Rancho Cucamonga Wins on Error

For 11 2/3 innings Saturday, Esperanza and Rancho Cucamonga played a nearly perfect game.

And then, when a caught pop fly would have sent the game into the 13th inning, the end came quickly, unexpectedly.

The ball trickled out of the glove of Esperanza first baseman Danielle Ackland, and Rancho Cucamonga had a 1-0 victory in the Southern Section Division I softball championship game at Barber Park in Irvine.

It was the first title game appearance for both teams. But it was Rancho Cucamonga (23-7) that forced Esperanza (24-6-1) to make the critical play--and won.

Serena Fierro, who robbed Esperanza’s Ashley Johnson of a home run in the eighth inning, falling over the center-field fence in the process, led off the 12th with a bunt single. Dominique Borba popped up, and Janel Jones slapped a single to right. Fierro took third, and Jones took second on the throw into the infield. Laurette Ortiz hit a line drive at Esperanza pitcher Kristen Dedmon, who almost doubled Fierro off third base.

Then came Amelia Runyan’s pop fly to the right of Ackland, and as she and second baseman Diana Eberlein converged on it, the ball fell out of Ackland’s glove.

“I was thinking we were going another inning,” said winning pitcher Valerie Sevilla (14-2), who finished the season without giving up an earned run.