The Los Alamitos High softball team battled a non-league opponent in a doubleheader last weekend, splitting the two-game series. On Saturday, April 27, Los Al delivered an impressive win to capture the opener with a 7-3 victory at home. However, it failed to pull off the sweep, suffering a 6-4 loss to South Bay’s Torrance High.
The loss dropped the Griffins to 16-11 overall this year. It also snapped a four-game winning streak that included a trio of league victories. It dated back to a loss to Fountain Valley in league play on April 16.
Despite the setback the Griffins have been doing well in league play. They currently own a 3-3 record in league to remain tied with Huntington Beach for third place. The Griffins need to finish in third place to clinch the final playoff spot. If they don’t, the defending Sunset League champs must rely on earning an at-large berth at the CIF selection meeting.
The Griffins actually own a three-game winning streak in Sunset League play. On Thursday, April 25, they recorded their last league victory, posting a 2-0 victory against Marina in front of a large crowd at Los Alamitos High.
The Griffins returned to action against first-place Edison on Tuesday, April 30 (score not available). The Chargers won the first meeting of the season with a 13-3 mercy rule.
Los Al has suffered this season from injuries, with key players, such as Tiana Bonde sidelined.
These injuries, in part, caused Los Al to trail Edison by two games, as well as second-place Marina by 1 ½ games, in the league standings. Los Al dug itself a hole at the start of league play, losing its opening three games to temporarily fall into last place.
“We started off slow (in league),” Los Al head coach Rob Weir said after a win against Huntington Beach. “We had control issues (on the mound) … walks really killed us.”
However, seniors such as catcher Rachel Sellers, Megan Geer and third baseman Mattie Scheele, as well as younger players like freshman pitcher Jade Loe, stepped up and filled the void
Los Al has three games remaining during the regular season. It will face Fountain Valley on Thursday, May 2. It then battles Huntington Beach in an important match-up. Though Los Al defeated Huntington Beach in the first meeting of the season, a loss of the second game could mean missing the playoffs.
Los Al will play Huntington Beach on May 7. That game will take place at Huntington Beach High, where a win will not guarantee but greatly improve Los Al’s chances of a third-place finish.
Though Los Alamitos still technically has a chance to win the Sunset League title, it will need to win the remainder of its contests and hope that Edison and Marina suffer losses to other teams.
Last year, Los Al won the league crown with a 9-1 record, topping runner-up Edison by a single game. The Griffins then entered the CIF playoffs, defeating Upland in the first round but falling to Vista Murrieta in a 5-2 loss in the second round.
