VIDEO: Banning Finishing Strong

It wasn’t too long ago that Banning’s softball season was in shambles.

The Broncos were struggling through its Mountain Pass League schedule, at one point losing six out of 10 games.

But Banning has experienced resurgence and on Tuesday staged an 8-7 upset win over Notre Dame. It was the third straight win for the Broncos and, even after an ugly Spring Break where they could hardly field a full team, are still clinging onto hopes of a playoff berth.

“It’s about character,” Banning Coach Maso Lara said. “We could have rolled over, died and lost the rest of the games this season. But the girls have shown character and want to play. They have come back and will fight to the end.”

Citrus Valley is atop the league standings. Rim of the World sits in second. Notre Dame sits in third with a 7-4 MPL record. Banning (5-6, 9-9) is in fourth with five games remaining in the regular season. If the Broncos win at least three of those games and, with some help from Notre Dame, they could still qualify for the playoffs.

Just last week this same Notre Dame team knocked off Citrus Valley, so nothing is impossible for the Broncos.

“If we do our job, it could be close,” Lara said.

On Tuesday the Broncos looked like a new team. They belted the ball and finished with 12 hits. Multiple hit games were turned in by Andrea Villegas (2 for 4), Rita Catano (3 for 4) and Hannah Batts (2-4) and Laura Becerra drove in three runs with a bases clearing double in the third inning.

“In the clutch, that was when we were coming up with big hits,” Coach Lara said. “We have just been real aggressive and not letting the strikes get by us. We are being way aggressive.”

Becerra pitched a strong game and limited Notre Dame to four hits through the first six innings. Notre Dame rallied in the seventh but Becerra held on for the win.

“She did good,” Coach Lara said. “She really beared down and pitched stronger in the seventh than she did in the first. She showed she wanted it.”

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