La Mirada advances to first-ever CIF State playoff game
La Mirada’s Quira Castillo (21) makes a pitch as they play Torrance in the first round of the CIF State Softball Tournament at John Glenn High School on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
LA MIRADA – It was a tale of two seasons for the La Mirada Softball team this year.
In the regular season, the Matadores won their third league title in a row and fifth in the last seven competitive years. COVID shortened the 2020 season.
However, the playoffs were a different story. A quick first-round loss and then with a shortened and injured team, they were soundly defeated in an unexpected appearance in the CIF State Southern California Regional first-round game.
Coming into this season, La Mirada was undefeated with a 35-game league winning streak which ended this season.
Prior to this season, the Matadores had five 20 win and above seasons and had advanced to the second round or quarterfinals four out of the last six seasons.
Their best season since the 2018 season was the next year with 25 wins and a CIF Quarterfinal appearance.
Needless to say, La Mirada has had some great success since their last season under the .500 mark in 2015.
During this season, they did fall just short of their usual 20-plus win plateau but won 15 of their last 18 regular-season games, which included a seven-game winning streak.
A quick exit in the CIF-SS playoffs came at the hands of a 6-5, eight-inning loss in the first round to Pacifica of Garden Grove.
Believing that the season was over, a few players began their summer regimen of travel ball games shortly after that first-round loss May 4.
Just less than a month (25 days) later, the Matadores are suddenly playing in a CIF State game with a limited roster, against a very tough Torrance team. The final score was Torrance 16, La Mirada 2 in five innings.
With no excuses, but with just a few days of practice with four key players ineligible due to the CIF end of season rule, a suddenly injured player and another player under the weather, the Matadores entered the unknown – an invitation to their program-first state playoff game. It was due in part to a few teams above them bowing out of the state competition for various reasons.
“It was tough,” said La Mirada Softball coach Brent Tuttle of the state invite. “We came in knowing we were going to have some key pieces (missing) because of the travel-ball rule. Then over the weekend our starting pitcher (sophomore Montserrat Reyes-Cardenas) had a bad bullpen pitching where she twisted her knee.
“She went out there and gave us two really good innings (1 H, 1 R, 3 Ks) and it wasn’t worth it when she told me she started feeling something, so we went to “Q” (Quira Castillo), who actually got sick right before the game. So, when you’re down your first two pitchers, it’s a little tough.”
After a 1-2-3 inning by Reyes-Cardenas in the top of the first, La Mirada actually took a quick 2-0 lead on Torrance.
Leadoff batter, sophomore shortstop Amanda Urbina walked, was sacrificed to second by sophomore centerfielder Alyssa Avila and came home with the first run on a double to left center by sophomore third baseman Angelyna Conde.
“(Tuesday) we didn’t have a full squad,” Urbina said. “When we don’t have our full team here, it just brings everything down. We just tried to make the best out of our last game.
I think we’re going to do good next year. We should have a good little team and make a better run.”
After a walk to senior first baseman Natalie Craig and a second out, Conde came home with the second run on an infield error by Torrance.
“This season was really good,” Conde said. “We have a good group of girls. We’re young and are really tight. I’m excited to see what the future holds for this team.”
That turned out to be the only hit of the game over the final four innings. Torrance cut the lead in half, 2-1, in the second inning and opened up the scoring with seven in the third and eight more in the fourth.
“We couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” Tuttle added. “We got deflated out there when they put up that big number in the third inning.”
Tuttle went on to talk about the future and his rather young roster.
“The season was great with these young kids with the core group of sophomores and with the juniors and the two seniors,” he added. “The expectations were there. We never set out to win a league title, but we always plan to do it, but our ultimate goal is to get in the playoffs.
“These kids are always ready to play at the drop of a dime. They know they can play with anybody. We had a great year and the future looks bright. We try and create good kids both on an off the field.”
La Mirada played a tough non-league schedule against some top teams in the country – Los Alamitos, Norco, Pacifica, and so on, but ended up with some good numbers looking toward the future.
Reyes-Cardenas led the staff with a 8-1 record, 113 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched and entered the first playoff game with a 0.67 ERA.
She ended up with an ERA slightly about one after the 6-5 playoffs loss.
“If she gives me a 1.0 ERA next year, I’d be happy with that,” smiled Tuttle.
The top five hitters for La Mirada had some pretty eye-popping numbers.
Urbina led with a .425 average with 34 hits, 26 runs scored and eight home runs. Junior catcher/infielder Rebecca Eckart finished with .402 average, 33 hits, 17 runs and five HRs and six doubles.
They were followed by Avila (.351, 27 H, 11 R, 24 Sgl.), Craig (.321, 26 H, 13 R, 7 Dbls.) and Conde (.318, 27 H, 13 R, 6 Dbls., 3 HR).
Other results:
Softball: Santa Fe (18-13-1), CIF D 4, L in Semifinals
St. Paul (22-7), CIF D 3, L 2nd Rd
Norwalk (22-6), CIF D 3, L 1st Rd
John Glenn (16-4-1), CIF D 6, L 2nd Rd
Baseball: La Mirada (22-8), CIF D1, L in Quarterfinals, State L 1st Rd
Norwalk (23-5), CIF D 6, L in Quarterfinals