Comeback bid falls short

GLENDALE — Already faced with the task of playing the tournament favorite which they had already lost to, the Crescenta Valley 9-10 softball All-Stars’ fate looked bleak when they fell behind by eight runs entering the bottom of the fourth inning of Monday’s Section 2 Tournament championship.

“Our girls, they played with heart,” said CV Manager Art Gamez. “They played with pride, they gave it their all.”

And their all saw a furious rally, capped by Allison Lombardo clutching up with a two-out triple to score a run and cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the sixth. But with Lombardo at third, Quartz Hill buckled down and ended Crescenta Valley’s comeback and Section run with an 8-7 win in Tehachapi.

“I knew from the beginning Quartz Hill was the team to beat,” Gamez said. “Both teams played great, both teams hit, both teams ran.

“We battled with Quartz Hill today. I give Quartz Hill all the credit, they’re a great team.”

Quartz Hill, which defeated CV, 15-7, on Saturday, forcing CV into an elimination game against Sherman Oaks on Sunday that it won, 6-4, was up 2-0 after the first.

Quartz Hill added single runs in the third and fourth before blowing up for four in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, though, CV finally responded with five runs of its own.

Then pitcher Jaqueline Doll shut down Quartz Hill over the final two innings, allowing CV to draw even closer.

“We came out and we battled them,” Gamez said.