Santa Ana outlasts Butte 3-2 in 9-inning win
Alexis Rangel singled in the game-winning run late.
BAKERSFIELD - The final game of the opening day of the 2022 CCCAA Softball Tournament went long and it was worth the wait.
Alexis Rangel stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and runners on first and second and sent a shot to the right-field gap that sent Alexis Marquez barreling around third and beating the throw at the plate for the 3-2 advantage. The Southern California #3 seed Dons held off the Northern California #2 seed Butte Roadrunners in the bottom half of the inning to come away with the exciting win.
Trailing 2-1 since the end of the first inning, Santa Ana was down to its final two outs in the top of the seventh with two runners in scoring position. Alana Rangsuebsin came through with an infield single that plated Alexis Vargas and tied the game 2-2.
Alexis Rangel on her game-winning hit in the @SACDons?s 3-2 win. pic.twitter.com/MoanP5kQNl
— CCCAA Sports (@CCCAASports) May 20, 2022
The game was filled with spectacular defensive, run-saving plays by both squads. In the bottom of the 8th with runners on first and second and two outs, Santa Ana shortstop Airilin Ramirez made a highlight-reel diving play. She dove past second base, collected the ball, and tagged the base with her left foot as she slid past it to end the inning.
In the next half inning, Roadrunner centerfielder Alexis Detwiler made a spectacular catch to help keep her squad in it. Butte catcher Laney Berkowitz made a great catch of her own in the fifth inning snagging a ball in foul territory.
The game set up the top two pitchers in the state in Butte's Savannah Wahl and Santa Ana's Emily Rosas. Wahl struck out five batters and allowed just two earned runs. Whal picked up her 300th strikeout of the season on the way to improving her record to 37-6 and didn't allow a run after the first inning.
Sarah Casey got the Dons on the board first in the top of the opening inning when she brought in Ramirez with an infield single. Detwiler put Butte on top in the bottom half of the inning when she hit a two-run shot over the right-center fence.
Rangel finished the game with three hits and Casey finished with two. Dylan Gonzalez, Maggie Smith, Hayley Sites, and Detwiler each added two hits for Butte.
Santa Ana advances to face the Southern California #1 seed Mt. San Antonio College tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Bakersfield College. Butte will face Southern California's #4 seed San Jose City in an elimination game tomorrow at 2 p.m at North High School.
(Anthony Avila, CCCAA)
