Destinee Herrera is working on a postseason shutout.
The Oxnard High sophomore extended her playoff shutout streak to 12 innings as the Yellowjackets shut out visiting Apple Valley 4-0 in a CIF-Southern Section Division 4 second-round softball game on Saturday, May 16.
Herrera tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out four batters.
After three scoreless innings, Jaylene Jimenez walked, stole second and scored on an overthrow to give Oxnard all the offense it would need in the bottom of the fourth inning.
“We were very aggressive on the bases,” Oxnard coach Paul Tinoco said. “I don’t think they had seen that.”
Rachel Godoy hit a home run and six other players had hits for the Yellowjackets, who added two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth for insurance.
Oxnard (14-10-1) will visit St. Bonaventure on Wednesday at Ventura College in an all-county quarterfinal.
Division 1
Sherman Oaks-Notre Dame 8, Oaks Christian 5: Five runs and 12 hits wasn’t enough for the Lions.
Eight of Notre Dame’s nine hits went for extra bases, including three home runs.
Giabella Otani’s two-run single gave Oaks Christian a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second. Reagan Beck was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and Terianna Kelley was 2 for 3 with two runs scored for Oaks Christian (26-4)
Etiwanda 11, Westlake 9: Etiwanda scored two runs in the top of the seventh to eliminate its second Marmonte League opponent in three days.
The Warriors (21-7-1) had just tied the game with a three-run bottom of the sixth, which included an RBI double by sophomore Leah Kitzman and an RBI single by sophomore Teagan Zoog.
Zoog, Kirtzman, Brooke Bird Cespedes and Sydney Katz had two hits apiece for Westlake.
The wild second-round game included 20 runs, 26 hits, 43 baserunners and 374 pitches.
Division 2
Lakewood-St. Joseph 5, Moorpark 4: A three-run home run by Christianna Ababseh and an RBI single by Payton Holliday gave the visiting Musketeers (12-9) a 4-0 lead entering the sixth inning in Lakewood.
But St. Joseph scored twice in the sixth and three times in the seventh to walk it off.
St. Paul 2, Simi Valley 0: The Pioneers (19-8-2) were limited to five baserunners, four singles and a walk.
Division 3
Riverside Prep 2, Oak Park 1: Julia Katz’s RBI single plated Teagan Kommers with two outs in the bottom of the third, but the host Eagles couldn’t complete the comeback, leaving tying runners on in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.
Sophomore Maddy Scupine was 2 for 3 and Katz reached base three times, going 1 for 2 with two walks, for Oak Park (17-10).
Division 4
St. Bonaventure 12, Harvard-Westlake 5: Hudson Ortiz, Janessa Brown and Delilah Ramirez had hits as top-seeded Seraphs piled up six runs in the top of the first inning and advanced on the road in Studio City.
Maci Schotten was 4 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored, Brown went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run, Ramirez finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Audrina Tinoco was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
St. Bonaventure (18-6-1) hosts Oxnard in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
Mission Viejo 5, Rio Mesa 4: Jazlynn Gonzalez was 3 for 4 with a run scored and Sophia Roman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored, but the Spartans let a 4-1 lead slip in the bottom of the seventh on the road in Orange County.
Roman’s two-run single gave Rio Mesa a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Roman’s RBI single and Harmony Martinez’s RBI single pushed the lead to 4-1 in the top of the seventh.
Division 5
Santa Clara 8, Anaheim 1: The host Saints broke open a close game with a six-run sixth inning.
“It was a pretty tight game,” said Santa Clara coach Barry Mullen. “We just had a big sixth inning… We finally put some at bats together and hit the ball pretty well.”
Kadyn Sanchez struck out 12 in seven innings, allowing four hits and an unearned run. She was also 2 for 4 with an RBI at the plate.
Bella Jimenez was 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Jay Herrera went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, Ilani Rios was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored, and Emily Mondragon had a double.
Santa Clara (15-7) will face Jurupa Valley-Patriot in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at a location to be determined.
Grace 11, Crean Lutheran 1 (5 inn.): Ava DePew’s two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth gave the Lancers their second straight run rule-shortened playoff win.
“We’ve kind of found a grove,” said Grace coach Heidi Bird. “It’s the whole team right now. That’s the important thing. It’s one through nine, everybody is contributing right now in some form or fashion.”
Eden Tuso was 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a home run and also closed the game in the circle for Grace (15-10). Rosy Salazar struck out five in three innings for the win.
Grace (15-10) will face Sun Valley-Shadow Hills in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at a location to be determined.
Joe Curley covers softball for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Herrera pitches Oxnard into the CIF-SS softball quarterfinals
Reporting by Joe Curley, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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