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Tesoro softball moving in the right direction, knocks off No. 8 JSerra

March 21, 2025

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – The Tesoro softball team won a South Coast League title last season but graduated all but three starters. The Titans were going to rebuild. Going to need to mature. Going to need time.

But the time might be now.

For the second time in two games, Tesoro ventured into Top 10-level competition in Orange County and more than held its own. Riding the left arm of pitcher Loula-Rae McNamara, Tesoro knocked off No. 8 JSerra, 3-1, in a nonleague game Thursday

Ranked No. 21 in the Register’s Top 25, Tesoro improved to 5-3 while JSerra dropped to 8-5 overall.

The programs are not dissimilar, with plenty of underclassmen being called upon to contribute. But they have vastly different appreciations for how they have handled their respective situations.

“A big senior class graduated, so this is a really young team,” Tesoro coach Sara Higgins said. “We’re filling spots with freshmen and sophomores, but we’re just as competitive as we were last year. Having not played together as a unity previously, I could not have envisioned how well they have played, how super competitive they are with some of the best teams out there.

“I’ve been joking with my staff and athletic director that I actually have to earn my salary, my stipend. In previous years, the girls were on top of their game – three of them are playing DI college softball as we speak. I was more of a rah-rah coach previously, where I would be their mental assistant. … This year, we have had to really do the fundamentals, go back to the drawing board, really develop players again. It feels like I’ve gone back to the root of coaching, which has been fun and inspiring.”

There’s plenty of reason to be inspired. In their previous outing, the Titans lost to No. 1 El Modena, 1-0, in the bottom of the 11th inning. They should be playing with confidence.

McNamara, whose next stop will be Boise State, was fantastic against the JSerra lineup, which is also young. She gave up an infield single – a swinging bunt that trickled off her outstretched glove. Ava Van Heerde took second on Ava Geoghegan’s sac bunt, and an out later scored from third on Brook Stephens’ double to right-center field. McNamara hit Zena Edwards to put runners at first and second, but got a grounder to third base from cleanup hitter Melia Munoz, who had singled sharply off McNamara’s shin an inning earlier.

Tesoro answered immediately in the fourth inning to tie the score. Reese Fraser was hit with one out, took second on Chloe Gillis’ sacrifice, reached third on a wild pitch, and scored on McNamara’s double off the glove of the diving shortstop.

“If we hadn’t gotten that run, we would have been in a deficit,” Higgins said, “probably would have lost momentum emotionally and physically. It kept our hearts in it, kept our confidence up. That first run was the most significant run we created.”

But there were two more runs that decided the outcome. In the sixth, Fraser reached on an error, took second on Gillis’ bunt that turned into a single, and reached third on McNamara’s third hit of the game. With the bases loaded, Sami Macchiaroli bunted home Fraser, and then Bella Barley bunted home Gillis.

“I’m really big on manufacturing runs by any means possible,” Higgins said. “If I feel like we’re not reading a pitcher, I will turn to small ball. … Our bats weren’t on, so we had to make something happen. Even our hits were not solid contact. But you have to find a way, right? You’ve gotta find a way by any means possible.”

And so Tesoro is feeling good about itself. Performances by Macchiaroli at shortstop – after playing second base last season – Harlow Higgins at catcher, and Chloe Gillis at first base, have mitigated the losses of the Titans’ graduated core. McNamara especially praised Harlow Higgins, who had to fill the shoes of Kennedy Hobson, who is now the starting catcher at North Idaho.

“I thought we were going to have some missing pieces because we lost so many seniors, but kids have stepped up,” McNamara said.

In the other dugout, JSerra is also trying to fill holes. But the Lions aren’t feeling as good about it as Tesoro.

“Errors, unfortunately, have been an Achilles heel for us,” JSerra coach Katie Stith said. “We know we need to eliminate that, but ultimately we have to be able to score runs. All I’m looking for at this point is preparing for Trinity League, which starts on Tuesday. I’m looking to mesh well as a team.

“I think because I have four freshmen starting right now, there’s a huge amount of pressure on them to perform, and I think they’re feeling that. But we just need to relax. They’re trying to do more than they need to because they’re trying to fill bigger needs for the team. They’re playing not to make mistakes, and when you do that, you tend to make mistakes.”

It seems there’s such a small margin for error in softball. Much like soccer, every run can be an achievement. Missed opportunities can be killers. A couple of one-out singles from the No. 8 and 9 hitters, Van Heerde and Geoghegan, gave the Lions a final rally opportunity. But McNamara responded with a strikeout and grounder back to the circle to complete the performance.

McNamara (4-3) gave up six hits, no walks, and had eight strikeouts. She bettered JSerra’s Liliana Escobar (7-1), who gave up one earned run on five hits, two walks, a hit batter, and had eight strikeouts.

For a fourth-year varsity pitcher like McNamara – who had never beaten JSerra – this game was special. This season is special.

“I want to leave everything I’ve worked for the last four years on the field,” McNamara said. “I want to leave a legacy here and show we’re just as good as anybody, any other team we step on the field with.”

On Thursday, they were. They were better.

Orange County Register

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Tesoro softball moving in the right direction, knocks off No. 8 JSerra

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