JC SOFTBALL: Mission falls in deciding game of super regional

The Mission College softball team pushed Southern California's top-seed Cypress College to a deciding game Sunday in their best-of-three Super Regional, but the visiting Eagles couldn't protect an early one-run lead and fell 9-3 to see their season end one victory shy of the state tournament.

Mission (32-12), the lowest remaining seed (No. 11) in the Super Regionals, rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh in the second game to prevail 4-3, creating a do-or-die contest to advance to the eight-team state tournament in Salinas.

But despite Mission taking a 3-2 lead in the second inning of the final game, Cypress (45-9) scored four runs in the third and three more in the sixth to secure a return trip to the state tournament.

L.A. Baptist of North Hills graduate Allyson Salas (22-11) pitched both games for Mission, scattering eight hits and allowing two earned runs in the second game. But the fatigue of pitching three games in two days caught up with the sophomore, who gave up 11 hits and eight earned runs in the deciding game.

Kennedy of Granada Hills graduate Amanda Gutierrez went 3 for 3 with two runs scored in the opening game and Diane Ravago (Alemany of Mission Hills) had two hits and three RBIs, including the game-winning, two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Stephanie Boshae (Sylmar) and Evie Lugo (Kennedy) scored for Mission in the victory.

Gutierrez and Julienne Jimenez (San Fernando) both had two hits in the third game for Mission, which scored a first-inning run thanks in part to a pair of Cypress errors. After surrendering two runs in the bottom of the first, the Eagles regained the lead in the second as Samantha Durazo (Kennedy) and Adriana Todeo (San Fernando) scored.

Durazo and Boshae both doubled and Ravago and Rosheema Wise (Kennedy) drove in runs in the third game for Western State Conference co-champion Mission, which reached the Super Regionals two years removed from a 7-31 season and one year after a loss to Long Beach City College in the opening round of regional competition.