Canyon does it again to El Modena

ORANGE - El Modena ace Haylie Wagner was overwhelming Canyon through six innings.

Wagner faced one over the minimum and had 10 strikeouts through six innings. Meanwhile, Canyon ace Cheyanne Tarango was walking a dangerous tightrope through six innings as the Vanguards stranded eight baserunners.

El Modena should have cashed in some of those early opportunities, because the Comanches have made a habit of pulling out dramatic victories.

Top-ranked Canyon did so again, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull out a 2-0 victory over No. 2 El Modena in a highly anticipated Century League game Tuesday at El Modena High.

Canyon rallied from a two-run deficit to beat the Vanguards, 3-2, in the first meeting on April 16. Tuesday's victory gave the Comanches (21-6, 7-0) a rare season sweep over El Modena (18-9, 5-2) and gave them a two-game cushion with three games left in the regular season.

Shannon Bustillos drew a one-out walk to get things started in the top of the seventh. Tarango, Briana Gwaltney and Taylor Ousley followed with consecutive singles. Ousley's bloop single to shallow center field allowed courtesy runner Taylor Alderete to score.

Tayler Van Acker followed with a ground out to second that scored courtesy runner Taylor Wilkerson, making it 2-0.

"Everyone just started getting things going," Ousley said. "I knew I had to get a run in because it was real important, so I just tried to go with it."

Tracy Kleekamp got a one-out single for the Vanguards in the bottom of the seventh before getting Alyson Kulp to ground out and Wagner to strike out on a called third strike to end the game.

El Modena put the leadoff runner on base in the first four innings, but three times the Comanches were able to get the lead runner out and they also turned a double play. Canyon played error-free defense once again.

Tarango didn't have a dominant game, but she placed her pitches well and allowed her defense to take care of the rest.

"They did great," Tarango said of her teammates. "My second baseman (Kelly Stowe) and shortstop (Gwaltney), our third baseman (Lauren Young) and Tayler (Van Acker at first base), they did amazing."

In the Sunset League:

No. 12 Los Alamitos 10, No. 9 Esperanza 1: Taryn Devich pitched six scoreless innings to get the Griffins (21-7, 6-2) back on track with a victory over the Aztecs (14-12-2, 3-4).

In the Trinity League:

No. 6 Mater Dei 4, No. 5 Santa Margarita 2: Brianne Matthews allowed two hits and struck out eight to get the complete-game victory as the Monarchs (18-4-1, 4-2) avenged one of their league losses and moved into a tie for first place by beating the visiting Eagles (14-9-1, 4-2).

No. 16 Orange Lutheran 6, No. 14 Rosary 2: Nikki Chapman belted a three-run homer in the top of the first, Heather Hall went 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, Jenna Stark went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Jackie Guy allowed three hits, no walks and struck out eight to get the complete-game victory for the Lancers (16-8, 3-2) against the host Royals (13-14, 4-3).

In the South Coast League:

Capistrano Valley 4, No. 4 Tesoro 1: Anna Blue hit a three-run homer in the top of the third and Lyndsey Rathburn scattered five hits, walked two and struck out one to get the complete-game victory for the visiting Cougars (6-19, 1-6) in the upset over the Titans (19-3, 4-3).

In the Sea View League:

No. 18 El Toro 2, No. 23 Northwood 1:Hailey Fullerton had an RBI double in the second and Brooke Bell drove in Lauren Chamberlain in the fifth to help the Chargers (13-14, 5-2) knock off the visiting Timberwolves (12-13, 4-3) for their fifth consecutive victory.

Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com