SOUTHERN SECTION 3-A SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Saddleback Gains Semifinals on Sarmiento Homer in 10th

Saddleback High School first baseman Priscilla Sarmiento hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning Thursday to give the Roadrunners a 3-2 victory over Bellflower in the Southern Section 3-A softball quarterfinals.

Sarmiento, who also doubled in the first inning and scored the tying run in the seventh, ripped Bellflower’s Amie Stewart’s pitch to center field. Cheryl Chapman couldn’t stop the sinking line drive and it rolled to the fence, allowing pinch-runner Lilly Munoz and Sarmiento to score the tying and winning runs.

“I don’t know if we’re destined or what,” Saddleback Coach Yvonne Alonzo said, “but we really came back. We stuck together.”

The Saddleback rally was its second against the hard-throwing Stewart (22-7), who struck out 16 and walked three.

Trailing, 1-0, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, left fielder Amber Smith singled with the bases loaded to send the game into extra innings.

Stewart, a junior right-hander, came into the game with 314 strikeouts and 18 shutouts, but Roadrunner sophomore Desiree Abrego (20-2) prevailed in this pitching duel. Abrego struck out 13, yielded five hits and didn’t allow a walk as Saddleback advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal game against El Toro.

“Abrego was courageous today,” Alonzo said. “She gave me everything she had. That’s a lot of pressure for a 15-year-old to handle.”

Bellflower appeared to have the game won in the seventh when first baseman Calley Maxwell hit a solo home run to left. But in the bottom of the seventh, leadoff hitter Claudia Rodriguez worked Stewart for her first walk of the game.

Sarmiento’s single to left and Abrego’s bunt single loaded the bases. After Nikkanni Andrews’ bunt ended in a force play at the plate and Kim Carstens popped up a bunt, Sarmiento scored on Smith’s single to tie the game.

Two Saddleback errors in the top of the 10th inning allowed Bellflower to take a 2-1 lead and set the stage for Sarmiento’s game-winning hit.