The Los Alamitos High softball team advanced to the CIF-SS Division 1 playoff semifinals with wins over Capistrano Valley High and Santiago High of Corona last week.
The Griffins had earned a bye into the second round, where they shut down Capistrano Valley, 5-1, before topping Santiago, 4-1 on Thursday. The Griffins were scheduled to host Orange Lutheran on Tuesday (score not available by press time) for a chance to advance to Saturday’s CIF-SS Championship this Saturday.
In their playoff opener, the Griffins had steady pitching from Ryan Denhart and was able to get hits in key situations to control the game against Capistrano Valley. Denhart pitched a complete game, scattering five hits, while striking out seven and allowing just one earned run.
On offense, Andrea Gonzalez had a home run, three RBIs and scored a run. Jenna Kean was 2 for 3 with a run and RBI, while Kaitlin Parsons went 2 for4, with a run and RBI. After a first round bye, Head Coach Rob Weil admitted he was a little concerned about the team being rusty, but knew they had enough experience and focus to play well.
“I was happy with the way we looked today, I was happy with the way Ryan threw and I was definitely happy with the way our offense hit in productive situations,” Weil said.
In their quarterfinal game, Denhart was again steady, scattering five hits, with eight strikeouts and just one run allowed in a 4-1 win over Santiago of Corona. Cami Sellers was 2 for 2 with a home run, run scored and RBI. Jenna Kean had a hit, a run and two RBIs.
The Griffins reached the semifinals last year and have been focused on getting over that hump this year. They have been the top-ranked team in Orange County and one of the top ranked in the CIF-SS Division 1 rankings as well. After their opening win, Weil said they are determined to get a shot at a championship.
This article appeared in the May 31, 2017 print edition of the News Enterprise.