Coastal Academy’s Ava Alvarez wasn’t really thrilled with her first three at bats Friday afternoon, but she’ll remember her fourth one for a long, long time.
The senior shortstop’s deep drive to right kept sailing over the outfielder’s head for a triple, driving in Delylah Ordman with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth for a thrilling 2-1 victory over top-seeded Santa Fe Christian in the CIF San Diego Section Section Division 4 final at UCSD.
“I didn’t have the best at bats but I had to get that one,” said Alvarez. “I went up to the plate talking to Jesus and I got it. It was so amazing.”
The victory gave the Stingrays back-to-back CIF crowns. They won the Division 4 title a year ago, beating Liberty Charter in the final.
Ordman (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases) led off the inning with a walk. After not being able to advance, with one out she stole second setting up Alvarez’s dramatic triple.
“Ava is streaking,” said Stingrays coach Frank Contreras. “This was her second dramatic hit in extra innings in the playoffs. We were down to Morse when she hit a home run out against Morse for the win. Two extra-inning games, two big hits. She’s just clutch.”
Santa Fe Christian (20-4-1) opened the scoring with an unearned run in the second inning. Torrin Bennett singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an error on Hannah Muscat’s infield single.
In the meantime, the two pitchers were dominant.
The Eagles’ Olivia Anderson was cruising, allowing just two hits over the first five innings. On the other side, freshman Sofia Tillis was just as tough. Both pitchers finished the afternoon with nine strikeouts and just a single walk.
Tenth-seeded Coastal Academy (15-16) tied the score in the top of the sixth on another unearned run. Ordman reached on an error, stole second and scored on a controversial play with one out.
Cayla Contreras pub up landed safely behind shortstop Bryn Henson, who appeared to run into Ordman. Despite appeals by the Eagle coaching staff, the play stood and Ordman scored for the 1-1 tie.
This was the third time this year the two Coastal League rivals met this year. Santa Fe Christian won both of the league games, winning 16-1 and 6-2 over a five-day period.
"I felt very good today," said Tillis, who scattered eight hits for the win, including stranding a runner at second in the bottom of the eighth. "I never doubted my team all. They kept me going."
Santa Fe Christian was hampered over the last three innings after talented shortstop Bryn Henson was forced to leave the game after a bad hop caught her in the hand and she was unable to return.
Farmer is a freelance writer.
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune .
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