El Toro Loses Lead Late, Then Game to Irvine

Irvine rallied to tie the score in the top of the seventh inning and then, two innings later, broke open the game to defeat El Toro, 7-4, in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 softball playoffs Tuesday at El Toro High.

The Chargers had led the Vaqueros, 3-1, after the second inning, and starting pitcher senior MacKenzie Sanderson scattered seven hits to take a 3-2 lead into the final inning.

But a dropped fly ball allowed Irvine sophomore infielder Brittney Vansway to reach base in the top of the seventh inning with no outs. Two outs later, junior right fielder McRae Cayton singled up the middle to drive in Vansway to tie the score at 3-3. In the top of the ninth, Irvine scored four runs that ended the Chargers’ season after two playoff wins.

In the top of the ninth, a leadoff single by Vansway was followed one out later by an inside-the-park home run by junior outfielder Bria Madrid that gave the Vaqueros a 5-3 lead. With two outs, senior first baseman Allison Cukrov singled and sophomore Ashley Corredor followed with a line-drive home run over the left-field fence that pushed the lead to 7-3. The struggle to hold onto leads was nothing new for the Chargers, who experienced an unusual and rocky season.

“We’ve had trouble closing games and finishing games, that was our problem this year,” El Toro coach Jim Daugherty said.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Chargers rallied to get the tying run at the plate, but Vaquero catcher Madrid picked off a runner at first base to end the game. El Toro senior shortstop Lauren Chamberlain had been walked intentionally three times since leading off the bottom of the first inning with a triple. But with one-out in the bottom of the ninth and holding a four-run lead, the Vaqueros pitched to her and she crushed a home run over the left-center field fence to cut the lead to 7-4, in what would be her final high school at-bat.

But after a double by Fullerton and a walk, Irvine pitcher Cukrov got a strikeout for the second out before the pickoff to end the game. For Chamberlain, the Oklahoma-bound shortstop ended the season with 13 home runs and 24 RBIs in only 46 at-bats. She was intentionally walked or hit by pitches more than 65 times on the season, Daugherty said.

“She was a good team leader. She’s an amazing girl and I really appreciate what she’s done for us,” Daugherty said.

After Chamberlain led off the bottom of the first with a triple to the left-center field gap, Fullerton was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. But Cukrov was able to get a strikeout and fly ball to center for two outs. Senior right fielder Victoria Lievanos hit a high fly ball, but when center fielder Madrid lost the ball in the sun, it dropped for a two-run triple.

The Chargers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. After a two-out intentional walk to Chamberlain, Fullerton came through with a single up the middle to drive in junior Amanda Del Giacco, who had also walked.

Irvine scored in the top of the second inning on a double, error, single and an RBI walk. But with no outs, Sanderson was able to get out of the inning with a foul ball popup, fly ball to left field and a groundout to shortstop to end the threat. Sanderson also worked out of trouble in the third with two runners on base by getting a line out and popup to first base.

“She was pitching well today. I feel bad for her because we didn’t give her the support,” Daughtery said of the Willamette-bound senior.