Sonora Upsets Laguna Hills

Few softball teams have walked a tightrope like Sonora did on Tuesday in the second round of the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

Yet the Raiders avoided a season-ending misstep with a 10-inning, 3-2 upset of second-seeded Laguna Hills.

The Raiders (21-10), who next play Newbury Park on Thursday in the quarterfinals, were among three county teams that took down favorites in Division III. Valencia beat last year’s runner-up Pacifica and El Modena defeated third-seeded Hacienda Heights Wilson.

Sonora did it behind pitcher Carrie Wisen and a defense that stranded eight runners in the final four innings, including three in the bottom of the 10th.

“She stepped up when she needed to step up,” said Laguna Hills Coach Cary Crouch, whose team dropped to 23-6. “She could have been beaten 8-1 if we had stepped up. I like the kid who steps up when her time comes.”

Although she gave up three singles in the 10th, Wisen induced the cleanup batter, Katie Schorling, to pop up to shortstop on the first pitch, and then got Jennifer Von Pohlmann, who had singled twice and tripled, to ground to third baseman Nicole Mercado to end the game.

“I was a little surprised they didn’t score in the 10th,” said Wisen (18-8), who gave up 10 hits, walked four, and pitched only two perfect innings. “We played a lot of extra inning games this year, and this is the first time we’ve won.”

Wisen’s coach, Michelle Rodriguez, gave much credit to Wisen, who will play next season at Notre Dame.

“We hadn’t gotten any breaks until [the next-to-last regular season] game,” said Rodriguez, referring to their victory over Troy that made them Freeway League co-champion. “It’s always something. Composure, that’s what it takes to win a game like this.”