South High rolls to school's first softball section title

May 26—FRESNO — Whatever frustration or negativity that may have festered during years of struggles on the softball field seemed to melt away as South celebrated on Margie Wright Diamond at Fresno State on Friday evening.

Finally, South High School can call itself Central Section softball champions.

With sophomore Scarlett Lopez leading the way with a complete-game two-hitter, No. 4 South pounded out 15 hits and cruised past No. 3 Orcutt Academy 10-0 to win the Division VI championship, the program's first.

"I feel like during our COVID season (in 2020) we were going to be here," fifth-year South coach Nicole Powell said. "Unfortunately, COVID happened, but it was really nice to see some of my previous players come out and help with our team now. It's kind of bittersweet for them because they're all watching live, but they're all part of it."

South (14-8), which shared the South Yosemite Mountain League title with North and Tehachapi this season, will now move on to the Southern California Regionals. Brackets will be announced Sunday.

"We took some big losses to North (at the end of the SYML play)," Powell said. "We really wanted to win league, and I think that was the failure that fueled us. It was just really great to see us come out and our bats have been alive all the playoff games. It's all them. They've really put in the work and I'm just happy to be a part of it."

South got things started early, scoring two in the top of the first, and then scored three in the third and two more in the fourth to give Lopez more than enough support.

Lopez, a transfer from Stockdale, held Orcutt Academy hitless until Velen Velazquez lined a single into left field on an 0-2 pitch with one out in the fourth.

Velazquez moved to second on a wild pitch, but Lopez struck out the next batter and left fielder Yoselin Bringas made a nice play on a line drive off the bat of Khaelii Roberson-Mack to end the inning.

South's standout pitcher struck out the side in the third and fifth, had two more Ks in the sixth and struck out pinch-hitter Ashley Roepke to end the game with her 12th punchout.

"Everyone here works hard and I just love it," Lopez said. "This is just crazy. We've never won Valley before and we just made history."

Lopez was also a star at the plate. She drove in her team's first run with a sacrifice fly in the first, triple in two more in the third and had an RBI-single in the sixth to give her team a 9-0 lead. She finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

But it certainly wasn't a one-person show. Lopez and South showcased plenty of firepower all across its lineup. Angelina Diaz was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, Bringas was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Cecilia Barbosa and Jaslyn Chavez had two hits apiece from the 8-9 slot in the lineup. Lead-off batter Monica Chavez had a single, two walks and scored three runs.

"It was crazy because I don't normally hit (before coming to South)," said Lopez who entered the game batting .588 with 13 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs in 13 games this season. "I love it.

It was a far cry from a program that was 4-36 the past two seasons and lost 60-straight games during a stretch between 2013-2017.

The previous coach had a solid team so when I came in my kids were all awesome," Powell said. "It says more about the kids at South High. They are ridiculously hard workers. They're all about passion, their work-ethic is crazy, the parental support is always there, and from the jump, this team wanted Valley and they wanted state. And I definitely couldn't have done it without all my coaches because they are literally the foundation of this program."

BASEBALL

Division V final: No. 2 Firebaugh 4, No. 13 East 1

Seeking their first Central Section baseball title, the Blades fell short, giving up two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth to fall to the Eagles.