CIF-SS softball: Shadow Hills makes quick work of Coachella Valley in all-desert clash
The CIF-SS Division 5 softball playoffs cooked up a desert vs. desert showdown in the first round as Desert Empire League champs Shadow Hills hosted DVL runners-up Coachella Valley on Thursday, and in this one, it was the Knights that feasted.
Shadow Hills had a nine-run outburst in the first inning and went on to win 15-0 in a game that only lasted four and a half innings due to the mercy rule.
The Knights boast a lineup that can make hard contact up and down the lineup and that's what they did in this one. They sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and collected seven hits a walk and a hit batter.
"They all can hit so it's one of those things where I'm blessed with a deep and talented bunch," coach TJ Tiamula said. "If I think we need to hit more I'll play a certain lineup If I'm thinking about defense I might go with a different lineup. They play so well together and get along. Couldn't be happier."
That fateful first inning went like this: Single for Amariz Rodriguez, single for Samantha Beltran, walk to Tori Tiumalu, popped up bunt, double by Gianna Hernandez, single by Nevaeh Walls, single by Jiselle Morales, walk to Anabelle Alvarez, hit by pitch for Rodriguez, a fielder's choice groundout, a two-run triple by Tiumalu and a groundout.
That's a 9-0 lead and and the outcome wasn't in doubt, as the Knights, who won the Desert Empire League title for the first time ever, advanced to the second round on Tuesday.
The Arabs had a tough time against Shadow Hills ace Ave Valenzuela. Isabel Inzuna picked up a solid single back up the middle in the second inning, but that would be the only base runner of the night. Valenzuela finished with nine strikeouts in five shutout innings.
The biggest bats of the night belonged to Tiumalu who had a double and a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Hernandez had two hits and scored twice. Morales had an RBI single, another RBI on a sarifice fly and with the bases loaded in the second inning hit a hard shot right at the shortstop that scooted past her and all the way to the wall for either a bases-clearing three-run triple, or a three-run error based on how rigid of an official scorer you want to be.
Jayla Brown had a long RBI triple to centerfield that was about five feet from being a home run.
"I think we just felt ready to hit, felt really good at the plate," said Tori Tiaumalu, a senior and the team's catcher. "This team just has a great chemistry. We got that first Desert Empire League title which was big and now we're trying to see how far we can go."
The next step will come Tuesday night against the winner of a game between Highland and Valley Christian. If the opponent is Highland the game will be on the road for the Knights, if it's against Valley Christian the game will be at Shadow Hills.
The Arabs finish their season with a 15-13 overall record including a 11-3 mark in the DVL. Thursday's loss marked the end of great careers for the Coachella Valley senior group which includes Mia Villalobos, Angelica Valencia, Marley Delgado, Aubrey Delgado and Alizabeth Rico.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: CIF-SS softball: Shadow Hills makes quick work of Coachella Valley
