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ORANGE — A member of the El Modena softball faithful struck the Vanguards’ mantra as they took the field against Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista in the finals of the CIF Southern California Regional on Saturday.
“Find a way El Mo!” rang out before the Division I final at El Modena High.
The Vanguards overcame their share of obstacles in a historic season but battled-tested Mater Dei Catholic and four El Modena players opting out of the game proved too much for Orange County’s top-ranked squad.
No. 2 seed Mater Dei Catholic erupted for six runs in the fifth inning and added five in the seventh to claim a 12-3 victory and its second regional title in the past four years.
“I knew that we were going to compete as long as we could,” El Modena coach Bobby Calderon said. “It’s just unfortunate we ran out of bullets there at the end. And you got to understand, (Mater Dei Catholic is) legit.”
“They have their full squad,” the coach added. “You can’t take anything away from them. We knew what we were walking into.”
Mater Dei Catholic (27-7) proved itself in early April by reaching the quarterfinals of the Michelle Carew Classic. The Crusaders later captured the San Diego Section’s Open Division.
Facing an El Modena team (23-10) without its top pitcher and few strong position players, Mater Dei Catholic banged out 13 hits.
In the fifth, the Crusaders sent 12 batters to the plate and took advantage of four walks (one intentional) and a hit batter.
Mater Dei Catholic highlighted a five-run seventh with consecutive two-out home runs by Maya Matthies and Analesse Garcia.
Arri Romero (24-4) led the Crusaders in the circle by scattering six hits and striking out nine in the complete game. The sophomore retired 11 of the final 12 batters she faced and didn’t allow a hit in the final three innings.
“That’s a solid team,” Mater Dei Catholic co-coach Mike Centrullo said of top-seed El Modena, the CIF-SS Division 1 runner-up to Norco. “It would have been a tough game with all of (their players).”
El Modena showed its fight by taking a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the first by third baseman Monica Garcia. The Idaho State-bound senior drove in Boise State-bound infielder Kaitlyn Galasso, who led off with a double.
Galasso finished 2 for 4 to finish the season with a .462 average.
In the fourth, the Vanguards extended their lead to 3-1 on a RBI single by hot-hitting catcher Parker Mayes, who hit two home runs in an 8-6 win in nine innings against Poway in the semifinals.
But the Crusaders’ fifth inning changed the outcome. They chased starter Ashley Diskill (5-4) before facing junior varsity callup Jules Vega, a freshman who notched her first win in the semifinals.
El Modena’s challenges began before the season. The team rallied to support Kylie Tafua after her mother died.
In early March, the Vanguards captured the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz. for the first time despite losing center fielder Jocelyn Alatorre to a knee injury about a week before the trip.
El Modena started 0-3 in the Carew Classic but bounced back to earn a share of the Crestview League title and reach its first Division 1 final.
This week, the Vanguards played in the regional for the first time.
“When we first came to the program, we really had to try to turn it around,” said Galasso, a senior. “It’s really been an uphill climb but leaving a legacy behind is great. I hope that future generations of Vanguards can understand how we fight, how we play because we are a great program.”
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