Liberty falls just short in CIF softball championship game

Liberty High's Janessa Giugliano releases a pitch during Saturday's championship game. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Liberty High School softball team fell just short of a CIF-SS championship in an 8-7 loss to Valley Christian on Saturday in Irvine.

After starting the game down 4-0 in the second inning, the Bison got two runs on the board -- thanks to a single from Emma Campos and a double from Lissette Quiñones -- before the third started. But Valley had two more to respond with, making the deficit four again, 6-2 going into the fourth.

Each team brought in a run in the fourth. Then Bison pitcher Janessa Giugliano held Valley Christian scoreless for the first time in the game, giving her offense the chance to rally and change the 7-3 score.

But except for a robbed home run from Trinity Barnes in the fifth, it wasn’t until the sixth inning, after one more Valley run, that the Bison bats started catching fire.

Yasmine Lopez led off the inning with a double to deep right field. The bases were loaded in the next three at-bats and Julianna Larson hit a hard ground ball double to bring the score to 8-6. Mariah Solario then brought in the seventh Liberty run with a hit to shallow left.

Giugliano held Valley in the top of the seventh, shutting down three of four batters.

Cheri LeDoux grounded out to start off their last at-bats and was followed by Lopez, who doubled. Andi Clabough was then put in as her pinch runner and was moved to third base on the next at-bat via a groundout.

With Clablough ready to take off for home, Quiñones took to the plate. With two outs, a full count, and a runner in scoring position, the game came down to one pitch.

It was a pitch she swung at, and made contact, only to have it caught by the left fielder to end the game and Liberty’s season.

Head coach Nicole Smith said that the game wasn’t all about that one at-bat or that one pitch, however.

“We just got momentum a little too late,” Smith said. “We got it right in the end but just not soon enough. And I have to give Valley credit; they did everything right. Sometimes that’s just how the ballgame goes.”

It really did seem to come down to that for the game’s outcome – whichever way the ball would fall. With both teams recording 11 hits and just one run different between them, it came down to momentum for Smith.

“We tried to not beat the dead horse when errors were made and just stay positive,” Smith said. “Their energy and momentum was great. I just think we got it too late.”

Giugliano said it was around the fourth inning that she felt a change in her team.

“We all started getting on the same page, knowing that if we wanted it we had to change our momentum,” she said. “That’s when we started getting a rally. The girls and all their motivation helped me shut them down in those two innings.”

The fifth and seventh, when Giugliano held them scoreless, included two of her four strikeouts in the game.

After an overall season with a 22-6 record and a league record of 9-1, first-year coach Smith said her sadness for this season’s heartbreaking end is quickly overshadowed by her excitement for next year.

“I’m really excited for next season, and I couldn’t be more proud,” Smith said. “This was a great first year at Liberty. We have a huge roster and I am able to use all of them and they get the job done. I think they’ve done a great job, and the best thing to see as a coach is that I can use everyone and not feel stuck.”

The team will say goodbye to three seniors: Trinity Barnes, Kaylee Fraund and Kayen Brown.

Emma Camp crosses home plate with a run for Liberty on Saturday. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Mariah Solario makes an underhand toss to a teammate. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Cameryn Rutkoff scores a run during Liberty's championship game. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Coach Nichole Smith, AD Scott Moore, Principal Erika Tejeda with a runner-up plaque. (Photo by Rick Rowell)