Mira Costa capitalized on two late-inning rallies to upset ninth-seeded Highland in a 4-3 road win that advances the Mustangs to the second round of the CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 3 Softball Championships where they will host eighth-seeded Atascadero Tuesday at 3:15 p.m.
Junior Nikki Gialketsis continued her hot hitting in the postseason slamming her second home run of the game in the top of the eighth inning to give Mira Costa (23-7) a lead they would not relinquish. Gialketsis is 4-for-6 with five RBIs including two home runs and a double in the Mustang’s two playoff games. Mira Costa beat Temescal Canyon 13-8 in a wild-card game last Tuesday.
After Highland jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning, Mira Costa battled back scored once in the fourth and sixth innings to narrow the gap. Taylor Glover doubled in the top of the seventh inning and Katie Saunders drove her in with a single to tie the score. Glover is batting .516 this season and has been successful in all 22 stolen base attempts.
Mira Costa pitcher Breanna Kelly improved her season record to 19-3 and lowered her ERA to 2.07, surrendering only one earned run and shutting out Highland in the final five innings.
“I would like to get Breanna her 20th victory,” Mira Costa head coach Dick Amberik said. “That’s a good accomplishment in high school.”
Steffani Lajeunesse went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI to help a Mustang offense that struck out 18 times against Highland ace Rachel Garcia.
“We beat the best pitcher we have faced in a long time,” Amberik said. “She was bringing heat from the start. Her fast ball was in the 65/66 mph range. In the first five innings all but one of our outs was a strike out. But any one of our nine starters can tee off at any time. We always have a hitter’s chance. Out of our seven hits againstHighlandwe had three doubles and two homers.”
PAC 7 champion Atascadero (25-2) defeated Paramount5-2 in its first-round game and is ranked 45thth in the state, 100 spots above Mira Costa.
“Up there (Atascadero) it’s the only game in town so they will be focused to play,” Amberik added. “If we are not focused, we can get our comeuppance.”
Mira Costa is one of four teams from the South Bay to advance to the second round, joining Pioneer League representatives North Torrance, South Torrance and Torrance.
Sixth-seeded North Torrance (24-7) won a coin toss and will host defending CIF champion Oaks Christian (19-10) in the second round Tuesday. The Saxons defeated Lakeside 7-1 on Thursday.
Pioneer runner-up Torrance (26-7) plays at fourth-seeded Bishop Amat (21-3) after beating Chaminade 3-1 in the first round. South Torrance (20-10) defeated Paloma Valley 2-1 and hosts second-seeded Burroughs/Burbank (21-3) on Tuesday.
Bay League champion Peninsula (16-11) had its season end with a 13-9 home loss to Alemany 11-14).
Quarterfinals will be played Thursday followed by the semifinals on Tuesday, May 20 and the finals June 1st or 2nd at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.
Baseball
Redondo (18-12) could only muster one hit against second-seeded Pacifica/Garden Grove, losing 7-0 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 2 championships.
The loss left Palos Verdes (22-8) as the only Bay league team still alive in the post season. The Sea Kings defeated Arroyo Grande 7-2 and will play at Rancho Verdes (14-15) which upset third-seeded Alemany 9-3 in the first round.
In Division 4, Pioneer League champion El Segundo (17-14) beat Oaks Christian 4-3 but must travel to face top-seeded Palm Desert (22-8) on Tuesday.
North Torrance (19-12) eliminated No. 10 La Quinta 1-0 to advance and will host No. 6 Katella (23-5). Torrance (18-13) finished its season with a 13-8 loss at No. 8 Don Lugo.
In Division 6, Chadwick (7-13) was routed by second-seeded Capistrano Valley Christian 18-0 in the first round.
