One win away from history, Riverside Prep takes its confidence, chemistry and dominant pitching into the biggest game the program has ever seen.
The Silver Knights will face Great Oak in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 softball championship game on Saturday, May 30. Riverside Prep is seeking the first softball title in school history.
The Silver Knights (27-4) have spent the season overwhelming opponents, outscoring teams 280-71 across 31 games. But according to first-year head coach Lou Allan, the team’s biggest strength cannot be measured on a stat sheet.
“We’ve fostered a culture of confidence,” Allan said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We are focused on making sure that these girls really trust themselves, trust each other. We’ve tried to create that culture where they don’t have to be best friends off the field, but on the field, they’re tight. Play as one on the field. One heartbeat, one team.”
The Silver Knights opened the year with eight consecutive victories while outscoring opponents 94-7. After a loss to Redlands East Valley snapped the streak, Riverside Prep answered with 11 straight wins, including statement victories over Oak Hills and Apple Valley on back-to-back days in late March.
Allan said that stretch was when the team truly realized what it was capable of accomplishing.
“That was it for us, 100-percent,” Allan said. “We beat every team that we’ve played from the High Desert. Those games against Oak and Apple really just showed them this is who we are and if we continue down this path, nobody can beat us. I think it gave us that push we needed.”
Riverside Prep closed the regular season by testing itself against elite competition, nearly upsetting Division 2 contender Aquinas before falling 5-4 in 11 innings on May 4, then battling Division 1 powerhouse Los Alamitos in a 3-0 loss two days later. Allan believes those games sharpened the Silver Knights for the postseason.
“Ending the season against those two teams that are in higher divisions than us was big because they stayed in it,” Allan said. “We played Los Alamitos, and we only lost 3-0, but they still got hits, still did what they could against a D1 team. At the end of the day, the key has just been fostering that confidence. When they believe in themselves, nobody can stop them.”
That confidence has been especially evident during Riverside Prep’s playoff run, where the Silver Knights have outscored opponents 13-6 behind standout performances from pitcher Lila Morris.
The freshman has emerged as one of the postseason’s most dominant pitchers, recording 35 strikeouts across four playoff victories. She opened the playoffs with 13 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Quartz Hill.
Morris delivered her best outing in the semifinals by striking out 15 batters in a nine-inning, 4-2 victory over Dos Pueblos.
“I say confidence and our teamwork altogether,” Morris said. “When we’re loudest, is when we do our best and is when we’re the neatest.”
Great Oak (14-15) enters the championship game as one of the postseason’s surprise teams after knocking off West, Rancho Cucamonga, Edison and North to reach the finals.
Pitcher Graclyn Necochea has anchored the Wolfpack’s playoff run, highlighted by an eight-strikeout performance against West and another eight-strikeout outing in a quarterfinal win over Edison. Offensively, Sydney Smith has been one of Great Oak’s hottest hitters, posting multiple three-hit games and blasting a home run in the semifinals.
The teams also share three common opponents, further illustrating how competitive Saturday’s matchup could be. Great Oak lost 8-5 to Los Alamitos, 5-4 to Aquinas and 5-3 to Centennial. Riverside Prep defeated Centennial 5-3 and pushed both Aquinas and Los Alamitos to tight games late in the season.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine. Tickets are on sale through GoFan and priced at $14 and $7 for students and children.
The game will also be streamed on the NFHS Network.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Riverside Prep’s CIF-SS softball championship game scheduled for Saturday
Reporting by Jose Quintero, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
