Given a chance at redemption, Daleah Cardenas made the most of her opportunity Saturday night in the Gold Division championship game of the Michelle Carew Softball Classic at Peralta Park in Anaheim.
Relieving starter Ava Phillips, the Rosary senior pitcher got eight outs and did not allow a baserunner to close out an 8-4 upset of Orange Lutheran.
“My drop curve is my best pitch and I was using it a lot,” said Cardenas, who shook off a poor outing in the semifinals when she faced six batters, gave up four hits, hit a batter and recorded only one out. “I feel the pressure when there’s a huge crowd like this, but I just lock in and focus like it’s just me and my catcher.”
Rosary catcher Sabrina Martin lunges to tag out an Orange Lutheran runner at home plate in the Royals’ 8-4 win in the Gold Division championship game of the Michelle Carew Softball Classic on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Phillips, who was most valuable pitcher of the tournament, finally tired with one out in the fifth inning after pitching 11 innings in two games Saturday — the second of which ended just before midnight.
Cardenas got a double play to end the fifth and induced three left-handed-hitting Lancers to ground out to first base in the sixth. For the final three outs she got Kai Minor, Orange Lutheran’s Oklahoma-bound center fielder, to hit a grounder back to her, struck out Madelyn Armendariz and got Cate Medvitz to line out to left field.
Domonique McCoy hit a two-run single in the first inning and Jenna Caldera added an RBI single in the second to put the Royals (16-2-1) up early, but Sierra Nichols’ bloop hit in the second scored a run and pulled the Lancers (14-2) to within one.
Orange Lutheran committed four errors but pulled even at 4-4 on a two-run single by Armendariz in the fourth.
Audrinah Barajas doubled to the left-field fence and scored on a throwing error to give the Royals the lead for good in the sixth. Rosary tacked on two more runs in the seventh off a throwing error and an RBI single by Alisa Fair.
In the semifinals, Orange Lutheran freshman Rylee Silva tossed a three-hitter with four strikeouts to outduel Norco junior Peyton May in a 1-0 win.
Sadie Burroughs’ two-run homer capped a four-run first inning, and Coral Williams pitched a complete game in Norco’s 4-2 victory over Fullerton for third place.
In the Silver Division final, catcher Gia Otani tagged a runner out at the plate to save a run in the third inning, then belted a solo homer in the fifth to break a tie as Oaks Christian held on to beat Millikan 2-1.
Poway doubled up Riverside King 8-4 to take third place, Eastvale Roosevelt beat Capistrano Valley 12-8 for fifth, and Tucson (Ariz.) Canyon Del Oro beat Phoenix Canyon View 6-1 for seventh.
Anaheim Canyon edged Great Oak 4-3 to win the Bronze Division title when Sophia Sandoval scored from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh.
