Los Amigos softball earns walk-off win over Santa Ana on passed ball

Los Amigos High’s Brittney Trujillo delivered with the softball game on the line Wednesday.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Trujillo produced the game-tying hit, stole third base and scored the game-winning run. The last run came on a passed ball, allowing the host Lobos to beat Santa Ana 5-4 in walk-off fashion.

Trujillo also struck out nine batters in the nonleague contest, but the senior walked 10. The walks provided minimal damage as Santa Ana (3-7) left 14 runners on base. The Saints didn’t help their cause on defense with five infield errors and they let Los Amigos (4-4-1) steal seven bases.

The Lobos were aggressive on the bases, and it cost them several times throughout the game. But Trujillo’s aggressiveness paid off at the end, as she took off for home to clinch the comeback win.

“I think that even though we struggled sometimes, we continued to push each other,” said Trujillo, who went two for three with an RBI double and a walk. “We worked as a team. We are family here. I know we are aggressive, but we can be a little more smarter too with our fast runners.”

The Lobos scored the game’s first run in the first inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Ledezma that scored Trujillo.

Santa Ana tied the game in the third inning after drawing back-to-back walks and a single from Roxy Oropeza. Karyme Ramos drew the third walk of the inning to send Daniela Hernandez home to even the score.

The Saints took the lead in the fifth after Trujillo walked four batters in the inning. Two of those walks sent Oropeza and Onnalaya Aguilera home to make it 3-1.

Los Amigos tied the game in the sixth inning and had an opportunity to take the lead, but Lily Soto was tagged out at home on a double play. The Saints would take advantage in the seventh inning.

Trujillo walked Crystal Ibarra and she was taken out of the game in favor of Ledezma. But Ledezma struggled with her control by walking Victoria Torres and hitting Hernandez and Natalia Moreno. Moreno’s hit-by-pitch scored Ibarra to make it 4-3. Trujillo was on the hook for the loss, but she found a way to prevent that from happening.

Following a walk by Megan Robles and an infield single by Ariana Alvarez, Trujillo hit a double to left field that scored Robles to tie the game. Alvarez was tagged out at third base. Trujillo stole third base with Sanchez up. Trujillo headed home on a passed ball and beat the tag home to give the Lobos their second straight win in as many days.

“We try to be aggressive,” Los Amigos coach Chris de Anda said. “We condition and run them as much as we can. We have to be mentally and physically ready to go. Any scenario and any chances that we get, we can get the better end of it. Getting in these situations, we have to be mentally prepared for it.”

Aguilera went three for four with a double. She struck out four, walked three while giving up five earned runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

“We just didn’t execute at the plate,” Santa Ana coach Erica Zamora said. “They gave us walks and hit [us]. We had everything on base and we just didn’t execute. We watched pitches go by. We have to get better and be aggressive.”

Ledezma, who went one for three with an RBI, got the win. She pitched one inning and struck out two.

“We have to continue to push hard and work hard,” Trujillo said. “We have to practice like we play. We just have to keep pushing each other hard.”

MANNY ALVAREZ is a contributor to Times Community News. Follow him on Twitter: @MAlvarez02