The Pacifica High softball team finished its run in the first annual Best of the West Tournament by playing two games on Saturday.
The Mariners won their first contest of the day with a 2-1 victory against Edison on their home field. They then lost 3-2 to Saugus in the consolation game.
The Mariners (6-3) finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and lost by only one run in both of their losses.
The Pacifica High softball team finished its run in the first annual Best of the West Tournament by playing two games on Saturday.
The Mariners won their first contest of the day with a 2-1 victory against Edison on their home field. They then lost 3-2 to Saugus in the consolation game.
The Mariners (6-3) finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and lost by only one run in both of their losses.
“We have been playing good but started off kind of slow (this year),” Pacifica head coach Mark Campbell said. “We want to peak at the right time, though.”
Pacifica trailed Edison 1-0 in the third inning. Nicole DeWitt, who went 2-for-3, sparked a rally with a single and Faith Canfield also reached safely when she was hit by a pitch. With two runners on base, and two outs, junior Brooke Marquez delivered a double to score both runs and put the Mariners in front 2-1.
Junior Kaylee Carlson delivered a gem on the mound, where she threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed just one earned run. She finished with four strikeouts while surrendering three hits and one walk.
Sophomore Kaley Winegarner earned the save, getting the final two outs.
Canfield also made a spectacular play in centerfield, robbing a potential home run that might have tied the game up in the fifth inning.
“I was a little bit worried about (hitting) the fence,” she said. “But I had the other outfielders talking to me.”
Against Saugus, Pacifica fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning. Though it managed to tie the score with a two-run rally in the fourth, Saugus scored the eventual game-winning run in the sixth.
Pacifica finished that matchup with six hits – three more than Saugus. Marquez delivered the only multiple-hit game for the Mariners, finishing with a pair of singles. DeWitt, Canfield, Rebecca Lee, Nicole Wise, and Dominique Espinoza all had one hit each.
Winegarner suffered the loss, throwing six innings. She gave up three hits and three earned runs but fanned three batters.
Pacifica has won 21 league titles and has defended its crown since 2009. It also owns four CIF titles.
The Mariners lost their opener of the tournament, falling to Moorpark in a 1-0 matchup, which eliminated them from playing for the title.
“We just didn’t play good that game,” said Campbell, who took over the team in 2009. “Not to take anything away from Moorpark.”
Pacifica responded with a 4-2 victory against West Ranch.
The Mariners returned to action against Mira Costa on March 19 (score not available at press time). It will resume its schedule with a game against Kennedy at home on March 21. That contest will start at 3:15 p.m.