Ocean View softball clinches playoff berth with win over Katella
Ocean View’s three senior starters — Ashley Capelouto, Sienna Erskine and Sydney Fullbright — have seen almost everything there is to experience on a softball field.
The Seahawks won the CIF Southern Section Division 5 championship in their freshman year, and since then, there has been a belief. That driving force remained, even through missing the playoffs as sophomores and being exposed to a coaching change.
A new first will now be experienced by the four-year varsity veterans.
Ocean View punched its playoff ticket with a 9-5 win at Katella on Monday, sending the Seahawks to the postseason in consecutive seasons.
Capelouto, Erskine and Fullbright — the shortstop, second baseman and third baseman, respectively — combined for nine of the 18 hits from Ocean View (11-11, 5-4).
“We’re just going to keep pushing and trying our best,” said Erskine, who has committed to Cal Poly. “We’ve had that fire in us since freshman year, and I think we’ve all had the desire to go back into CIF. That championship game tasted really good when we won it, so I think we’re hungry for another CIF championship.”
Ocean View trailed 2-0 after the first inning, but four successive two-out singles from Erskine, Emily Mayorga, Fullbright and Kaylah Arteaga pushed the tying runs across in the third.
A three-run fourth put the Seahawks on top 5-2, a frame that was highlighted by doubles from Kaya Collado, Erskine and Mayorga.
Freshman Elyse Pendergraft earned the win, throwing six innings without the benefit of a strikeout. Capelouto, bound for Tennessee Tech, was sensational in the field, showing off superior arm strength in making 10 putouts.
“I don’t really know how it developed, but I’ve been complimented about it my whole life,” Capelouto said of the speed of her throws.
Collado, the center fielder, was also a difference-maker on defense. Although she missed one catch, it was her speed that got her in position to make the play. She made four catches, including a shoestring grab to begin the fifth as Katella (9-16, 3-6) was about to bring up the top of its lineup.
“She can track down any ball,” Ocean View second-year coach Keala Cordeiro said of Collado, who was on base four times as the Seahawks’ leadoff hitter. “I’ve seen her catch one all the way in right field. She takes a lot of leadership out there, and we truly are lucky to have her.”
Analyah Becerra also had two hits for Ocean View, which will slot in behind Garden Grove (14-8, 9-0) and Segerstrom (12-9-1, 8-1) in the Golden West League standings.
Nataly Rodarte homered and drove in two runs for the Knights, who are one game clear of Godinez (5-17, 2-7) for fourth in the league.
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