Los Al overpowers HB in Sunset League rematch

As much as no coach wants to admit it, there are certain games that get marked on the calendar.

Los Alamitos High softball coach Rob Weil did not hesitate to call Tuesday night’s contest at Huntington Beach High one of those games.

Undoubtedly, Oilers Coach Jeff Forsberg would agree. Both teams entered the night ranked in the top 10 of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 rankings, but it became clear in the middle innings that the Griffins were intent on making a statement.

Caitlin Ladd hit two home runs, and Cami Sellers added another, as the Griffins stormed past the Oilers, 12-1, in a Sunset League game.

Ladd went three for four with four runs batted in, and she gave all the credit to her teammates for getting on in front of her.

“I always have confidence in them that they will get on base,” the Michigan State commit said. “They’re amazing. We all work together as a team, and confidence is what it comes down to. We all got that job done today.”

Los Alamitos (19-3, 5-0) is the second-ranked team in Division 1. Huntington Beach (14-8, 4-2) entered the week at No. 8.

Those teams figured to battle for the top spot in league. After sweeping the season series, Los Alamitos has the inside track, but Marina stands in their way at 5-1.

The Griffins and Vikings have yet to face each other in league, with those meetings scheduled for Friday and the following Tuesday.

Few have gotten to Los Alamitos’ starting pitcher Ryan Denhart this season, but Huntington Beach appeared to have an early opening.

Jadelyn Allchin worked a walk. After Chance Burden laid down a bunt to get the Washington commit to second, Ivy Davis reached on a fielder’s choice that did not yield an out for the Griffins.

Allee Bunker and Katelyn Mangrello both produced loud foul balls down both lines, but both at-bats resulted in groundouts as Denhart got out of the jam.

It was Oilers starter Grace Uribe’s turn to walk a tightrope in the next half inning. The first three singled for the Griffins, but Los Alamitos would not score. Allchin delivered the key play, as the Oilers center-fielder had an outfield assist to throw out Alexa Schultz when she tried to stretch a leadoff single into a double.

Huntington Beach scratched a run across in the bottom of the second. Megan Ryono doubled to start the frame. With two outs, Jaelyn Operana punched a single through the left side of the infield to plate Ryono for the first run of the game.

Los Alamitos exploded for five runs in the third. Four of them came after two outs. Schultz shot a ground-rule double to right. Weil argued that Schultz had homered, judging by the positioning of Burden, the Oilers’ right-fielder, to the fence.

After the impassioned debate, Sellers walked and Ladd homered into the parking lot beyond the left-field fence to stretch the Griffins’ lead to 5-1.

“We’re all in this together,” Weil said. “I’ve got to show my part of being able to fight for them when I feel it’s the right thing. They respond.”

“They’re a team that believes in what they’re doing. They believe in each other. They believe in their staff. They believe in everything that is going on right now in this program, and it shows on the field.”

The Griffins added six runs in the sixth, shortening the game via the mercy rule. Sellers and Ladd hit back-to-back homers to highlight the outburst.

Forsberg noted that Los Alamitos’ first big inning took his team out of their game plan, which was to manufacture runs in a low-scoring affair.

“When you’re down six or seven runs, it’s hard to just give up outs just because you want to move the runner,” he said.

The great defense of Griffins right-fielder Allison Englant didn’t help matters. She robbed Allchin of a home run to end the second, the only inning in which the Oilers pushed a run across.

Equally significant to Forsberg was a leadoff walk to Englant to start the next inning which set a fire that could not be put out.

“When we got ahead, we walked the leadoff batter on four pitches,” Forsberg said. “That was the key. That has kind of been our nemesis all year is that when we get ahead, we kind of end up getting them back into the game.”

Sunset League

Los Alamitos 12, Huntington Beach 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

LA 005 106 — 12 14 0

HB 010 000 — 1 5 3

Denhart and Iakopo; Uribe, Henschied (6) and Hammond. WP — Denhart, 17-3. LP — Uribe, 6-6. 2B — Schultz (LA); M. Ryono (HB), Burden (HB). HR — Ladd 2 (LA), Sellers (LA).

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