Girls Softball: Poway Beats RB in Playoff Tune-Up

The Poway softball team became Palomar League champions for just the second time in school history and the first time since 2002 on Wednesday, clinching  with a Rancho Bernardo loss. But the Titans won't be satisfied until they win the final game of the year and bring home a CIF banner.

“We’re ready to go into the playoffs strong,” said Poway senior Stephanie Rocco, who went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in on Friday in a 5-0 victory over nearby rival Rancho Bernardo in the regular-season finale. “We’ve proved ourselves this year in league and if we keep playing our game, we can go all the way.”

After holding a one-run lead for six innings, the Titans (18-6, 8-2) blew the game open in the seventh, scoring four times to secure their first win over the Broncos (14-12-1, 5-5) in five years.

“We wanted to finish strong, we wanted to make a statement,” said Poway coach Jim Bennet. “This win validates our championship.”

“It’s awesome to finally beat them, especially for the seniors,” said Poway sophomore pitcher Alayna Brenman, who posted a 14-2 record on the year and tossed the shutout against RB. “I knew coming in they had really good hitters, but I also know how good my defense is and that they’d have my back.”

The defense did have her back against the Broncos. Brenman allowed only four hits without striking out a batter. 

Heading into the playoffs, Poway is ranked as the top Division I softball program in San Diego, and the second-best team overall in the latest poll by The San Diego Union-Tribune. This will likely assure the Titans a top seed in the upcoming CIF playoffs, but that doesn’t mean it will be a cakewalk.

“We need to play Poway High softball,” said Bennet. “We have to have great pitching, great defense, and play unselfish good team softball in order to finish like champions.”

The last time the Titans won the Palomar League title, that team also went on to claim the school's lone CIF softball championship. Only time will tell if this year’s Titans will be able to pull off the same feat. The playoff schedule will be announced Tuesday, with first-round match-ups beginning Wednesday.

As for the Broncos, they will make the playoffs but will need to wait until the pairings are announced to see the path they'll have to take to a possibe title. Whatever it takes, the Broncos are confident in their ability to make a deep run.

“We want to go far, and we have the potential to do it,” said RB coach Summer Downs. “We struggled in the second half of league, so we have to pick up our play, but we have the talent to get it done.”

------------------------------------------------------

For more on the playoffs, visit the CIF website when the pairings are posted.

To find out more about Titans softball, visit the team website or Max Preps.

For more on the Broncos softball program, check out Max Preps.