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CARSON — Granada Hills softball went from nearly losing by 10 runs to scoring 10 runs in one inning Saturday in the CIF City Section Open Division championship.
The Highlanders were able to tie the score in the sixth inning, but Carson used an eighth-inning home run to win 12-11 and capture its first City Section title since 2014.
Carson players celebrate 12-11 win against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Riannah Maulupe gives hug to assistant coach Cam Werner after win against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja jumps for joy after final out of 12-11 win against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills players celebrate as they rall from 10 run deficit against Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills players celebrate big out against Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Alana Langford floats home after huge comeback homer against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Letuu Simi yells to the skay after hitting 2-run double against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Final scoreboard of wild championship game. Granada Hills vs. Carson City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills’ Zoe Justman runs home to start 10 run rall against Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson players celebrate 12-11 win against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Zaniah Puni celebrates after turning double play against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills’ Jeniece Jiminez scores a run vs. Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills’ Malia Plourde celebrates homer against Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Ashannalee Titialii flexes for teammates after big hit against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Alana Langford crushes a pitch for 2-run homer that gave her team 12-10 lead against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills’ Zoe Justman jumps after hitting double against Carson in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja celebrates getting out of jam against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Riannah Maulupe celebrates score with teammate Letuu Simi against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Riannah Maulupe trots home after hitting homer against Granada Hills in City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson pitcher Giselle Pantoja delers pitch early in Granada Hills vs. Carson City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Rylee Gardner smiles as she trots home after home run during Granada Hills vs. Carson City Section Open Division softball championship Saturday May 20, 2023 (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)
“We’ve really got to try to grow and make it through those difficult times we encounter, like today,” Granada Hills coach Ivan Garcia said. “They came out ready to play and our youth showed. And until they settled down, then their talent came out.”
Jeniece Jimenez went 3 for 5 at the plate with a double and one RBI for Granada Hills (24-5), while Malia Plourde was 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Addison Moorman pitched all eight innings and threw 195 pitches.
Granada Hills scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to tie the game 10-10.
The scoring started when Malia Plourde hit an RBI double to drive in Jeniece Jimenez, who singled to get on base. Zoe Justman added two runs on a double as Carson (19-9) committed five errors in the inning. The Highlanders worked their way through the batting order two times.
“The energy was crazy,” said Moorman, a sophomore. “Everybody was uplifted. Everybody passed the bat and that’s how we won most of our games is just passing the bat. And that’s what we did that inning.”
Moorman and the Highlanders defense kept Carson off the board in the seventh inning, but Alana Langford hit a two-run homer to left center to put the Colts back in the lead, 120-10, in the eighth frame.
Plourde hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for the Highlanders’ final run, and Carson shortstop Ashannalee Titialij made a diving catch for the final out.
“We had a very good look at it, it just didn’t happen,” Garcia said. “I think we just didn’t have the one spark moment.”
Carson’s Riannah Maulupe hit a two-run home run in the first inning to get the scoring going and the Colts added four more runs in the third.
Letu’u Simi hit an RBI single and Amanda Marrufo hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 8-0, then Zaniah Puni’s two-run single made it 10-0 before Granada Hills’ big inning.
The Highlanders were in their first championship game since 2021 and were trying to win their first City Section title since 1981.
“Hopefully this is our bump on the road,” Garcia said. “We’ve been having that monkey on our backs, that number 1981 for a long, long time and until we get over the hurdle, that’s still gonna be here.”
Granada Hills loses one senior to graduation in Frankie Luster, who tried to keep the team optimistic about the future after the valuable experience gained Saturday.
Garcia had every player sign the runner-up plaque the Highlanders received as a way to commemorate the season and the double-digit comeback of the championship game. It’ll hang in the clubhouse as a memory and as a form of motivation.
“Next year we’ll have a chip on our shoulder,” Moorman said. “We’ve felt what it feels like to get second place and now we’ll take that and learn from it and grow as a team.”
