ROYAL FLUSH

By Brandon Petersen

The Westcliff softball team is on fire.

Winners of six straight, the Warriors made their loudest statement of the season Thursday at the Great Park, sweeping aside No. 18 Hope International, 3 - 2 and 5 - 4 – both in walk-off fashion.

Bailey Wallace was the hero in both games, providing the game-winning hit in Game 1 and the game-winning run in Game 2.

"She's been a leader," Westcliff head coach Brandon Wallace said. "This is just what she does. We knew what we were going to get when she decided to come to Westcliff. It took her a while to get dialed in, but once she did, we knew what she could do."

After falling behind 2–0 in the second inning of Game 1, the Warriors stormed back in the sixth when Alyssa Patlan destroyed a pitch and sent a rocket to right-center, scoring both Kayce Johnston and Sydney Rucshner for a two-run triple that tied it up.

Wallace got her chance in the home half of the seventh when she too sent a gapper to right, plating Lauren Coppla to get the party started.

Madison Mendez went the distance in Game 1, tossing seven innings of two-run ball, while scattering eight hits and sending down four by way of strikes.

Afterward, Wallace sang her and her teammates' praises.

"Siana (San Vicente) came up clutch for us and got some things rolling (in Game 2)," Wallace said. "AP did very well. Airilin Ramirez clutched up for us. Bailey Wallace and Maddie Mendez – you know, they held it down again, both games, in back-to-back weeks for us."

San Vicente came up huge in the nightcap, providing a pair of RBIs on two hits.

Airilin Ramirez also had two hits and scored a pair.

Rachel Varela, Jessalyn Villicana, Wallace, and Johnston provided the rest of the offense, while Mendez once again dominated from the circle, going the distance for the win.

In the seventh, the Dubs started down two runs.

San Vicente doubled to score Ramirez, then Iyari Ramirez singled up the gut to score Varela and tie things up at four.

Then Wallace won it on a heads-up running play, scoring on a passed ball to make it back-to-back walk-offs over the Royals.

"I just told them that we couldn't press," Wallace said. "It went back to what we said pregame – what does 'team' mean to you guys? Everyone has to participate; that's what our culture is.

"We're just going to take it one pitch at a time and pass the baton around. Everyone found a way to come through, and that's what it's all about – the key word tonight was 'participation,' whatever that looked like to them."

The Warriors will now finish the regular season with a doubleheader on Sr. Day, Saturday at the Great Park.

Grace University will come calling starting at high noon.