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Milee Valencia laced a two-run double to left with the bases loaded in the seventh to rally La Habra’s softball team past visiting St. Paul 8-7 in the Division I semifinals of the CIF Southern California Regional on Thursday.
No. 2 seeded La Habra (25-8) trailed 7-6 going into the bottom of the seventh against St. Paul (20-14) and loaded the bases with no outs for Valencia.
The second baseman drove in fellow seniors Sophia Cabral and Maraya Salas with her second hit, igniting an on-field celebration by the Highlanders.
La Habra, No. 2 in the final Orange County rankings, trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the fourth but scored twice to tie the score 5-5.
St. Paul erased a 6-5 deficit going into the top of the seventh by scoring twice for a 7-6 lead.
On Saturday, La Habra will play at top-seeded and defending champion Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista (30-3) in the finals at 1 p.m.
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Mater Dei Catholic, the Open Division champion in San Diego, defeated Pt. Loma 7-4 in the other semifinal.
La Habra’s Alyssa Hernandez went 2 for 4 with a double, home run and three RBIs. Mireya Gonzalez added a solo home run. Makenna Caffrey drove in two runs.
Samantha Cervantes allowed two runs on four hits in five innings to earn the victory for La Habra. The senior had four strikeouts and two walks.
La Habra defeated St. Paul 3-1 in its regular-season finale in early May.
The Highlanders became the third Orange County team to reach a regional final in the six-year history of the event. They joined El Modena and Fullerton.
Last season, Mater Dei Catholic defeated El Modena 12-3 in the Division I final.
Fullerton is the only county school to claim a regional softball title. In 2023, Fullerton beat host Otay Ranch of Chula Vista 7-0 for the Division III crown.
In another score Thursday, defending champion Woodlake of Tulare County defeated visiting Irvine 13-0 in a Division IV semifinal shortened by the mercy rule.
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