La Habra exits with lopsided loss to Righetti

La Habra head coach Frank McCarroll talks to his players between innings during Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
Righetti's Breanna Timmons throws to first base to complete a double play to end the fourth inning as La Habra's Racquel Manzo slides into second base during Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game at La Habra. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Racquel Manzo strokes a single in the fourth inning during Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Camille Manzo catches the ball in left field for an out in the sixth inning during Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Taylor Pierce delivers a pitch during the sixth inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Jayanna Perez catches a fly ball in left field during the seventh inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Frankie Mendoza pitches against Righetti in the sixth inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra first baseman Amanda Akles catches a pop fly in the seventh inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Taylor Pierce hits an RBI single in the seventh inning -- the only run La Habra scored in Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Frankie Mendoza catches a fly ball in center field to end the top of the seventh inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game against visiting Righetti. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.
La Habra's Vanessa Ciocatto pitches against Righetti in the third inning of Tuesday's CIF-SS Division 3 semifinal softball game at La Habra. Fourth-seeded Righetti won, 14-1.

By Andrew Turner | Orange County Register

May 28, 2013 at 10:01 p.m.

LA HABRA – The La Habra softball team has grown accustomed to making deep runs in the CIF-SS playoffs.

But it’s still painful for the Highlanders when they fail to reach their goal: the championship game.

Coach Frank McCarroll saw his team’s season end in the semifinals for the second consecutive season Tuesday with a 14-1 loss to Righetti of Santa Maria in a Division 3 playoff game at La Habra High.

The Highlanders (23-8) moved up a division this season after losing to Kaiser of Fontana in the semifinals last year.

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McCarroll did not make any excuses for the lopsided defeat Tuesday. He said regular-season games against the county’s top teams had prepared his team for this stage of the season.

“We played Esperanza, we played El (Modena), we played Marina, we played Mater Dei,” McCarroll said of the team’s tough schedule. “You play who you play.”

The Highlanders coach said his team simply failed to execute in the semifinals. They committed four errors that led to seven unearned runs.

“You got to still hit the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball,” he said. “Defensively it hurt us. The defense has always kind of kept us in the game.”

Vanessa Ciocatto (20-8), who is headed to Delaware State in the fall, made her final start for the Highlanders. The senior struck out of five of the first seven batters she faced before running into trouble.

La Habra had the first opportunity to score. Valerie Ramirez-Helms drew a leadoff walk to start the third. Taylor Pierce bunted pinch-runner Tatyana Peko to second.

With two outs in the inning, Frankie Mendoza lined a single to center, but Peko was thrown out at the plate by Melanie Johnson to squash the threat.

The Warriors (26-7) carried that momentum into the next half-inning. Judith Salazar singled and Katie Chenault reached on an error before Jessica Rothanzl’s double scored Righetti’s first two runs.

Ciocatto walked four consecutive batters in the fifth before Chenault and Brianna Alvarez knocked in runs to make it 5-0.