Oxford Academy’s softball team had been a team on a mission as they blasted their way to the CIF-SS Championship game. But the meteoric ride ended with a bit of a thud, as the hot-hitting Patriots went cold and had to settle for a Runner-Up plaque with and 11-2 loss to Eastside High in the Division 7 finals on Saturday at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.
The Patriots entered the playoffs as the fourth-place team out of the 605 League, but were the No. 1 ranked team in the CIF-SS Division 7 poll to end the season. They started hot and stayed hot, scoring 19, 17 and 11 runs respectively in their first three playoff games. Their only close game was a 5-2 win over Riverside Prep in the semifinals.
They had also been steady defensively, holding opponents to a combined 11 runs over four games. Factor in four errors with the cold bats and it was too much to overcome. Head coach Bob Whitney was at a loss for any specific issues for the team, just saying it was just the wrong day for the team to play its worst game.
“We are a lot better than how we played today,” Whitney said.” We didn’t hit well, we didn’t make any adjustments, and that’s what happens.”
Despite the loss, the Patriots set a new standard for the program, as this was the first time the softball team had reached a CIF-SS Championship game. The Patriots were 25-1 in non-league games, but battled to 5-5 in a competitive league schedule. But Whitney knew they could compete in the playoffs.
“Our goal was to make CIF [playoffs], just get our foot in the door somehow, and uh we made a good run and we got to the finals,” Whitney said. “You know, thirty-some odd teams didn’t get here.”
The Patriots struggled from the start as Eastside used a two walks and an error to load the bases in the top of the first inning. Shortstop Bethanie Jiminez followed that with a double to the left-center gap to give the Lions a 3-0 lead.
The Patriots had a chance to respond in the bottom of the first, but missed the opportunity. After senior Monique Rojas reached on an error to lead off, senior Isabella Pace drove a ball to the wall to score Rojas. The Patriots would work two walks to lead the bases with just one out, but Lions pitcher Luz Navarro would get two strikeouts to end the threat.
The Patriots settled in somewhat, but the Lions would use a two-out rally to score four more in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead to 9-1. In the bottom of the seventh inning, freshman Shay Tiettmeyer had a pinch-hit double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Monique Rojas would bring her in with a single for the Patriots’ second run.
As a section finalist, the Patriots await a berth in the CIF State playoffs, set to be released next weekend. The Patriots get one more shot at this season to potentially raise the bar for the program a bit higher. Oxford will lose three seniors, but has seven returning juniors who were impact players this year. The team also has several underclassmen, including two freshmen who were key contributors, so Whitney is highly optimistic for the future.
“We’ll be okay next year,” Whitney said.
