Burroughs softball breaks through in ninth on way to semifinals

NORWALK — It was stellar defense that kept the Burroughs High softball team in its CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinal game Thursday against Norwalk.

However, it was a late offensive burst that ultimately led to the Indians making history.

With just three hits through eight innings, Burroughs had problems getting to Lancers starting pitcher Breanna Vasquez. But in the ninth, spearheaded by a solo home run from Kaitlin Okimoto that broke the scoreless tie, Burroughs pushed across four runs for a 4-0 victory on the road.

The victory was historic for the fourth-seeded Indians (24-4), who earned the program’s first berth in a semifinal contest. Burroughs will now host No. 1 Grand Terrace in a semifinal contest Tuesday.

“This is just incredible, this is historic for our program,” Burroughs Coach Doug Nicol said. “It doesn’t matter who we play in the next round, just to get to this point with this group is an accomplishment that is just amazing.

“We have had some great teams in the past that haven’t gotten to this point, so we know how hard it is to get here and we are so proud to be able to have done this. This is not just a victory for these girls on this team; this is a victory for all the players who have come through the Burroughs program the past 30 years.”

The Indians will have a tough task in the semifinals against an accomplished Grand Terrace (24-1) squad that defeated Don Lugo, 8-0, in its quarterfinal game Thursday. Along with being the division’s top seed, Grand Terrace has a 24-game winning streak and has suffered just one loss all season, a 1-0 setback March 1 against Great Oak.

Grand Terrace also advanced to the 2015 Division III championship game, losing to La Serna, 5-4.

“I don’t think many people expected us to make it this far this season,” Nicol said. “We are just going to try and keep it going.”

Burroughs, which won the Pacific League championship, sputtered on offense most of the game against Norwalk (15-10), a Suburban League tri-champion. Vasquez, who had 12 strikeouts, handcuffed the Indians, who were able to put just one runner in scoring position through the first eight innings.

The Lancers were able to generate their share of offense against Burroughs starting pitcher Presley Miraglia (eight strikeouts), placing runners in scoring position in four of the first seven innings. But the Indians made play after fine play on defense, led by junior third baseman Brianna Johnson and senior Okimoto at shortstop, that kept the Lancers off the board. The Indians played error-free defense.

In the third inning, it was a big play by Burroughs sophomore center fielder Hannah Talavera that likely saved a run. With a runner on first, Norwalk’s Kaithleen Perez lofted a deep shot to center. Talavera took off at the crack of the bat, drifted back and made a catch while making contact with the fence.

“We really take pride in our defense and when we’re really not hitting as a team, it’s our defense that keeps us in games,” Johnson said. “We have been really working hard the past few years on our defense. We have three starters who have been together the past three years and I’m really confident in our play.

“I think what really helps us so much is our communication, especially in the infield. We talk a lot and we know what each other is doing on every play.”

Defense again came into play in the third inning when Norwalk had the bases loaded with one out. Johnson was able to get the second out of the stanza wham she fielded a sharp grounder at third and threw home to get the lead runner. The inning ended when Okimoto snared a tough shot and fired to first.

With the game still scoreless and one out in the ninth inning, Okimoto gave Burroughs the only run it would need. On the first pitch she saw from Vasquez, the senior delivered a no-doubt shot over the center field fence for a solo home run.

“My first three at-bats, I was popping up, so I had a talk with [assistant] coach Sarah [Larquier] and I just knew that I had to get a hit, that was what was on my mind,” said Okimoto, who is headed to Brown University. “I saw that pitch and I wanted it. The pitch was rising, but it was a little high and down the middle and it was perfect.

“When I hit it and when I saw it going out, it was such an amazing feeling, I was just so happy.”

The Indians kept their offense rolling after Okimoto’s homer.

Miraglia followed by getting on base on an error and Johnson followed that with a single up the middle. Both players scored on a single to center field by Amanda Flores for a 3-0 lead. Flores was plated by a base hit to center by Destiny Velazquez.

Miraglia allowed a hit in the bottom of the ninth, but got a strikeout and two foul outs to end the game.

“This is just so awesome to be going to the semifinals, especially with this team,” Okimoto said. “We are all so close, we all root for each other and we have each other’s backs. ... This just means so much.”