Shepherd’s five RBI lead Estancia over Laguna Beach

COSTA MESA — Kalena Shepherd is one of the bright young stars that Newport-Mesa softball has to offer.

The Estancia High catcher is almost never available for postgame interviews.

Chalk it up to a desire to be one step ahead of the future. She plays above her age group in travel ball.

The junior was honored by the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa for her dual performance on the field and in the classroom. When she is doing neither, she is working at a local In-N-Out Burger to save money for college.

That is where Shepherd was headed shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, but before she left for her job, she made sure she played her part in a big win for her school.

Shepherd went 3 for 3 with a home run and a double as the Eagles defeated Laguna Beach, 14-3, in an Orange Coast League game at Estancia High.

“She’s definitely an impact player,” senior captain Isabelle Morales said. “She catches for us, and she’s a power hitter. Today, she showed that with her home run. There are many more to come.”

The Eagles (11-8, 3-2) might not need home runs as long as they continue to get runners into scoring position. Shepherd is an outstanding situational hitter.

She added an RBI-double and a two-run single in her other two at-bats, driving in five runs on the day.

In the field, she corralled a wild pitch that went to the backstop and scrambled back to the plate in time to tag out Laguna Beach’s Cienna Wunder.

With the win, Estancia moves half a game in front of Costa Mesa (6-12, 2-2) for third place in the Orange Coast League. The top three schools in a six-team league receive automatic bids into the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“We’re starting to get wins and get hot at the right time,” Eagles coach Michael Hunter said. “We’re back in CIF right now.

“We have a lot of players coming off the bench that are starting to make an impact on the game. That’s the difference right there. It’s a complete team.”

Estancia struck for two runs in the first. Emily Kubisty scored on an opposite-field double by Shepherd after reaching on an error.

Morales knocked in courtesy runner Alondra Ochoa with a bloop single over Wunder at shortstop.

In the third, Shepherd doubled the Eagles’ lead with a two-run homer to right field.

Micaiah Watanabe-Patterson followed with a double in the left-center gap. She would score on a sharp single up the middle by Mackenzie McIntyre, as Estancia opened up a 5-0 lead after three innings.

Shepherd and Morales had two-run singles in the fourth to further Estancia’s advantage to 9-0.

Wunder provided a highlight for the Breakers (7-10-1, 1-4) in the top of the fifth. Amid her wildness, Brittany Walker still had a no-hitter intact for the Eagles when the Breakers shortstop came to the plate with one out and the bases loaded.

She drove a line drive that rolled to the fence in left-center, scoring Mia Pitz, Madilyn Garwal, and Lola Fisher on the play.

“It’s great,” Wunder said. “When you clear the bases, you know you did your job. You know that everyone was counting on you, and you did what you’re supposed to do. You didn’t let anyone down.

“It was right down the middle, and I just took advantage of it.”

Walker allowed the one hit in a complete game. She struck out eight and walked six.

Kubisty provided the game-ending hit, a two-run single to right with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.

Orange Coast League

Estancia 14, Laguna Beach 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

LB 000 030 — 3 1 5

Est 203 432 — 14 10 3

Thomas and Glenn; Walker and Shepherd, S. Ochoa (6). WP — Walker, 11-8. LP — Thomas, 7-10-1. 2B — Shepherd (Est), Watanabe-Patterson (Est). 3B — Wunder (LB). HR — Shepherd (Est).

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