Torrey Pines Lady Falcons Softball

The way Carlsbad and Torrey Pines battled each other in the second round of the San Diego Section Division I softball playoffs, everyone should have expected another low scoring, extra-inning affair in the championship game.

And that’s exactly what they got.

After a campus-wide power outage Saturday forced postponement of the game, the teams met again Tuesday night at UCSD — with the overhead, field lights working this time around.

Behind the strong pitching of junior Rachel Nasland, Torrey Pines defeated Carlsbad 1-0 in 10 innings to win the first softball title in school history.

“That was quite a championship game,” said Torrey Pines coach Jon Moore, whose team battled through the elimination rounds after losing to the Lancers 2-1 in nine innings on May 19.

Carlsbad threatened first, loading the bases with one out in the third inning off Nasland. But the opportunity was squandered when a line drive caught by Torrey Pines center fielder Julia Yacker resulted in an inning-ending double play.

The Falcons had a bit more difficulty waking up the bats against Carlsbad junior pitcher Shelley Procter, who did not allow a Falcons base runner until sophomore designated player Kelsey Buchanan singled in the bottom half of the fifth inning.

In the top of the ninth, Carlsbad sophomore third baseman Iesha Hill doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. But Nasland again stopped the Lancers dead in their tracks by getting the next two batters to end the inning.

Torrey Pines would not be denied in the bottom of the 10th when Yacker doubled in freshman catcher Shelbianne Evans with two out to give the Falcons the title.

Nasland finished with 15 strikeouts, allowing 10 hits. Procter allowed only five hits and struck out five.

“Words can’t describe how I feel,” Nasland said. “This is the first time in school history Torrey Pines has won the championship, so we made school history and it feels amazing.”

Ryan Schuler is a U-T San Diego intern.