Canyon’s Jade Diaz is safe at the plate during the team’s ninth-inning rally against El Modena in a key Crestview League game Thursday, April 18. Diaz was injured on the play. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)
ORANGE — The Canyon softball team was ahead by two runs in the seventh inning and an out away from victory in a key Crestview League game against El Modena on Thursday at El Modena High School.
Then, with the bases empty, the Vanguards put together a two-run rally that tied the score and sent the contest to extra innings.
But the Comanches kept their composure and scored four runs in the ninth inning to earn a 6-2 victory.
“First, I think we respect (our opponent) every time we get on a field, especially in our league,” Canyon coach Jess Carbajal said. “We never take it for granted that we’re winning. So, we knew, and the girls prepared for a tough game.”
Jade Diaz drove in the winning run for Canyon in the ninth, but was injured one play later when sliding head first into home to score the Comanches’ fourth run of the inning.
After a 20-minute delay, Diaz was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
The victory is the fifth in a row for the Comanches (21-4, 6-1), who are in first place, one game ahead of second-place Esperanza (5-2 in league) in the four-team league. Esperanza beat Villa Park 12-2 Thursday.
Canyon, ranked No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25, takes on the No. 9 Aztecs on Tuesday with first place on the line.
The teams split their first two league games.
“Now I can talk about going on to Esperanza and we’ll be prepared for that one too,” Carbajal said.
No. 4 El Modena (17-8, 3-4) remains in third place with two league games remaining. Only the top two teams in a four-team league receive automatic playoff berths, and the Vanguards might need an at-large berth to get into the CIF-SS playoffs.
Ava Espinoza doubled to lead off the seventh for the Vanguards and then scored on Kaitlyn Galasso’s double to get El Modena within one run.
Jocelyn Alatorre then singled home Galasso one batter later and the game went to extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, the Comanches broke the game open with a four-run ninth.
Carson Cooper led off with a walk and after Bella Alcala went in as a pinch runner, Diaz doubled into the gap in left-center field, scoring Alcala to put the Comanches ahead 3-2.
Irma Urincho then doubled to right-center to score Diaz, who was injured on a close play at the plate.
“I think that the big thing that we did was pass the bat,” Urincho said. “One hit and then another hit and it just kept going. Taking Jade’s injury, we just all said we’re going to come together even more than we were and just keep passing bats and keep fighting as a team.”
The Comanches tacked on two more runs, one coming on an RBI single from Kendall Nevin.
“My hat goes off to (El Modena coach) Bobby (Calderon) for fighting back,” Carbajal said. “But I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
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