Six area prep softball teams fall in CIF Southern Section playoffs
Yucaipa, Beaumont and REV eliminated in first round as local teams wrap up postseason runs
All three Citrus Belt League softball teams, including champion Yucaipa, were eliminated from the CIF Southern Section playoffs after suffering first-round losses May 14-15.
JSerra Catholic High defeated the Thunderbirds 3-2 in a Division 1 opener, ending their season at 21-7-1. Runner-up Beaumont High was shut out by North Torrance, 5-0, in Division 3, and Mira Costa edged third-place Redlands East Valley 9-7 in Division 4.
Arrowhead Christian Academy lost its CIF Division 5 opener to Patriot High of Jurupa Valley, 11-9. Loma Linda Academy was routed 16-1 by Bolsa Grande High of Garden Grove in Division 8. Redlands Adventist Academy fell to Banning High 20-3 in its Division 8 opener.
JSerra Catholic 3, Yucaipa 2
The Lions scored twice in the first inning and added what proved to be the winning run in the second off Thunderbirds junior pitcher Brooklyn Dent. Freshman Magenta DeArte drove in two runs with a base hit. Annabel Raftery went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI for the host Lions.
Junior Shae DiCecca answered for Yucaipa in the fourth inning with a two-run homer to make it close. However, Lions pitcher Liliana Escobar shut out the Thunderbirds over the final three innings, allowing five hits with nine strikeouts on 123 pitches to improve to 13-5 this season.
Yucaipa, which went 10-0 in Citrus Belt League play, returns several key players in 2027, including leading hitter Reece Van Arsdale, Peyton Seevers, Layla Waysz and Dent.
Mira Costa 9, Redlands East Valley 7
Mira Costa scored seven runs in the second inning and added another in the fifth to win its CIF playoff opener on REV’s home field. The Mustangs surrendered four runs in the first inning before taking an 8-4 lead in the second.
The Mustangs scored nine runs on 10 hits, while the Wildcats produced 14 hits but committed three errors to finish the season at 16-11.
Alexis Halamicek went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for REV. Laylii Christensen finished 3-for-4 with a double and RBI, while Lakaii Christensen added a home run and scored three runs.
North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0
The Saxons utilized pitcher Kloie Iboy to hold Beaumont to two hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking one. She needed just 80 pitches to complete the shutout.
Beaumont finished the season 16-11 overall and 6-4 in Citrus Belt League play.
Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9
The teams were tied 2-2 after one inning before Patriot scored seven runs in the second for a 9-2 lead. ACA rallied with seven runs in the sixth inning to pull within two but failed to score in the seventh.
Senior Leila Mouri went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and five RBIs for the Eagles. Sophomore Gianna Dogero added three hits and two RBIs.
Bolsa Grande 16, Loma Linda Academy 1
Bolsa Grande, the Garden Grove League champion, improved to 19-5 while limiting the Roadrunners to two hits in a mercy-rule victory.
Banning 20, Redlands Adventist Academy 3
Banning improved to 13-9 with a mercy-rule victory over Redlands Adventist Academy in Division 8 playoff action.
