Crescenta Valley softball can’t overcome sweltering Savannah
For one moment, the Crescenta Valley High softball team had its chance versus third-seeded host Hacienda Heights Los Altos.
The Falcons broke up a perfect game with back-to-back singles in the top of the fifth inning as they trailed by two runs.
With pressure mounting, Los Altos standout pitcher Savannah Diederich showed why she’s a blue-chip prospect.
The University of Mississippi-committed hurler struck out the next three Falcons and Crescenta Valley never challenged again in an 8-0 defeat Tuesday afternoon in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs.
With the loss, Pacific League co-champion Crescenta Valley finished at 21-8-1 in a season in which the program won its first playoff contest since 2014, shared its first league crown in six years and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2009.
“It was great to be a part of this run, especially for me having been a freshman and being on a team that didn’t have this type of organization or coaching,” said Crescenta Valley senior Jessica Yzaguirre, who’s heading to Division II Mercy College in New York. “To rise up, to get a banner and get to the second round, I hope next year’s team can build on this. It was great to be a part of this.”
Crescenta Valley’s season of firsts was undone by Diederich.
The junior struck out 13 batters and flirted with a perfect game before settling for a two-hit shutout.
Falcons freshman Maddie De Leon broke up the no-hit bid with a lead-off single to right in the fifth inning, which was followed by a perfectly-placed bunt single from Ryan Eldred.
Suddenly, the Falcons had two runners on with no outs in only a 2-0 game.
“I think the toughest thing with Los Altos’ pitcher was just her presence,” De Leon said. “She was tough and all I tried to do on my at-bat was just see the ball and hope I didn’t strike out.”
Diederich was undeterred, however, and struck out Crescenta Valley’s next three batters swinging on two rise balls and, lastly, on a change-up to escape the jam.
“I definitely came in knowing that they were going to be bunting the entire game and when they got those hits, I just knew I had to respond,” Diederich said.
Crescenta Valley went down in order in every other inning with Diederich recording at least one punchout per frame.
“No matter what, we needed to scratch a run in this game and we didn’t make adjustments with this pitcher,” Crescenta Valley Coach Amanda Peek said. “We didn’t change our mindsets and she got us with the rise ball.”
Diederich helped ice the game in the sixth when the pitcher kick-started a six-run inning with a titanic solo home run over the wall in right field.
Overall, the Conquerors connected on five extra-base hits in the bottom of the sixth to turn a close 2-0 contest into an 8-0 score.
Hacienda League champion Los Altos (24-6) opened the scoring with one unearned run in the first and fourth innings aided by an error in each inning.
Kelly Monroy scored both times for Los Altos, coming home in the first on a double by Diederich and in the fourth on a throwing error.
