Announcement
Defending champs refuse to go quietly
Torrey Pines eliminates top-seeded Poway in Open Division
During Monday’s practice, Torrey Pines softball coach Jon Moore and his assistants kept yelling, “House money.”
After being swamped in the first game of the San Diego Section Open Division playoffs last week, the two-time Division I champions seemed destined for a quick exit.
But the Falcons are very much alive, playing as if they really have nothing to lose, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to down West Hills last week before posting a 3-0 victory over No. 1-seeded Poway on Tuesday.
“You can’t beat the heart of a champion,” Moore said after junior left-hander Monroe Peed tossed a three-hitter at Poway (21-9). “Outside of the two CIF championship runs, this is one of the biggest wins ever at Torrey.”
Peed, now 12-8, did not allow the Titans a hit until Nani Leonui singled to open the fifth inning. Despite three singles that inning, Poway failed to score.
Peed struck out two — the third out to halt that fifth-inning rally and the final out of the game. She walked three.
“This is crazy,” Peed said. “This proves you can’t give up no matter how bad you feel.
“Losing to Bonita Vista last week, we have had to play it pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning because no one thought we could get this far.”
Torrey Pines (17-12) is in the semifinals for the fifth consecutive year.
The Falcons gave Peed all the support she needed in the first inning. Emma Wong opened the game with an infield single, was bunted to second, took third on a ground out and scored on Kelsey Buchanan’s infield single.
Torrey Pines added two more runs in the fourth on Mikaila Reyes’ suicide squeeze and a throwing error on Sydny Poh’s steal of third base.
“All the teams in this division are big name teams, and so are we,” Peed said. “I’ve seen what this team can do, but I never thought we could do this.”
Poway did not score in the final 14 innings of the playoffs.
