Softball: Loara’s big first inning dooms Ocean View

ANAHEIM — There were parts known and unknown when Ocean View High’s softball team traveled to Loara on Wednesday afternoon.

The Seahawks were tense, understanding the importance of their game against the three-time defending Golden West League champions.

Be that as it may, Ocean View did not know what to expect with new players being introduced to the matchup, including Saxons freshman starter Emma Brenchley.

Then, before the Seahawks could figure out the opposing pitcher, they had already dug themselves an insurmountable hole.

A seven-run first inning helped the Saxons roll past visiting Ocean View, 12-2, in an early but key Golden West League contest.

The league title has often come down to a three-way battle between Loara (7-9, 2-0), Ocean View (5-7, 2-1), and Segerstrom (12-6).

“In this league, you probably have to be 9-1 or 10-0 to win it,” Saxons coach Todd Rolph said. “The girls were obviously just excited to start league. To get a win today like this, it hopefully adds a little more confidence for Friday against Segerstrom.”

The Saxons drew first blood by taking advantage of Breann Page’s inconsistency in the strike zone.

Page hit Lily Nguyen and Jasmine Garcia to begin the game. Saxons third baseman Yolanda Oregel followed with an RBI-double.

Valerie Orona and Victoria Moreno added run-scoring singles, and a long inning that saw 11 batters come to the plate was beginning to take shape.

Page walked the next two. A run-scoring single by Brenchley made it 5-0, and an error by shortstop Kim MacPherson allowed two more runs to score.

“I did struggle in the beginning,” Page said. “I hit two batters and I walked maybe two or three.

“After that, I just had to power down. I just had to think more about what I’m pitching.”

Page came back with a perfect second inning, but two errors from her defense assisted Loara in opening its lead to 12-0 after three innings.

Ocean View did not appear listless in the batter’s box. The Seahawks had at least one hit in every inning, with Page and Caitlyn Sideris collecting two hits apiece.

In the third, Sage Royston, Sideris, and Cailey Collado all singled to load the bases with one out, but the Seahawks were unable to get a run home.

Courtesy runner Jasmine Tapia scored the Seahawks’ first run in the fourth when Royston reached on an error.

Sideris walked and scored on a sacrifice-fly by Tyler Frydman in the final inning, but Ocean View was unable to stave off the mercy rule.

Golden West League play appeared to arrive at the right time for both teams. Ocean View and Loara had each lost their last four games before the start of league.

The Seahawks had outscored Orange and Westminster by a combined score of 40-4 in their first two league games.

Sideris called the start of league refreshing after the team went 3-6 against its nonleague opponents.

“We were able to wipe everything away, really focus, and concentrate on our goal of what we want our season to look like,” she said. “We’re just going to work hard, do extra reps, and do everything that we need to do so that we can come out on top.”

Ocean View is at Santa Ana on Friday. Game time is 3:15 p.m.

Golden West League

Loara 12, Ocean View 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

OV 000 11 — 2 7 4

Loa 705 0X — 12 7 1

Page and Russ; Brenchley and Bracamontes; WP — Brenchley, 2-0 in GWL; LP — Page, 5-7. 2B — Oregel (Loa).

Andrew.Turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner