Southwest holds off Imperial¿s late rally for 12-9 win to clinch league title

No scenario needed for this one — the Southwest High softball team is the sole Imperial Valley League champion.

The Eagles beat Imperial High, 12-9, on Tuesday in El Centro in a game that could easily be described as a home run derby.

The Tigers had three home runs while the Eagles had two, including a grand slam by starter Maci Lerno.

Inconsistent pitching by Lerno and Imperial’s Ashley Caro led to the high-scoring, home run derby game which started in Imperial’s favor.

“It’s just the pressure. There’s so many people here and the pressure gets to you,” Lerno said of her struggles. “The good thing, my team had my back … I love my team.”

The Tigers’ first batter, Janelle Sandoval, started off the scoring with a solo home run in the first.

“At the moment I was like ‘dang it, OK, I need to step it up,” said the junior starter Lerno.

Southwest’s Valeria Torres quickly answered with a two-run shot that scored Cheyenne Robinson, to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

Then Imperial’s Daniela Garzon missed a home run when her shot went just wide of the foul line and Sonia White had a home run stolen in the second by right fielder Celeste Bernal.

“I got it, I was like ‘if I don’t catch this, if it tips my glove she’ll get a double but if I get this it will be a game-saver,” Bernal said of her home-run stealing catch.

In the bottom of the same inning, the Eagles’ Alyssa Espinoza’s hit missed going over the fence by less than two feet and was caught at second, trying to stretch her single into a double.

In the third, Lerno had a grand slam to give Southwest a 6-1 lead.

“It felt really great, I knew I was going to do that, I just knew it,” Lerno said. “And it felt great.”

In the top of the fourth, Imperial’s lead-off batter Andrea Sotelo got on base after being hit by a pitch. She beat a throw to third on a single by Garzon, but a wild throw to second while Garzon was trying to move up to second, allowed Sotelo to score.

Caro then connected for a single that scored Cota from second.

Imperial’s Erica Lopez had a two-run homer that scored Caro to cut Southwest’s lead, 6-5, and put Imperial back in the game.

In the bottom of the fifth is when Caro got into trouble. Southwest took an 8-5 lead that knocked Caro out of the game and was replaced by Mackenzie Fannin.

The Eagles took an 11-5 lead before the Tigers got out of the jam. Southwest added another run in the sixth for the Eagles final score of the game, 12-5.

Down to three final outs, the Tigers went down swinging in the seventh inning.

Imperial’s lead batter Karissa Peña walked. Sotelo singled to move Peña to second. Madison Tucker then made it to first on a fielder’s choice to third.

That’s when Garzon connected for a three-run home run that cut Southwest’s lead, 12-8, and brought life back to the Tigers.

With one out, White singled and Caro walked, putting runners at first and second. Lopez then popped out to right.

Michelle Torres then connected for a single which would end the game. She drove the ball to left field, over the left fielder, hitting the bottom of the wall.

That scored White from second. Caro was also waved home from first, but was caught at home plate with a perfect relay-throw by shortstop Cota to catcher Torres, to end the game, 12-9.

“I had to get her, I had to throw my hardest,” Cota said of her game-ending throw. “We work on that every practice and it finally paid off.”

The win gives second-year head coach Kevin Kerns his first title at Southwest and with one game left on the season, seem poised to host in the first round of the CIF-San Diego Section Division II playoffs.

Southwest (10-1 IVL) will close out the season against Holtville High at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in El Centro.

Imperial (9-3 IVL) will close the season against Calexico High at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Calexico.