Francis Parker senior Mary Grondona was torn as her team celebrated winning its sixth section softball crown.
The senior second baseman went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and scored three runs to help lead the Lancers to a 10-2 victory over Castle Park in the CIF San Diego Section Division 5 championship at UCSD on Saturday afternoon.
“I’m sad; it was my last game,” reflected Grondona. “I’m so happy for my team and all we’ve accomplished, but for me it’s kind of a heavy feeling. I’m not sure what’s next.”
Grondona got the Lancers (22-3) going early. She led off the bottom of the first with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third.
Following a walk to sophomore Olivia Urso, she scored on Evelyn Luo’s single to left. The hit got past the left fielder, scoring Urso as well. Tara Duncan’s single to right drove in Luo for a 3-0 first-inning lead.
“It was real important to get up early, to get that energy going,” said Urso, who finished the day 4-for-4 with a walk. “This really represents all the hard work we’ve put in all year.”
Grondona stretched the lead to 4-0 in the second when she drilled a two-out shot down the right-field line. The ball deflected off the right fielder’s glove and she raced all the way around for the four-base error.
“I hit it hard and I’m glad she didn’t catch it,” said Grondona, who said she may walk on next year at Chapman University. “I had no clue where the ball was, I just thought to myself as I was running, ‘Go-go-go.’ I slid into home hard but I didn’t have to, scrapping up my arm and knee.”
Castle Park (12-17) came alive in the bottom of the second. Aileen Gutierrez led off with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Liliana Edwards. The lead was cut to 4-2 moments later, Edwards scoring on a single by Isabel Ibarra.
The Lancers added a run in the fourth and put up five in the fifth to break open the game.
“We could have played better, but the girls battled,” said Castle Park coach Raul Eguiza. “That one inning killed us, but then again very few paid no mind that we would even be here.”
Otay Ranch wins fourth straight
Make it four in a row for the Otay Ranch High School softball team, and in thrilling fashion.
The Mustangs came from behind with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and held on to claim their fourth sectional title in a row, edging Steele Canyon 4-3 late Friday night in the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 final at UCSD.
Sophomore right fielder Kalina Sangalang singled to left with two outs in the sixth to drive in Nataly Lozano, who reached on a walk, and Kaylin Phillips, who singled, with the tying and winning runs.
“It was nerve-racking, I was really, really nervous, but the team really picked me up,” said Sangalang of her big hit. “When I hit it I thought to myself, ‘My gosh, I finally got it.’”
The Mustangs (17-12) add this title to the Open Division crown won last year, Division 1 crown in 2022 and Division 2 title in 2021.
Otay Ranch took the early lead in the bottom of the first. Itzel Soto doubled to left with two outs and came home on Lozano’s one-hop double off the right-field fence.
The Cougars (22-8-1) answered right back in the top of the third. Bailey Evans walked and came around to score on Kamea Seunarine’s double.
Otay Ranch regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Cintron drew a one-out hit-by-pitch and scored on Vargas’ double to left-center. Vargas was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple. Steele Canyon again answered right back and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth behind RBI singles from Hailey Trujillo and Dannika Lakin.
That set up the Mustangs' final dramatic finish.
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune .
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