Burroughs softball continues torrid play with CIF first-round win

Burbank — At the conclusion of the regular season, Burroughs High’s softball team had not given up a run in the month of May, along the way winning four games, including an extra-inning triumph over rival Burbank in its Pacific League finale to win a share of the league crown.

Nothing changed for the Indians in their first-round tilt in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs, as host Burroughs pitched another shutout, defeating Beaumont, 3-0, Thursday afternoon at Olive Park to advance to the second round.

Burroughs (23-4) blanked the visiting Cougars, once again riding the arm of hurler Presley Miraglia, who shined in her first playoff experience. The freshman went the distance for the shutout, holding the visitors to three singles and striking out nine.

“The way Presley is pitching right now, we kind of feel that if we play good defense and we score a couple runs we’ll usually be successful,” Burroughs Coach Doug Nicol said.

Miraglia struck out the first two batters Beaumont (12-15) sent to the plate and was perfect through four innings. She consistently got ahead of hitters, recording first-pitch strikes on 17 of 24 Cougars she faced, including eight in a row after her first two strikeouts to open the first.

“It’s very important,” Miraglia said of getting ahead. “If you start off with a first-pitch ball then you give them the advantage.”

The Indians, the No. 2 entry from the Pacific due to run differential with Burbank, scored all of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, finally breaking through against Beaumont pitcher Jaymee Rhodes, who went the distance and allowed just six hits, all singles.

“We hadn’t swung competitively in a game since Burbank, which was eight days ago,” Nicol said. “You could tell. We didn’t make really good adjustments swinging at her high pitches, but I’m still happy with the win. Survive and advance, that’s the goal every time.”

After Tori Talavera opened the bottom of the fifth by drawing a walk, Lauren Lopez and then Kalanie Oasay both laid down perfect bunts that resulted in singles.

With the bases loaded, Michelle Santiago followed, reaching on a fielder’s choice when Beaumont, the No. 2 entry from the Mountain Pass League, fielded her ground ball and threw home for the force out. Indian Delaney Nicol then hit a ground ball, but this time Cougars shortstop Micah Stamper fumbled it, allowing the first run of the game to score, and then her throw to third to salvage an out came late. Kaitlin Okimoto followed, lifting a sacrifice fly into left field to bring home Oasay.

“Coming off of the Burbank game it was really nice,” Okimoto said of the win. “Hitting-wise, we started off to a little bit of a rough start, but everyone started to pick everyone up.”

The final run of the inning and the game came off the bat of Miraglia, who helped herself with a clean single into left field to bring home Santiago from second base and stake her team to a 3-0 advantage.

“That has been kind of our MO this year; we give the girls the first three or four innings to see if we’re pounding it and we’re on. Then, if we’re not, we’re in a close game like this, then we start playing small ball a little bit,” Nicol said. “I thought our small ball game was great today.”

With the win, the Indians maintain a clean score sheet for May, where they have now outscored the opposition, 39-0, spanning five consecutive shutouts. Additionally, Burroughs ran its win streak to eight games and has won 21 of its last 23 contests.

“We forced [Beaumont] to play some defense and put them in situations that they are probably uncomfortable with and it was successful today,” Nicol said.

Next for Burroughs will be the second round on Tuesday against host Laguna Hills, which defeated Mira Costa on the road.

“Our expectations are like anyone else,” Nicol said. “Why not us? Why can’t we win CIF? Why someone else? We’ve worked just as hard as everyone else and we’ve got just as much talent.”