Riverside Prep’s postseason journey was defined by pressure.
There were one-run victories, extra-inning thrillers and late-game comebacks
For weeks, the Silver Knights repeatedly found themselves in stressful situations and repeatedly found ways to escape them.
The final chapter of their historic season featured a different kind of drama.
One that never required a pitch to be thrown.
Riverside Prep was awarded the CIF State Southern California Regional Division II championship Saturday night after Great Oak was unable to field a full team and forfeited before first pitch.
The Wolfpack arrived for the scheduled 7 p.m. contest at Riverside Prep, but questions arose regarding player eligibility after several Great Oak players had participated earlier in the day at the Zoom Into June showcase tournament.
According to Riverside Prep head coach Lou Allan, multiple players that were penciled in Great Oak’s starting lineup had taken part in the event.
Great Oak ultimately had eight players ruled ineligible, leaving the Wolfpack unable to field a team.
“We couldn’t field a team. It is what it is,” Great Oak head coach Fernando Ornelas said in the parking lot. “It sucks. These girls worked so hard to get where they are at. Zoom Into June is a big showcase and is where the colleges are at.”
There was disappointment, particularly among players who had prepared all week for a rematch with Great Oak.
Freshman pitcher Lila Morris was eager for another opportunity against the Wolfpack after settling down from a rough first inning when the teams met in the CIF-SS championship game on May 30. Morris held Great Oak scoreless the rest of the way.
Morris said she would have preferred to earn the final victory between the lines.
But as the initial shock faded, pride began to replace disappointment.
The freshman ace completed one of the most remarkable debut seasons in recent High Desert memory and ended it as a champion.
Sophomore third baseman Breeanna Garcia shared mixed emotions after learning the game would not be played.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Garcia said. “I was really excited to have a really good game today, but still, it’s just as big of a deal to even be here right now. I still can’t believe it. This is amazing because it really shows how much work we put in this entire year to get to this point.”
For Allan, this championship serves as validation of everything she hoped to build during her first season leading the program.
Just two days earlier, Allan was forced to miss Riverside Prep’s regional semifinal victory over Redwood because of illness. Pregnant and battling a fever, she watched the game from home while cheering on her team through a livestream.
Saturday night offered a much happier ending.
“I am so proud of what we created, a culture of confidence,” Allan said. “Through their confidence. Through believing in themselves no matter what. The energy just never lets up. I am proud and excited of this first year here and we want to build something awesome, a program that these girls are proud of.”
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: A different kind of drama: Riverside Prep wins CIF SoCal regional title by forfeit
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
