Costa Mesa softball ousted by Monrovia in CIF Division 6 opener
As it has for several seasons, the Costa Mesa High softball team did more than enough to punch its ticket to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
A fourth consecutive second-place finish in the Orange Coast League — all as runner-up to Calvary Chapel — got the Mustangs back in the dance.
The playoff pairings proved to be unkind, as Costa Mesa drew No. 3-seeded Monrovia right out of the gate.
Monrovia scored in every inning, as the Wildcats’ 20-hit attack handed Costa Mesa a 19-1 defeat on its home field Thursday in the first round of the Division 6 playoffs.
The league finish is one parallel to past seasons. Youth and inexperienced players is another for the Mustangs, who showed growth in learning the game on the fly.
“We had a good year,” said Doug Deats, who co-coaches Costa Mesa with Heather Orduña. “I’m proud of the girls. At times, we played really well. It’s too bad we didn’t play very well today, but that happens sometimes. I’m proud. A lot of girls did a lot of good things. We had a bunch of kids who were brand new to softball.”
Tuesday’s results involving Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, Huntington Beach and Edison.
After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first, catcher Reygan Schneider drove a double down the right-field line to score shortstop Isabella Gonzalez, who had led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by second baseman Emiley Davis.
“She’s a very good athlete,” Deats said of Schneider, one of four seniors on the team. “She was our team MVP last year, and she’s been all-league for us. … She’s one of the kids that is really banged up. … She’s a tough cookie.”
Sophomore third baseman Sydnie Pulido was another bright spot for Costa Mesa. She made a couple of nice defensive plays on her backhand, making the throw to first in time to get the out.
Costa Mesa (14-4), however, would total just two hits. Jaidyn Soldin recorded the other, a single to lead off the second. She was erased when Caidlyn Lowry grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Monrovia (16-8), the third-place team in the Rio Hondo League, made solid contact throughout the contest. Shortstop Kate Nelson, second baseman Evelyn Talavera, first baseman Marissa Polanco and left fielder Destiny Munguia each had three hits, combining for seven runs batted in.
Catcher Lucero Alcaraz drove in three runs for the Wildcats, including a two-run home run in the fifth.
“We have Division [1] and 2 teams in our league, so we were always facing those tough pitchers and defenses,” Monrovia coach Marcel Mayorga said. “We just continued to work. You know, work hard and just kept up the pace, and we’re coming together now more than ever at the end of the season.”
With the game well in hand, the Wildcats performed an exercise in good sportsmanship when they had two runners step off in advance of pitches, resulting in the final two outs of the fifth.
“Once you secure enough runs, the reality is [that] you know, and you don’t want to offend the other team, either, and most importantly, keep the good sportsmanship going,” Mayorga said. “When you got a team beat, you’re not going to put it in their face. … You just got to settle down. It’s hard to do because we’re in playoffs, but it’s something we’ve been taught to do.”
Monrovia will play host to Majestic League champion Riverside Bethel Christian, a 6-4 win over Pomona Garey Thursday, in the second round on Tuesday.
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