Burbank 10-11 softball forced into winner-take-all final

Photo Gallery: Burbank falls short in first game of 10-11 softball championship against Canyon Country

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Burbank All-Stars’ catcher and pitcher Dani Hebri and Emily Rohan attempt to make a play on a short hit Canyon Country All-Stars ball that slips from their grasp and falls in play in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ pitcher Emily Rohan in the third inning against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ catcher (4) jumps in an attempt to tag Canyon Country All-Stars’ Atalie Garcia who slides home safely to score in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Emily Rohan strides onto home base to score Burbank’s first run of the game in back of Canyon Country All-Stars’ Anne Marie Stuart in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Victoria Sanchez hits a triple in the sixth inning against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Avery Mochrie makes a play in right field in the first inning against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Amaya Takizawa chases and catches a fly ball at second base against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ catcher Dani Hebri stops a difficult ball thrown home in an attempt to tag out Canyon Country All-Stars’ Samantha Wensley who slides home safely in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Lily Stell dives back to second base after hitting an RBI double against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Amaya Takizawa makes a catch at second base against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Emily Rohan catches a short fly ball against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank All-Stars’ Lily Stell, in the sixth inning, hits a triple against Canyon Country All-Stars in a Section 2 softball championship game at Tujunga Little League Fields in Tujunga on Thursday, July 9, 2015. Canyon Country won the game 9-4 and the two teams will face each other tomorrow in the “if necessary” game. (Tim Berger/Staff Photographer) (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Andrew J. Campa, <em><a href=”mailto:andrew.campa@latimes.com”>andrew.campa@latimes.com</a></em>

July 9, 2015 8:49 PM PT

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TUJUNGA — What was a win-and-in situation for the Burbank 10-11 All-Stars softball team Thursday afternoon has now morphed into a three-game series.

That’s because visiting Canyon Country avenged its earlier loss to Burbank in a big way, defeating the Media City entrant, 9-3, to force a winner-take-all game back at Tujunga Ball Fields on Friday at 5:15 p.m. for the Section 2 title.

The winner of Friday’s contest will earn a berth to the state championship tournament at District 58 Desert Hot Springs, beginning Sunday at 6 p.m.

PHOTOS: Canyon Country forces winner-take-all game against Burbank All-Stars

“Unfortunately, what I saw was a lot of lackadaisical play on our part,” Burbank Coach Dean Rohan said. “We weren’t focused, we didn’t play our best and now we have to play the way we’re supposed to on Friday.”

Burbank didn’t resemble the squad that defeated Canyon Country, 4-2, on Tuesday. The same, though, could be said about Canyon Country, which was held to three hits and committed five errors on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Canyon Country responded with at least one hit in each inning in tallying 10 hits, while committing only one error.

Burbank’s best inning came last as triples from Victoria Sanchez and Lily Stell (two for three with one run batted in and run) along with a sacrifice fly from Emily Rohan (RBI, run and stolen base) and a grounder from Kiley Christopher accounted for two runs.

Burbank’s other run came in the fourth when Rohan singled, stole second and scored on a hit from Stell.

“Those runs in the sixth were too little, too late,” Dean Rohan said. “Hey, honestly, credit Canyon Country. They’ve been here five days and those girls are battling. They got us today.”

Other than those two flurries, it was all Canyon Country on Thursday.

The District 40 champion received a pair of big efforts from Atalie Garcia and Amanda Jobb. Garcia finished two for three with a double, three RBI and a run scored, while Jobb was three for four with a double, two runs and one RBI.

Jobb singled in a three-run second inning that put Canyon Country up, 4-0. Jobb scored on a single from Alyce Popiel, who came in herself on a sacrifice fly that required an acrobatic catch from Burbank second baseman Amaya Takizawa.

Jobb then added a run-scoring double in the third to give Canyon Country a 5-0 lead. Canyon Country added two runs in the fourth, aided by a run-scoring single from Garcia, before finishing off with two more runs in the fifth.

“The girls were aggressive today,” Canyon Country Coach Todd Wensley said. “Hey, this is our fourth game in four days, so what are we waiting for?”

Lost in the offensive stats was another gritty effort from Canyon Country starting pitcher Samantha Wensley, who has pitched in all four games and all 23 innings this tournament for her team. Wensley allowed three runs on five hits in six innings while stranding three baserunners.

“She’s all we have, so we’re going to use her until the end,” Wensley said of his daughter. “Now she has to get some rest. It’s going to be a lot of ice and Disney Channel until tomorrow afternoon.”

Friday’s game will be the fifth in a row for Canyon Country, which defeated District 51 champion El Dorado twice (12-0 and 3-0) and has now split with Burbank. On the flip side, Friday will only be Burbank’s third game.