Yucaipa goes 10-0 to win CBL softball title; Beaumont beats REV 2-0, takes second place

Yucaipa continued its hot streak, winning its 13th game in a row to finish off its conquest of the Citrus Belt League and a 10-0 league record with a victory over Redlands on Tuesday, May 5.

Meanwhile, Beaumont won its last two games, including Tuesday’s 2-0 shutout of Redlands East Valley, to finish second in the CBL at 6-4.

REV and Citrus Valley ended league play tied for third place at 5-5, with Cajon High in fifth place at 4-6 and Redlands once again last with a third straight winless CBL record.

The top four CBL teams now await the CIF Southern Section playoff brackets and pairings, which will be announced Monday, May 11. First-round games will be played May 14-15, and the second round is set for May 16.

May 5 final league games

Yucaipa 23, Redlands 0
Senior pitcher Emily Mendoza, who has signed a letter of intent to play for Linfield University in Oregon, pitched a one-hit shutout in the final CBL game of her Yucaipa career, striking out eight Terriers.

The Thunderbirds showed no mercy, scoring 10 runs in the first inning and 11 more in the third before the game was halted by the sport’s mercy rule in the fifth inning at the YHS ballfield.

Layla Waysz, a senior, had three hits, including a home run and a double, scored three times and drove in six runs to lead the charge. Reese Van Arsdale and Payton DiDonato each had three RBIs, while Sophia Bicondova, Kya Nicholas and Presley Walker each had two RBIs in the 27-hit offensive display.

The only Redlands hit was by A. Goff. Her first name, as well as those of other teammates, was not included on the roster.

It was the 30th straight CBL defeat for the Terriers, dating to the start of the 2024 season. The last league win for RHS was over Citrus Valley in the final game of the 2023 season. The program’s record for the past six CBL seasons is 6-54.

Citrus Valley 8, Cajon 7
CVHS scored the winning run with two out in the bottom of the seventh Tuesday after Cajon had rallied from an early 7-0 deficit to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth inning.

Monse Matute was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. McKenzie Larsen was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, three steals and an RBI. Addison King was 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in one. Leah Leivas had three of her team’s 13 steals in the game. Olivia Acuna pitched 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Cali Leverette came on in relief and allowed two runs on two hits, but got the win.

Jaelyn Hear, who hit a home run and drove in two runs, and Rylie Torres, who tripled and had three RBIs, led the Cowgirls. Mackenzie Enriquez-Pulido and Emily Rodas also drove in runs for Cajon. Makayla Thurston had two hits and scored twice. Starting pitcher Madison Gallardo gave up six runs in two innings. Maggie Rodriguez went 4.2 innings in relief, yielding two runs, including the game-winner for CVHS.

Beaumont 2, Redlands East Valley 0
The Cougars’ pitcher allowed just five hits and struck out 10 Wildcats to help her team clinch second place in the CBL at home on Tuesday.

Beaumont collected eight hits to secure a berth in the CIF playoffs.

REV lost its final two games of the CBL campaign to drop into a third-place tie with Citrus Valley. Jessa Martinez and Leylii Christensen each had two hits for the Wildcats. Olivia Moore had the other hit.

Alina Neff pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts. REV reliever Isa Navarro gave up three hits and one run over the final 1 1/3 innings.