Ocean View breaks close-game habit to roll into title game
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Softball playoffs: Seahawks' offense clicks in for 6-1 victory over Pomona Catholic.
POMONA Ocean View softball coach Randy Cruz hasn’t had much to complain about this season.
His Seahawks team had only one blemish on an otherwise perfect season and had marched within one game of reaching the CIF-SS Division IV championship game.
Still, after four consecutive one-run victories, Cruz was hoping for a game that would be a little less stressful on the nerves.
What he got was a 6-1 semifinals victory over host Pomona Catholic, aided by a balanced offensive attack that posted 11 hits and an efficient complete-game effort from pitcher Holli Floetker.
While the big benefit of the victory was the obvious trip the championship game, Cruz could not have been happier about his team breaking from its recent close game tendencies.
“I was telling our assistant coach before the game that we’re due for one of these big offensive games,” Cruz said. “Every team in the playoffs has been having at least one game where they can breathe at least and I was very happy ours came today.”
Ocean View (28-1) got the scoring started in the top-half of the third inning, sending all nine players to the plate with the help of some questionable defensive play on the part of Pomona Catholic (19-13).
Following a leadoff double to right center by Vanessa Cardona, a pair of bunts by Autumn Martinez and Brooke Hitchcock resulted in no outs and the bases being loaded.
Martinez’s bunt was fielded cleanly by the Pacer’s first baseman, but an attempted throw to nab Cardona advancing to third was in the dirt. Hitchcock followed with a bunt to Pomona Catholic pitcher Tori Sadlack, who took too long looking Cardona back to third, allowing Hitchcock to beat her throw to first.
After a pop-out to third, Nikole Afusia would get the games first RBI on a grounder to shortstop, as the throw home was not in time. Brenna Klein would follow with a hard single past third that would score two more.
Ocean View would add two more in the fourth and another in the fifth when Sarah Craig was hit in the elbow with the bases loaded.
The six runs would prove to be more than enough for Floetker (17-1).
Despite allowing base runners in six out of the seven inning she pitched, Floetker was able to induce the groundball when she needed it and the defense behind her was solid.
The offensive outburst was a welcome sight for the Seahawks, and Klein said it’s in large part due to their work in practice.
“The past couple days, we’ve been working on getting the big hits, getting on top of the ball and making every single hit count,” Klein said. “We just been working so hard and we’ve finally accomplished our goal and we’re going to the championship game. There’s nothing else we could ask for.”
Contact the writer: preps@ocvarsity.com
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