Etiwanda softball coach Adrianna Brown said one of the goals for the 2024 season was to put the program back on the map.
Mission accomplished.
Exactly two weeks after capturing the program’s third CIF Southern Section title, the Eagles withstood a late rally and held on for a 5-4 victory over Mater Dei Catholic in the CIF State Division II regional championship game Saturday afternoon in Chula Vista.
Etiwanda is just the second San Bernardino County softball team to capture a regional championship since the format was introduced back in 2021. Sultana won the Division II title in the inaugural season of the regional championships.
“We’re back in the conversation,” Brown said about the program’s resurgence. “This really has been an awesome season. The girls had to fight through some challenges, but they all came together as a unit and put pride aside for the benefit of the team.”
And the final challenge of the season came late in Saturday’s regional final against top-seeded Mater Dei Catholic.
Etiwanda (31-5) scored all of its runs with two outs in the third inning, and it was a pair of freshmen who delivered the biggest hits for the Eagles. Frankie Nevarez got Etiwanda onto the scoreboard with a two-run double to center field and scored on an error. Karrington Bennett tripled in another run and scored the fifth run on an error on the play.
“We’ve been hitting the ball really well lately, just barreling up some good pitches,” Brown said. “Everyone understands their role in the lineup. Hitting is contagious. … and in that inning, it just rolled from one batter to the next.”
Cameryn Ortega tossed shutouts in the first two rounds of the regional playoffs, and she got off to another strong start Saturday. Ortega took a no-hitter into the fourth inning and shut out the Crusaders (29-6) for five innings.
“She was unbelievable for us this week, and we were going to ride her as long as we could,” Brown said of Ortega.
Ortega ran into some trouble after issuing a pair of walks in the sixth inning, and Mater Dei Catholic scored two runs on an error to jump back into the game. It could have been three runs, but the Crusaders had a runner thrown out at the plate earlier in the inning. Ortega gave way to Kimmy Aleman with two outs in the inning, and Aleman recorded a strikeout to end the frame.
Mater Dei Catholic scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Crusaders had the tying run at second base with one out. However, Aleman bounced back and registered back-to-back strikeouts to seal the win and another championship.
For Aleman, it was her first appearance in the circle since April 25.
“Kimmy is such a great leader for this team,” Brown said. “She is everybody’s ‘hype-man’ and someone who is always rooting for all her teammates. … She really wants to win and will take on any role asked of her to make it happen.”
Ortega, a senior headed to Goshen College, allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven batters to pick up her 13th win.
Etiwanda’s 31 victories this year is a program record, topping the 29 wins achieved in the 2009 and 2016 seasons.
“They have set a new standard for the program,” Brown said. “I’m just extremely proud of everything they’ve accomplished.”
