Chargers smash Los Al

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Edison High senior Courtney Gonzales called it contagious hitting, what the Chargers softball team displayed Thursday afternoon in its Sunset League win over Los Alamitos.

By the end of the game, though, it was the Griffins who were likely feeling sick.

Edison pounded the Los Al pitching, on its way to a big 12-2 victory in five innings that brought Edison into a tie for second place in league.

Gonzales did plenty of the damage, going three for four with a double and three RBIs. It was her double to center that cleared the bases in the fifth, giving the Chargers (18-6, 4-2 in league) an 11-1 lead. The next batter up, sophomore Mercedes O’Connor, then slapped a double to right-center, scoring Gonzales and giving Edison the mercy-rule victory over Los Al (15-10, 3-3).

“When someone starts hitting, we just don’t stop,” Gonzales said. “It was so exciting. I didn’t even know we mercied them, it was just a shocker. But it felt great to hit everyone in, get some RBIs and just crush Los Al. I really wanted to beat them so bad. It was driving me nuts all day.”

Esperanza (5-1 in league) topped Marina (4-2) on Thursday, 8-5, and sits alone in first place. Edison and Marina are tied for second and will play each other Tuesday at Marina.

O’Connor also had a two-run homer and junior third baseman Rachel Vitali was three for three with two RBIs for Edison, which had lost at Los Al, 6-2, in the teams’ first meeting. This time around, the Griffins took a 2-1 lead in the third when junior pitcher Amanda Sugita hit a two-run homer to center.

The runs were unearned after a two-out error, and Edison freshman pitcher Sammy Cordova didn’t allow much else. She gave up four hits, struck out four and walked two in improving to 9-3.

“It felt really great,” Cordova said. “They thought they had it, and then we just went at them harder.”

The first six batters reached via hit for Edison in the fourth. Gonzales led off with a single, then came O’Connor’s homer. Jessica Reichner, Vitali, Katie Shinrock and Nicole Zapotoczny all added hits, and by then the Chargers had a 4-2 lead. They’d score three more times in the inning.

“We had probably one of our best practices [Wednesday],” Coach Kendra Rosales said. “When the girls showed up to the field today, just the look in their eyes was so intense and so focused. They didn’t even know they had mercied Los Al. They were ready for the next batter to go up and keep hitting. That’s how intense and focused they were.”

The Chargers have a tough week next week. After playing at Marina, they’re at Esperanza on Thursday. But if they can win both games, they put themselves in excellent position for another league title.

“Having them all in a row, it’ll keep us focused,” Rosales said. “Our mission was Sunset League champions, and it’s not out of the picture yet. It’s still within our control.”