, while the Huskies matched Etiwanda for the best record in the Baseline League. Long Beach Poly 5, Edison 1: The visiting Chargers were held to six hits on Thursday in the first round of the Division 4 playoffs. Aubrey Catron had two hits to lead Edison (11-15), while Kaila Arakaki and Savannah Fisher each drew a pair of walks. Sophia Hannappel, Elina Garcia, Hannah Stolba and Fisher each had one hit. Los Amigos 15, Capistrano Valley Christian 7: Alina Mendez had three hits, four runs batted in and two runs scored to lead the Lobos past the Eagles at home on Thursday in the opening round of the Division 7 bracket. Sophia Gutierrez turned a two-hit afternoon into three runs scored and three runs batted in. Maria Castillo added four hits, scoring two runs and driving in a pair. Andrea Contreras also drove in two runs for Los Amigos (16-6), which travels to take on Culver City (10-14) in the second round. Leah Lemusu scored three runs, and Melenny Andrade scored twice.
Los Angeles Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach's Morgan Drotter plays the ‘hero' with late homer
A day after its bats carried it to a critical win at Los Alamitos, the Huntington Beach softball team hosted Marina in a battle with another team with Sunset League title aspirations. The Oilers' victory over the Griffins had forged a three-way tie in the loss column at the top of the league, a trio that also included the Vikings each having two losses to their league ledger. Huntington Beach continued to take control of its own destiny, a two-out, three-run home run by Morgan Drotter in the sixth inning turning Tuesday's game on its head in a 3-2 win over the visiting Vikings. 'There's something special with this group here,' Huntington Beach coach Jeff Forsberg said. 'They all believe in each other. They all like each other. There's no drama. There's no cliques. We've gone through a lot. … These years past, we've had expectations. We have no expectations. There's a new hero every game.' It was an improbable late-inning rally. Any momentum from Monday's triumph, a 9-4 final at Los Alamitos in which the Oilers had 16 hits, appeared to be stymied by Marina right-hander Mia Valbuena. Huntington Beach (17-7, 5-2 in the Sunset League) left the bases loaded in the second inning, Valbuena escaping the jam with a strikeout of Willow Kellen. The Oilers had just two hits through five innings. Then their power hitters — third baseman Tea Gutierrez and first baseman Bree Carlson — bounced ground balls through the infield with one out. Valbuena struck out the next batter, and when Drotter stepped up to the plate, the Vikings ace quickly got two strikes on the Oilers' shortstop. Drotter then got an inner-half offering and lifted it to left field, and on a cool, 60-degree evening without wind, the ball landed on the solar panels in the parking lot beyond the fence. The Oilers ran out of the dugout to celebrate with their teammates as they crossed home plate. 'I told them in the huddle, when I got my second strike and I swung and missed, in my head, I was like, 'Shoot. I don't even know if I can do this,' but I know that they have my back, and that means the whole world to me,' said Drotter, who has committed to Cornell. Valbuena was dominant outside of that moment, but the damage was done. The Michigan commit allowed six hits and a walk, striking out seven across six innings. 'She's definitely the best pitcher we face in league, for sure, like speed-wise, too' Drotter said of Valbuena. 'I have a lot of respect for Mia and Marina, in general. We knew this game meant a lot, and I think just coming out and being together was the most important thing. The outcome showed that.' Marina (12-12, 6-3) had the leadoff batter reach base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, opting to bunt each time. In the fifth, Eva Mazzotti singled to right field with the runner in scoring position, but the runner was held at third base. Gutierrez charged a weak ground ball at third for the second out, and left fielder Sienna Shortle plucked a line drive off the bat of Liz Byer out of the air to save at least one run. After a single by Ava Kim, it was Maryland-bound catcher Gabby DiBenedetto's turn to advance the runner with a sacrifice bunt in the top of the sixth. Avi Valbuena had a two-out, run-scoring single; Halle Piramo followed with a double to score another run. 'That's all we can do is ask for the kids to do their best and battle and compete, and I think they did,' said Shelly Luth, who co-coaches Marina along with Dan Hay. 'We came up a little short, but when this team plays like that, good things can happen.' Marina was up 2-0, needing to get just six more outs with its ace twirling a gem in the circle. 'When a pitcher is dominating a team like Mia was dominating this team, their job in the later innings is just get the ball in play,' Hay said. 'Those balls that went in the 3-4 hole and up the middle, they could have been 6 feet to the right or left, we would have made the play. They would have been routine grounders. They just happened to have eyeballs on them.' In a most important of weeks in the Sunset League softball standings, Huntington Beach has earned two signature wins that have given it the inside track to the title. The Oilers have a doubleheader remaining against Newport Harbor (10-14, 2-6) on Thursday. Then they host Corona del Mar (8-15, 0-10) on Monday, closing the regular season at Edison (11-13, 6-5) on Tuesday. Marina takes on Los Alamitos (14-11, 8-2) at home on Thursday, before finishing with back-to-back games against Newport Harbor next week.
