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Whittier Christian softball coach Dale Van Duyn noticed the changes in his team several weeks ago.
The players seemed more confident, more united and more determined.
“It started about two months ago,” he said. “They just all of sudden started blending and we haven’t lost since.”
Whittier Christian road the breakthrough to a 5-3 victory in eight innings against No. 2 seeded Mater Dei in CIF-SS Division 2 championship on May 29.
On Tuesday, the Heralds (23-8-1) will take a 13-game winning streak into its Division I first-round game against Point Loma (23-9) in the CIF Southern California Regional.
If Whittier Christian wins, it will play at defending champion Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista on Thursday.
The Heralds can certainly lean on their experience from last weekend. Before the largest Orange County crowd of the finals, they showcased their progress on the grandest stage in school history.
Whittier Christian beat a higher-ranked Trinity League opponent in the second-highest division in the section.
The Heralds’ previous three section titles were in Division 5 and Division 6, respectively.
“We grew as a family,” Van Duyn said of the title run in his 19th season. “We struggled a little bit in the beginning of the season and we had to learn how to play together. Once they learned that, I’d play anybody right now.”
Pitcher Sofia Gonzalez displayed her confidence in slowing a Mater Dei offense that entered the final averaging 7.3 runs in the playoffs.
The junior used a deceptive windup and changed speeds to scatter nine hits in eight innings.
“She just got the confidence about two months ago,” Van Duyn said of Gonzalez. “She said, ‘OK, let’s go’ and it hasn’t stopped. And (catcher) Danni (Lopez) behind the plate, she gives her confidence.”
Lopez, a senior committed to Cypress College, helped anchor a cohesive defense against Mater Dei (19-11).
The Heralds feature a slick-fielding shortstop in junior Gigi Bojorquez, who is committed to Southern Illinois Edwardsville.
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She forms a strong infield with Arizona State commit Sofia Hernandez at third base, DePaul committed junior Rylee Cull at second base and Rutgers committed junior Mia Camacho at first base.
The infield connected for a 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the seventh against Mater Dei to help send the game into extra innings.
In the fifth inning, left fielder Bella Perez made a diving catch near the foul line on a drive by Mater Dei slugger Tulutululelei Salue.
But Whittier Christian’s strongest attribute in the playoffs has been its determination.
After defeating top-seeded Bonita 13-1 in the quarterfinals and rallying past St. Paul with seven runs in the seventh inning in the semifinals, the Heralds had plenty of fight left for Mater Dei.
Camacho hit a two-run home run, her school-record 17th, in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score 3-3. And in the top of the eighth, Perez launched a game-winning, two-run home run.
“We don’t quit,” Camacho said. “All of our hard work just came through.”
“We’ve heard we’re underdogs our whole season,” Perez added. “Never count us out. We like to make games fun.”
NOTES
Former Whittier Christian player Aleena Garcia, now playing for shortstop for UCLA, sent the Heralds an encouraging video message before the Division 2 final. “She was just telling us to believe in ourselves and no moment is too big,” Camacho said. …
Perez is committed to Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn. The senior picked the university because of its Christian faith and proximity with family. Her mother Janine is moving to Tennessee for her work with In-N-Out Burger. …
Northwood freshman pitcher Olivia Chen became emotional talking about the impact of her senior catcher Marissa Lee after the Timberwolves’ 11-1 win against Grace in the Division 5 final. Chen credited Lee for calling pitches and building her confidence. “She puts a lot of faith in me,” Chen said of Lee, who is committed to Seattle. …
Mission Viejo senior co-captains Mars Ruvalcaba and Bailey McNeal stressed hard work, accountability and positivity in leading a young team that didn’t feature any other seniors. “We just wanted to be a good example for the girls,” McNeal said after a 3-1 loss to Oxnard in the Division 4 final. “They learned quick,” Ruvalcaba added. “Our second baseman (Sarabeth Park) was a freshman who stepped up for us.” …
The Division 1 final between JSerra and La Mirada featured a combined 10 players from the Batbusters travel organization. …
The three-day attendance for the section finals at Deanna Manning Stadium was 4,416. …
The CIF State will debut state championships next season in addition to the regional tournaments.
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