The Westchester Comets defeated the Reseda Regents 13-3 to advance to the CIF City Section Division IV Championship.
They will face LACES in the title match on Friday at Birmingham High School at 3:00P.M.
Reseda was the first to get on the scoreboard with an RBI double by Mina Salazar in the top of the third inning. The Comets returned at bat at the bottom of the third and landed two singles and a walk.
Westchester senior Raine Green slugged a grand slam, boosting their score 4-1. Green noted how the grand slam motivated her in her following at-bats.
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“I was just thinking base hit,” Green said. “Being at the top of the lineup, I had to set the mood for the rest of the team. If I get contact, it’s just good and I run as fast as I can.”
The Comets imposed their dominance in the bottom of the fourth by scoring seven runs. Sophomore Laylah Ali whacked a three-run triple, while Green, sophomore Milani Jones, and junior Arianna Green earned an RBI single each.
One Westchester baserunner stole home plate while Arianna was at bat.
For Jones, keeping her head on the ball helped her be successful during her at-bats.
“When you’re facing slower pitches and faster pitches … it kind of messes you up, your timing,” Jones said. “Keeping your head in the whole time and just trusting yourself because you got to trust yourself that you’ll hit and you will.”
The Regents took two runs back at the top of the third. Despite allowing a hit and a walk, Reseda pitcher Helene Salazar struck out two batters.
Arianna hit a walk-off two-RBI single to punch their ticket to the title game.
“I got to hit the ball because we already had two outs,” Arianna said. “I was set on to hit the ball, get it anywhere so they could come in.”
Ali pitched all five innings of the game and only allowed four hits.
“I’ve been pitching since I was seven years old,” Ali said. “My number one motto is to pound the zone and go and shut them down. That’s the number one thing I look forward to every game.”
