CHARGER INVITE: Early hiccup can’t slow Cimarron softball

Cimarron-Memorial’s softball team has resembled a giant jigsaw puzzle this season.

One the Spartans have tried to put together without being able to see a picture.

That might have changed on Wednesday at West Flamingo Park when the Spartans overcame a shaky inning of defense — a recurring problem this season — to defeat Monte Vista (Calif.) 12-2 in four innings and capture the Copper Bracket title in the Charger Invitational.

“We can see where we’re coming together now,” said Spartans coach Steve Gorden, whose team won its final three games of the tournament each by 10 or more runs. “We can see a turning point now.

“We’ve been trying to figure out what pieces to put in what places and moving people around, but this is a positive to build on.”

Expected to contend for the Northwest League title, Cimarron (7-9) lost its first three league games and was 4-9 overall after losing all three of its pool games in the tournament.

The Spartans’ pitching has been good for much of the season, but the team’s defense had all sorts of trouble jelling, and the offense was inconsistent.

In the championship game, Cimarron’s defense again nearly collapsed.

The Spartans made three second-inning errors to allow Monte Vista to pull within 2-1, but Cimarron got out of further trouble and responded with four runs in the top of the third and seven more in the fourth.

Eight players scored at least one run for Cimarron.

“We were just looking for some positive to build on,” said Gorden, whose team advanced to the Copper title game by whipping Lincoln (Calif.) 10-0 in four innings Wednesday morning. “We’re hitting the ball now. We’re going to be right in the hunt.

“This is more of what we expected.”

Madison Newhard went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs for Cimarron.

Hannah Williams was 2-for-2 and scored three runs, and Sarina Cresswell and Carrie Sheehan each went 2-for-3.

Sheehan allowed just four hits and struck out nine.

Both Monte Vista runs were unearned.

“Wins make everything better,” Gorden said.

Cimarron-Memorial 10, Lincoln (Calif.) 0 — Sheehan tossed a four-inning one-hitter, and the Spartans bolted to a 6-0 first-inning lead in the semifinal game.

Sheehan faced only two more than the minimum as the Spartans played flawless defense.

Newhard’s three-run homer in the first inning set the tone, and Andrea Bishop added a two-run shot in the third.

Williams went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI.

Christian (Calif.) 11, Valley 0 — Ricki Gentry hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as Christian won a Bronze Bracket semifinal over Valley.

The Vikings, playing their first game after a nearly-three-hour, 10-inning victory over Ursuline on Tuesday, were limited to a pair of singles.

Chatsworth 11, Liberty 3 — In the other Bronze semifinal, Chatsworth used a seven-run fourth inning to down Liberty.
The Patriots scored all of their runs in the opening inning, then only registered two hits the rest of the way.

Breanna English and Sara Neiman drove in the runs for Liberty.
In consolation games:

Green Valley 13, Mater Dei (Calif.) 0 — Green Valley scored four runs in the first inning and put away the game with an eight-run third, which included Alicia Firelein’s grand slam.

Desiree Laswell went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and three RBIs and also spun a four-inning two-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Shelby Vickers went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI for the Gators.

Desert Oasis 10, Ursuline (Calif.) 0 — Lenzi Cram tossed a four-inning four-hitter and went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs to lead the Diamondbacks past Ursuline.

C.J. Wilson was 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and three RBIs for Desert Oasis, which scored three runs in the first inning and five more in the second.

Emily Heinz was 2-for-3 and scored two runs for Desert Oasis.

Granada Hills (Calif.) 6, Las Vegas 5 — Las Vegas scored four runs in the top of the seventh but stranded the potential tying run on base when a pair of short fly balls allowed Granada Hills to collect the final two outs and escape with the win. 

Krizzel Galvez’s three-run homer sparked the Wildcats’ late rally.

Monique Hernandez belted a pair of triples for Las Vegas.

Madison (Calif.) 8, Durango 7 — Durango scored four runs in its final at-bat but came up a run short.

Sam Juarez, Jaexie Balilea and Nicole Herrera all homered for the Trailblazers.

Mar Vista (Calif.) 14, Clark 6 — Mar Vista erased a 2-1 deficit by scoring five runs in the third and pulled away from the Chargers.

Julia Hagen smacked a two-run homer for Clark.

Shannon Chapman and Sydney Staresinich each went 2-for-3 for the Chargers. Staresinich also had two RBIs.