Sports
Girls Softball: Murrieta Valley, Vista Murrieta Enter Round 2 of CIF Playoffs
Both Murrieta High School Teams are primed and ready to take on their second round opponents.
The Broncos and Nighthawks were set to be tested Tuesday afternoon in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division One Girls Softball Playoffs.
Vista Murrieta Coach Daniel Torres’ Vista Murrieta team was scheduled to take on powerhouse Sharks from Santiago High School in Corona.
Led by senior pitcher Erica Romero, the Sharks are ranked third in the state and nation by Maxpreps.com. Romero is 26-5 with a 0.76 ERA. The Sharks offense is loaded with hitters.
On a team packed with stars, sophomore infielder Rachel Minogue is the Big Stick for Santiago. She’s hitting .461 with 4 home runs and 27 RBIs. Catcher Randel Leahy is the Shark home run leader with eight. She hit 3.29 and has 20 RBIs.
Dakota Matiko, Kaylin Crumpton, Nicole Fry, Nikki Orozco and Marissa Varrati are all hitting above .300.
Maxpreps.com has the Broncos ranked 28th in the state and 52nd in the nnation. Vista is 18-10 this season and is led by pitcher Selina Ta’amillo who is 13-7 with a miniscule .057 ERA. She is hitting .340 with four home runs and 13 RBI.
Sydney Romero is the offensive leader of this explosive offense. She hit .494 with six home runs and 24 RBIs. Tristen Edwards also has six home runs and is batting .388 with 20 RBIs.
Senior outfielder Natalie Baltas has been the Bronco Player of the Game the past two contests and is batting .318. Megan Holms is hitting .423, and Kylee Keller .391.
Murrieta Valley
The Nighthawks traveled to Garden Grove to take on Mighty Pacifica on Tuesday.
The Mariners are ranked sixth in the nation and are coming off an 18-game winning streak. The Nighthawks lost a heartbreaker to Pacifica 2-1 on April 5.
“It’s like David and Goliath” MVHS Coach Sean Parks said. “Can we beat them? Absolutely! The girls know that every time they step on to the field they can win. No guarantees, but I know we can win.”
Murrieta Valley is a young team led by sophomore pitcher Olivia Sanchez who is 16-5 with a 1.27 ERA. She is hitting .345 and is the Nighthawk home run leader with eight. She also has 25 RBI to lead the Hawks.
Freshman Amber Bishop is the MV batting leader with a .420 average with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. Her sister Autumn is hitting .313 with 23 RBIs and has popped two home runs.
Juniors Stephanie Moreno and Chelsey Preciado are batting .394 and .342 while sophomore catcher Amber Nelson is hitting .323.
The Mariners possess one of the top pitchers in southern California. Kaylee Carlson is almost unbeatable with a 17-0 record and a mind numbing 0.48 ERA.
Pacifica’s team batting average is .343 and the have scored 190 runs on their way to a 24-5 record.
