Hannah Boos and Taylor Dockins traded one-two-three innings throughout the course of the afternoon.
Both sophomore aces worked out of jams at one point or another, but for the most part, each received impeccable defensive play from their teammates.
But when Boos and Dockins both encountered bases-loaded situations in the 10th inning, it was the Cougars sophomore who came out of it unscathed.
After being held scoreless and notching just three hits through the first nine innings, Norco used four hits to score three runs in the 10th, and topped the second-seeded Mariners, 3-0, in a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game at Pacifica High on Thursday afternoon.
The Cougars (25-8) will host Canyon (23-7) in a semifinal on Tuesday afternoon with a berth in next weekend’s championship final on the line.
“That’s Division 1 for you right there,” Pacifica coach Mark Campbell said. “So many tough opponents. I thought their kid (Dockins) threw a great game. She kept the ball down and away, and we just didn’t make the adjustments.”
Both Dockins and Boos blanked the opposing lineup through the first nine innings. The Norco right-hander limited the Mariners (22-7-1) to four hits in that time span, while Pacifica’s sophomore scattered three hits after no-hitting the Cougars through 51/3 innings.
“Hannah Boos had such a great year for us,” Campbell said. “She really finished the year off strong, and she’s only going to get better as a junior.”
With the game scoress entering the 10th, Norco’s Naomi Hernandez led off the inning with a single to right field. Back-to-back singles from Mikayla Allee and Kwynn Warner loaded the bases with just one out.
Freshman third baseman Brittany Allen’s sacrifice fly to left field brought in the game’s first run. Dockins helped her own cause, hitting a triple into the left-field corner to drive in two runs and seize a 3-0 advantage.
Pacifica loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the 10th, which brought leadoff hitter Faith Canfield to the plate. The senior was unable to extend the game, however, chopping out to Allee at short for the final out.
“It’s hard right after a game because everyone can be emotional,” Campbell added, “but it has been a very good year. … I don’t think many people had us going this far with (Kaylee) Carlson, (Nicole) DeWitt, and (Brooke) Marquez all gone. But these kids all picked it up.”
Also in Division 1:
Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga 9, El Modena 4: Second baseman Samantha Vacko’s three-run home run highlighted her six RBI day that lifted the Grizzlies past the Vanguards.
Emma Lee finished with three hits for El Modena, which finished the season 21-9.
In Division 3:
Bishop Amat of La Puente 3, San Clemente 1: The Tritons were held to one hit over the first six innings of the quarterfinal.
In Division 5:
Garden Grove 6, Flintridge Sacred-Heart of La Canada-Flintridge 1: The Argonauts (19-11) scored five runs in the first three innings, and secured their spot in the semifinals.
Celeste Villagrana got the complete-game victory, giving up one run on three hits with nine strikeouts.
Olivia Candelas went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, and Meredith Miller and Elana Abe each went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI.
Garden Grove will play at Cabrillo of Lompoc in Tuesday’s semifinal. Cabrillo defeated Calvary Chapel, 9-0, Thursday.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
