Despite earning a share of the Bay League championship, Mira Costa’s girls softball team joined most of the other local baseball and softball teams in wild-card competition when the CIF Southern Section-Ford Championships began Tuesday. Only five local teams in the two sports earned automatic first-round games.
Because of the rain, many of the games scheduled for Tuesday were postponed and rescheduled for Wednesday.
In softball, Division 3 was loaded with South Bay teams although none were seeded. Peninsula (12-13) shared the Bay League crown with Mira Costa but enters the post season as the Bay’s No. 1 team. In the first round , the Panthers defeated visiting Paso Robles 5-3 and advances to host top-seeded Oaks Christian in the second round on Tuesday. All baseball and softball games with the exception of the final rounds are scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m.
Mira Costa (22-7-1) defeated Righetti 8-7 in its postponed wild-card game Wednesday when Katie Saunders belted a two-run double to drive in the Glover sisters, Kamyle and Taylor, in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel the Mustangs into the first round.
Coach Richard Aberik’s team the lost to Sunbelt champion Lakeside 7-6 in the first round.
Meghan von Behren had a double, a triple and four RBIs while going 3-for-4, Taylor Glover went 3-for4 and scored two runs and Stefanni Lajeunesse hit a home run for the Mustangs in their losing effort.
Redondo (13-14) earned an at-large berth but was shutout by host Heritage 5-0 in its wild-card game Wednesday. Linda Park and Cindy Zamudio had hits for the Sea Hawks.
Heritage advanced to play at Pioneer champion North Torrance (22-8) where the Saxons recorded a 3-0 shutout in the first round. North Torrance hosts fourth-seeded Chino Hills (23-5) in the second round on Tuesday.
Palos Verdes (16-15) was the Bay’s third representative and defeated host St. Joseph/Santa Maria 1-0 on a squeeze play in the top of the eighth inning Tuesday. The Sea Kings then lost at Chaminade 6-4 who advances to play at Torrance (19-11), a 9-4 winner over host Knight.
Pioneer runner-up South Torrance (20-10) routed visiting Eastside 13-0 behind Carolyn Snodgress’ no-hitter in its wild-card gaem but lost to Arroyo Grande (17-9) in the opening round.
Baseball
Under first-year head coach Jeff Baumback, Redondo (15-15) entered the Division 2 playoffs as the Bay League’s third team but the Sea Hawks fell to visiting Damien 3-1 in a wild-card game Tuesday.
Bay champion West (18-11) lost to wild-card winner Yucaipa 5-3 in its opening round game Thursday.
Peninsula (21-8-1) was the Bay runner-up and beat St. Francis 7-3 in a wild-card game Wednesday but lost to host Chino Hills 2-1 in the first round.
Palos Verdes (20-11) earned an at-large berth and defeated host Paso Robles 13-3 in its wild-card game Wednesday but were no match for Chaminade who beat the Sea Kings 13-5 in the first round.
In Division 4, Pioneer champion Torrance (25-5) earned a No. 3 seed and defeated visiting South Pasadena 4-3 in the opening round. The Tartars play at Don Lugo (19-7) in the second round.
El Segundo (19-12) also escaped the wild-card round and defeated visiting 2-0 Monrovia, advancing to play at fourth-seeded Laguna Beach (26-2) Tuesday.
North Torrance (14-18) lost at No. 10 Troy 4-2 but Bishop Montgomery (13-15) defeated visiting Baldwin Park 2-0 in wild card games on Tuesday but fell to No. 5 Oaks Christian (23-6) 9-0 in the first round. ER
