Flintridge Prep softball stopped in second round by San Gabriel Mission
LA CAÑADA — It was a postseason for the Flintridge Prep softball team to remember. It was one that saw the Rebels score a bushel of runs and gain postseason experience that could aid them in the next few seasons.
Flintridge Prep saw its season come to a close Tuesday with a 13-4 home defeat against San Gabriel Mission in a CIF Southern Section Division VII second-round contest.
Flintridge Prep (11-8) finished fourth in the Prep League before posting lopsided playoff victories against Coastal Christian (22-0) and Santa Clarita Valley International (23-6). Though they fell to San Gabriel Mission (16-5), the building blocks appear to be in place for the Rebels looking ahead.
“We had a great season overall and it was crazy at times,” Flintridge Prep coach Julie Mejia said. “We had players come out late after the girls’ soccer and basketball teams went far in their playoffs. We had players taking AP tests during the season and we have final exams this week.
“We fought through some adversity along the way and it will make us a better team going forward. We have eight freshmen on the team and it will help them next year. We like the direction we are going.”
San Gabriel Mission, which finished second in the Horizon League, led throughout Tuesday’s contest played on a wet field from the patchy drizzle that fell hours before first pitch.
The Pioneers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. LuneSolle Holloway had a run-scoring double to give the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage. Victoria Royster was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-0 before an error by the shortstop extended the lead to 3-0.
San Gabriel Mission received a two-run double from Kynnedie Schweitzer (three hits) in the second to make it 5-0. Melissa Estrada drove in a run with a single to give the Pioneers a 6-0 lead in the fourth and Aeriel Lewandowski followed with an RBI single to make it 7-0.
Flintridge Prep freshman catcher Emma Stellar hit a solo home run to left to cut the deficit to 7-1 in the fourth.
San Gabriel Mission scored a run in the fifth on a wild pitch to make it 8-1. The Pioneers scored three runs in the sixth to take an 11-1 lead. A two-run double by Holloway (three hits and three runs batted in) made it 10-1.
The Rebels scored three runs in the sixth to trim the deficit to 11-4. Melissa Grande drove in a run with a single. Libby Penn recorded an RBI single to make it 11-3 and a ground out by Carolina Yamamoto pulled the Rebels to 11-4.
A two-run home run by Solei Tabullo (three hits and three runs) in the seventh closed out the scoring.
Stellar, who scored two runs, said the Rebels made strides throughout the season.
“It’s been a very good season and a crazy run in the postseason,” Stellar said. “We had so much fun and we proved to ourselves that we could continue to get better.
“There are still things that we all need to work on, but we showed what we are capable of doing. We’ll do our best to work for it.”
Flintridge Prep finished with six hits against Royster, who struck out seven in a complete game. Natalie Dale had two hits for the Rebels.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
