Here is a look at some of Tuesday’s top CIF Southern Section playoff games involving Inland teams.
Division 1 games are first-rounders, while the rest of the divisions are in the second round.
Division 1
Great Oak (14-9-1) at Norco (23-3), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Norco reached the Division 1 championship game last season, while Great Oak claimed the Division 2 title last season. Norco, the Big VIII League champion, is led on offense by its three outfielders: senior Kaley Cook and juniors Tamryn Shorter and Dakota Potter. Freshman Coral Williams and sophomore Peyton May are one of the state’s top pitching tandems. Norco coach Rick Robinson enters the game sitting on 699 career wins. Great Oak opened the playoffs with a 7-2 wildcard victory over Torrance. Senior Miali Gauchino, last year’s IE Varsity Player of the Year, recorded 13 strikeouts in the win, and junior shortstop Ava Galvan hit a home run. Norco beat Great Oak 10-2 earlier this year at the Michelle Carew Classic.
Chino Hills (17-11) at Murrieta Mesa (23-3), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Chino Hills opener the playoffs with a 5-0 wildcard win over Moorpark. Senior Laci Trevino tossed a no-hitter and struck out seven to lead the Huskies to victory. Junior center fielder Kyler Del Duca homered and drove in three runs. Chino Hills, tri-champ of the Baseline League, welcomed back sophomore left fielder Sophia Tice (.474 average) to the lineup after missing three games with an Injury. Murrieta Mesa is the Southwestern League champion and features one of the top lineups in the state. Junior center fielder Taelyn Holley is batting .635 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 56 runs scored, and senior left fielder Victoria Prado is hitting .500 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. Sophomore Lilly Hauser is having a breakout season in the circle with a 18-0 record, a 0.51 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 83 innings.
Huntington Beach (17-7) at Riverside Poly (24-2-2), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Riverside Poly stumbled a bit at the end of the season but still captured the Ivy League title. Senior Miranda De Nava has been the workhorse in the circle, and she begins her final playoffs with a 20-2 record, 1.10 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 140 innings. The offense is led by senior shortstop Corina “Coco” Jaimes, who is batting .473 with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and 41 runs scored. Huntington Beach survived a late comeback by Roosevelt in the wildcard round and pulled out an 8-7 victory in eight innings. The Oilers are led by senior pitcher Zoe Prystayko and senior shortstop Liah Lummus.
Division 2
Beaumont (18-6) at Ayala (21-4), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: A pair of league champions square off in this second-round game. Beaumont, which won the Citrus Belt League crown, opened the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over St. Paul. Senior pitcher Cambria Salmon tossed a four-hitter and struck out 11 in the victory. The Texas-bound Salmon needs six strikeouts to become just the fifth player in Inland history with 1,000 in their career. Senior third baseman Jade Valladares drove in the run for the Cougars. Ayala, champion of the Palomares League, opened with a 6-1 victory over Sunny Hills. Junior third baseman McKenzy Becerra is batting .500 with five homers and 43 RBIs. Junior Allie Lukaszewicsz tossed a five hitter against Sunny Hills to pick up her 12th win.
Valley View (23-4-1) at Aliso Niguel (15-6-2), 3:45 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Valley View’s John Perez has coached hundreds of players throughout his career. Tuesday, he takes on one of his former Santiago players, Aliso Niguel coach Randie Baldwin. Perez and Baldwin did face off last season, with the latter’s team rallying for a 7-4 victory. Valley View opened the playoffs with a 13-3 win over Yucaipa. The Eagles are led by sophomore shortstop Alyssa Torres, whose 19 home runs rank among the best in the state. Senior catcher Skye Johnson is another big bat in Valley View lineup. Aliso Niguel beat Foothill 5-1 in the first round. Senior center fielder Gigi Ganje is batting .506 with five homers and 23 RBIs.
Division 3
Agoura (12-7) vs. Upland (17-7) at Greenbelt Park, 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Upland shared the Baseline League title this year, and the Highlanders shook up this bracket when it routed No. 2-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the first round of the playoffs. Sophomore third baseman Jayla Ruiz belted a three-run home run that sparked Upland’s eight-run outburst in the first inning. Center fielder Amaya Contreras drove in four runs in the game. Agoura opened the playoffs with a 9-4 win over Segerstrom. The Chargers are led by junior first baseman Mia Gomez (.593, 11 HR, 31 RBIs).
Division 4
Norwalk (19-9) at North (14-13), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: North won the Division 6 title last season, and the Huskies scored one of the biggest upsets in the first round of this year’s playoffs when it took down top-seeded Oxnard. Sophomore Remi Martinez tossed a four-hitter with five strikeouts in the 3-1 victory. North’s offense is led by junior shortstop Angelina Martinez (.476, 26 runs) and sophomore third baseman Jade Jorrin (.423, 41 RBIs). Norwalk scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 5-4 victory over Covina. The Lancers are led by senior third baseman Kendall Nakano (.638, 17 HR, 51 RBIs).
Division 5
Paloma Valley (16-9) at Linfield Christian (19-4), 3:15 p.m.
IE Varsity info: Paloma Valley withstood a late charge and held on for an 8-7 victory over San Jacinto in the opening round. Kayla McGee, Abigail Rogers and Lynda Guerra each knocked in a pair of runs for the Sunbelt League champs. Linfield Christian cruised to a 12-0 victory over Western Christian in the first round. Sophomore first baseman Charli Calas went 3 for 3 with two homers and seven runs batted in. Sophomore Ojeda scattered three hits in the five-inning win. Paloma Valley beat Linfield Christian 6-5 in a nonleague game earlier this season.
