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    La Habra softball beats Sonora one day after claiming Freeway League title
    • April 26, 2025

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    LA HABRA — The league title was clinched. The ace pitchers from the previous duel weren’t in the starting lineups. And a steady wind was knocking down drives toward the fence.

    La Habra’s softball team could have let any of the conditions Friday zap momentum as it played rival Sonora for the second consecutive day.

    The Highlanders had other ideas.

    One day after securing the Freeway League championship, La Habra continued its playoff push by defeating host Sonora 5-1 behind home runs by Alyssa Hernandez and Eliana Corona and the pitching of juniors Samantha Cervantes and Madison Payne.

    “They’re fighters,” first-year La Habra coach Vince Peralta said of his team. “We have goals. We got to stayed focused.”

    “They’ve been playing really hard,” the coach added. “We’re definitely excited and we’re ready to make a push.”

    La Habra (19-7, 10-0), ranked No. 10 in Orange County this week, hopes to make an impact in CIF-SS tournament after missing the playoffs the past two seasons.

    The Highlanders started only one senior Friday — Concordia-bound shortstop Crystal Alatorre — and feature a strong junior class and some impact freshmen.

    “I think we’re going to go far (in CIF),” said Alatorre, one of the team’s captains. “I believe in these girls and how we’ve been playing, undefeated (in league).”

    “We kept going (today),” she added. “I just told the girls ‘Keeping pushing ourselves and we’re almost there.’ “

    Payne pitched six innings Thursday as the Highlanders sealed their first league title since 2022 with a 3-1 victory against Sonora. On Friday, she pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Cervantes.

    Sonora (15-7, 4-6), which is in third place in league, loaded the bases with one out in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate but Payne retired the next two batters.

    Cervantes, who earned the save Thursday, scattered seven hits in five innings on Friday.

    “Both of them are doing very well,” Peralta said of his pitchers.

    In the third, Hernandez drove a ball to left through the wind for a go-ahead, solo home run and 2-1 lead. The junior right fielder, who is committed to Siena College, leads La Habra with eight home runs.

    Corona, a freshman catcher, delivered again in the sixth inning. She belted the first pitch to center for a two-run home run for a 4-1 lead.

    On Thursday, Corona hit a two-run home run in the sixth. She has six home runs.

    “She’s very athletic,” Peralta said of Corona, who played flag football and basketball. “She loves the game.”

    Alatorre helped lead La Habra’s defense by making a diving stop on grounder up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded in the second inning. She tagged second base for the out.

    La Habra freshman second baseman Andrea Langenberg added two bunt singles from the No. 8 spot in the lineup.

    Sonora, ranked No. 21 in the county, received three hits from Arizona State committed catcher Brooke Piwowar. The Raiders also turned three doubles plays, including two started with sophomore Samantha Jaimes snagging line drives at shortstop.

    “So proud of them,” Sonora coach Michelle Rodriguez said of her team. “(We) had chances.”

    ​ Orange County Register 

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