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    Canyon softball turns up offense in ‘must-win’ against El Modena
    • April 25, 2025

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    ANAHEIM — Life between the lines hasn’t always been easy for Canyon’s softball team this spring but it cleared a late-season hurdle Thursday that could be the start of a well-timed surge.

    The Comanches, who were No. 1 in the O.C. preseason rankings, banged out 11 hits — including five doubles — to beat visiting El Modena 8-1 and tie the Vanguards for second place in the Crestview League.

    No. 6 Canyon (18-7, 5-4) and No. 3 El Modena (16-7, 5-4) trail first-place and No. 5 Pacifica (15-8, 7-2) by two games with three league games remaining. Cypress (15-9, 3-5 in league) is 1 1/2 games out of second place.

    “It was a must-win,” Canyon coach Jess Carbajal said. “I’m just hopeful that we can stay focused and finish off the season well. This is a tough league and these teams are all up at any time.”

    Canyon’s offense showed progress by stringing together hits to support starter Bella Settembro and Jordan Simmons, who impressed in relief.

    BYU-bound first baseman Irma Urincho and junior leadoff batter Mia Saenz each had two doubles to pace an offense that was shutout by Pacifica earlier this week and by El Modena on April 8.

    “The energy was off those days,” said Saenz, who went 2 for 3 with an intentional walk and three RBIs. “When are energy is on, we’re always hitting.”

    Saenz sparked Canyon in the second inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, she laced an opposite-field double down the left field line to clear the bases for a 3-0 lead.

    In the fourth, Urincho drove an opposite-field double to right-center field to extend the lead to 4-0 and chase starter Ashley Driskill.

    Canyon’s Jade Diaz capped the scoring with a RBI double in the sixth. The senior shortstop finished with two RBIs.

    No. 9 batter Victoria Oropeza added two hits and scored twice to help pace Canyon’s attack.

    “It’s been a growing season,” Carbajal said of the offense. “These girls have had to come together and do some stuff (such as) put the ball in play, learn how to hit a little differently than they’re sometimes used to. (We’re) trying to make them execute more … and they’re coming around with that now.”

    Simmons entered with one out in the fourth and escaped a bases-loaded jam to protect a 4-1 lead. The Brown-bound senior struck out six and didn’t allow a hit in 3 2/3 innings.

    “We’ve trying to work on staying together as a team,” said Urincho, who went 2 for 4. “We had our up and downs but we keep picking each other up.”

    Kaitlyn Galasso belted a solo home run, her ninth, in the fourth for El Modena. Jillian Alvarado added a double for the Vanguards, who dropped their second league game this week.

    “Right now, we’re in a little rough spot and we got to find a way to work our way out of it,” said El Modena coach Bobby Calderon, whose team plays at Cypress on Saturday.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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