Softball: El Camino Real rallies to defeat POLA and advance to City Section Division I final

Jordyn VanHook, a 14-year-old freshman for El Camino Real, was put into the City Section Division I semifinal softball playoff game on Tuesday to pinch hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning of a tie game against POLA.

Coach Jodi Borenstein called timeout to talk with VanHook.

“Oh my God,” VanHook said. “When she called timeout, my hands were shaking. My legs were shaking. She said, ‘Calm down. You live for this moment.’”

All Borenstein asked was for VanHook to put down a bunt on a squeeze play. And that’s what she did, driving in the tie-breaking run and helping El Camino Real defeat POLA, 5-3, to advance to Saturday’s 4:15 p.m. championship game against Banning at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

It has been a remarkable couple of days for VanHook. On Monday, she hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run over the left-field fence to enable ECR to rally for a victory over Kennedy. Her bunt on Tuesday demonstrated her versatility.

“She’s been doing amazing things,” teammate Lucy Yang said.

El Camino Real had fallen behind, 2-0, in the first inning on a two-run home run by Analise DeLaRoca, an Arizona State commit who came into the game with 402 strikeouts. For the Conquistadores to come back form a 3-1 deficit against DeLaRoca showed their hitting potential.

Madi Gilmore finished with two hits, including an RBI single during the Conquistadores’ four-run sixth inning. Emma Jackson picked up the pitching victory.

Banning defeated Carson, 3-1.

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