Wilson High Softball Loses Heartbreaker At Irvine, 2-1

For literally the first 95 percent of the game, Long Beach Wilson held Irvine High scoreless in Thursday’s CIF-Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinals.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bruins were this close to closing the book on Irvine, one of the more prolific offenses in the early part of this tournament.

But oh, that darn 5 percent, or in softball terms, one more out.

Wilson did not get that last out, as Josie Tucker dribbled a game-winning grounder of a single past diving second baseman Salena Tellez, for a 2-1 Irvine victory at Heritage Park.

The tough-luck grounder scored Brooke Madrid, who had earlier reached on a single past drawn-in shortstop Kori Cochran.

The Vaqueros scored the game-tying run on a first-pitch, suicide squeeze executed by Jasmine Jenkins. It  appeared to surprise the Bruins (17-14) just enough to score eight-hole hitter Ashley Corredor, who led the inning off with a double.

 “It’s just hard to let those hits go,” Wilson pitcher Loren Stavroe said. “This is our first time getting this far since our seniors were freshmen, so it’s been nine years, so that’s an accomplishment.”

Long Beach Wilson, unseeded as the second-place representative from the Moore League, upset No. 1 overall seed Don Lugo, 3-2, in Tuesday’s second round.

Josie Tucker, the daughter of Irvine head coach Mandy Tucker, struck out in each of her first two previous at-bats.

Irvine advanced to the CIF-SS semifinals to play Adolfo Camarillo, who beat Moreno Valley Valley View, 9-0.

The Vaqueros extended their winning streak to 13 games.

“I tried to go pitch by pitch,” Josie Tucker said. “When we played El Toro (Tuesday in the second round), we went nine innings. We play together and we don’t stop.”

Stavroe (9-8) staved off an Irvine attack that scored seven runs in the second round against El Toro and five runs in the first round. She scattered nine hits – three in the deciding seventh – struck out two and walked one.

Stavroe also drove in Wilson’s only run, ripping a double to left in the top of the second inning that scored Alexis Schiff, who reached on a single. Stavroe got to her counterpart, Allison Cukrov (16-3, 1.20 ERA going into Thursday’s game), who was otherwise nailing it down with seven strikeouts and six hits allowed.

“I knew that she threw a good rise ball,” Stavroe said. “I either had to lay off it, foul it off, or get a hit.”

Long Beach Wilson had opportunities in the sixth, with runners on first and second and one out. Joanna Perruccio singled, then No. 3 hitter sophomore Alleah Laxamana, who gave a verbal commitment to the University of Califormia, walked on a full count.

But Cukrov shut that door shut, as Hailey Sarne’s bunt was caught by a diving third baseman Brittney Vansway in foul territory. Schiff and Unique Whitehurst both followed with pop ups to infielders, ending the threat.

One more shot at tacking on an insurance run was closed in the seventh, after Ashley Hollowood walked with two outs, then Kori Cochran singled. But Perruccio struck out on a full count.

“You can’t score one run on the road in the playoffs and win,” Wilson head coach Chris Leveque said. “We had our opportunities. We were close. It was more their pitcher shutting us down than anything.”