By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
On a blustery afternoon where the winds were reported blowing to the east at 15 miles per hour, but felt like 25 mph, La Mirada flexed its muscles over the final six innings at Gahr High. The Matadores banged out season-highs in hits and runs and launched three home runs as they doubled up the Gladiators 16-8.
La Mirada improved to 14-3 overall, 3-0 in the Gateway League but it wasn’t pretty in the first inning in the chaotic weather conditions. Although La Mirada sent eight batters to the plate and scored three times in the top of the frame, Gahr sophomore pitcher Isabelle Gonzalez walked three and hit a batter. There was a hit, which came from senior center fielder Angelie Kennedy, a soft blooper in shallow right that brought in sophomore courtesy runner Jasmine Rodriguez and senior second baseman Alyssa Avila. Senior shortstop Amanda Urbina, who was walked on a full count, opened the scoring by coming home on a passed ball.
However, the Gladiators (6-6-1, 3-1) bounced back in their half of the inning on one hit. La Mirada senior Montserrat Reyes-Cardenas walked freshman third baseman Megan Wong and hit senior catcher Mya Laroya two pitches later. Two batters later, sophomore designated player Cierra Contreras was hit by a pitch to load the bases and a walk to sophomore left fielder Leah Magana put the hosts on the board.
Senior center fielder Malaia Huskey would then single down the third base line to bring in Laroya and Contreras and with two outs, an error allowed two more runs to score, making it 5-3. After that, La Mirada head coach Brent Tuttle replaced Reyes-Cardenas with sophomore Allison Ortega and after she allowed a two-run home run to Laroya in the bottom of the second, she retired the next 10 batters and 16 of the next 17.
“Neither pitcher threw strikes in the first inning,” said Gahr head coach Rey Sanchez. “I don’t want to blame the conditions, but I know these aren’t the best conditions to pitch in when it’s as windy as it is. I’m sure fingers dry out a little bit more; as little tougher to hold onto the ball, and it seemed like their pitcher struggled with that also.”
Meanwhile, the barrage of hits and runs began for the Matadores in the fourth inning, Junior right fielder Bettie Mae Acevedo led off with a home run to left center, followed by a single to left from Urbina, a strikeout, a single from sophomore catcher Riley Hilliard, a double from senior third baseman Angelyna Conde, a single from Avila and a home run from Kennedy.
In the next inning, La Mirada got four more hits and four more runs from Urbina, sophomore first baseman Reese Hilliard, Conde and Avila. The final run from the defending league champs came in the sixth when Urbina put an end to her four for four, five-run performance with a two-run home run.
“In that fourth inning, we put up a couple and then in the fifth inning, we exploded,” said Tuttle. “We got some big hits from the bottom of our lineup which we’ve been getting all year long. Bettie Mae comes up and hits that big home run, and then Kennedy comes up and hits another one later. Where you don’t think you don’t get your production, we got that production to get us going, and that got the top of the lineup fired up ready to go.”
Seven La Mirada starters collected at least two hits with Kennedy driving in five runs and Conde three. And while the offense was keeping its foot on the pedal, Ortega once again had a stellar performance to collect her sixth win in eight decisions. This was the first time she had to relieve Reyes-Cardenas with a deficit. Ortega did pick up a save against La Habra High on Mar. 21.
“Allison came in big when Monse wasn’t on, and took care of business,” said Tuttle. ‘[Monse] just didn’t have it today. Allison has played a big role this year for us, so I trust our sophomore, put her out there and we’ll get Monse back on track.”
“She came in and we didn’t quite catch up to the velo,” said Sanchez of Ortega. “We have to be better at making adjustments and understanding that when it’s coming a little faster, you’ve got to be on time. Our hitters control the timing, and I felt we didn’t compete early enough off [Ortega] once she came in. But she came in and did a great job against us. She made some key strikeouts when she needed to.”
Gahr’s final run came in the seventh when Laroya smacked a solo home run to center. She would go two for three with three runs scored and a pair of runs batted in while three other players accounted for a hit each. The 18 hits and 16 runs allowed were also season highs for Gahr as it faced Mater Dei Catholic High this past Wednesday in the first round of the Michelle Carew Classic. The Gladiators will also host Paramount High on Tuesday, go to Cerritos High on Wednesday and welcome Millikan High on Thursday.
“I felt we did not make plays to assist at all,” said Sanchez. “Yes, we walked three girls in the first inning. But we should have been out of that maybe with one run max. Again, tough conditions to play in, however they’re playing in the same conditions.”
For the Gladiators, who have won four of their last seven games with a tie mixed in to be where they are in the standings, it’s a testament to the team considering how young they are. Four sophomores and three freshmen were among the starting 10 against La Mirada and only four seniors are on the team.
“I knew we would be okay because any time you have Bella on the mound, she’s going to give us a shot,” said Sanchez. “I felt that in the last few games, we have been really vibing. We’ve been playing some pretty good softball, and I’ve liked our at-bats, and I’ve liked where we’re at.
“I like our team; I really do,” he continued. “We are young; we are learning. We’re going through some growing pains, but I like where we’re at. Despite this game, this is not a true reflection of how we’ve been playing.”
La Mirada is nearly the opposite as it has a dozen seniors, five sophomores and three freshmen. The Matadores hosted Mayfair High on Apr. 3 and will travel to Downey High on Thursday.
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