Los Angeles Times
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Marina ace Mia Valbuena shuts down Fountain Valley
Mia Valbuena hasn't required much run support in her time in the circle for the Marina softball program. The Vikings haven't provided much on offense of late, but the junior ace has covered up those deficiencies. On Thursday, she made the bare minimum stand up. Valbuena threw a complete game with 14 strikeouts, as Marina defeated host Fountain Valley 1-0 in a Sunset League game. Marina (7-5, 2-0 in the Sunset League) has the start it wanted with back-to-back road victories to begin its league schedule. Valbuena struck out 15 batters in a 3-0 win at Edison on Tuesday. 'A win's a win,' Marina coach Dan Hay said. 'We're having a hard time scoring runs these days, but we find a way to manufacture and do some things at the right time. With the support of that strong arm of Mia's in the circle, she's doing a great job.' Fountain Valley (5-4, 0-1) had five at-bats with runners in scoring position, each ending in a strikeout. Second baseman Kileigh Villalobos walked and stole second base before Valbuena fanned catcher Ella Kim and first baseman Natalie Loftis, the heart of the Barons' order, in the first inning. In the fourth inning, Villalobos drew a lead-off walk. Kim followed with a double to left. The Vikings intentionally walked Loftis to load the bases. Then Valbuena struck out the side. 'I tend to put myself in pressure situations like that a lot when it's not necessary,' Valbuena said. 'Having a lot of experience in those kinds of situations, I was just trying to keep myself calm and focus on every single pitch, focus on not only making a strike but also making it move so that it's not hit.' Valbuena met the moment when she faced a full count against left fielder Skyla Auger, getting a called third strike to avoid forcing in a run. The next half inning, the Vikings broke through for the game's only run. Designated player Avi Valbuena singled to begin the fifth, and left fielder Halle Piramo laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to second base. With two outs in the frame, second baseman Courtney Hames — the ninth batter in the order — laced a single to left to give Marina the lead. 'I think with the 2-0 [start in league], it gives us a little bit more confidence to go into the next games with a better mindset,' Hames said. 'We've been practicing hard, working hard, and I think that as a team, once we put everything together, we can definitely take advantage of it and beat those top teams.' Marina came close to adding to its advantage, but Auger made a diving catch near the left-field foul line to rob right fielder Liz Byer of a hit to extend the inning. 'She laid out on the ball, knowing that she was going to have back up,' Fountain Valley coach Saul Fernandez said. 'If you look at our center fielder [Ava Fernandez], she was actually behind her. She was trailing her right behind, so [Auger] took a chance, and we couldn't afford to give up another run in that situation, especially not the way that Mia Valbuena was pitching there in that game.' Center fielder Rachel Ruiz had two hits, including a triple, to lead Marina at the plate. Byer and Piramo each had a hit. Courtney Kols, who has committed to Drexel, also went the distance for Fountain Valley. She allowed six hits. Kols recorded six strikeouts without issuing a walk. 'She sets batters up really, really well,' said Fernandez, who has succeeded Rick Aldrich as head coach of the Barons. 'She keeps them off balance. … She wants to come out and finish her senior year with, hopefully, a nice CIF run.'
