Capuchino’s late rally beats Milpitas in CCS Division II softball final

SAN JOSE — Capuchino rallied for six runs in the sixth inning, turning a two-run deficit into a four-run lead, and held on for a 7-3 victory over Milpitas in the Central Coast Section Division II championship game Saturday at San Jose City College.

It was the 10th championship game appearance and seventh CCS softball title for Capuchino, which won five in a row in the 1990s. Milpitas, making its second title game appearance and first in 20 years, finished 19-10.

Capuchino was 5-10 at one point this season before winning 12 of 13 down the stretch.

“We had a tough year,” Capuchino coach Tanya Borghello said. “First half of the season we lost a lot of games and the girls were down. But they turned it around. They came from behind in a lot of games, have a good chemistry and they’re a lot of fun to be around.”

The teams traded solo homers early. Milpitas cleanup hitter Chloe Cabrera got hold of one leading off the top of the second and sent a high arcing drive over the fence in left field.

Capuchino cleanup hitter Avery Motroni returned the favor in the bottom of the second, going the other way and lining a ball over the fence in right-center and off the scoreboard behind the fence for her ninth home run of the season.

“A very big thrill,” Motroni said.

The score remained 1-1 until the fifth when Destiny Solis singled home Brooke Vogel with two out to give Milpitas the lead. Isabella Garcia, who reached on a bunt single, came in to score a moment later, the result of an error, and the Trojans had a 3-1 lead.

But Capuchino sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, getting three hits, three walks and a hit batter, along with two Milpitas errors in a six-run explosion. Nadia Keishk and Lisa Thomas started the rally with infield singles. A bases-loaded walk issued to freshman Dana Motroni tied the score and another base on balls to the next batter, Katalina Ngaluafe, gave the Mustangs the lead. A two-run single by Maraya Govea provided some separation.

“We knew we could come back from 3-1,” Avery Motroni said. “Our energy was just so amazing.”

Then it was time for left-handed pitcher Lola Sierra to nail down the win, and that’s exactly what she did with a 1-2-3 seventh. Sierra allowed four hits, walked two and struck out 10.

So for Milpitas it was a disappointing ending, but a step in the right direction for the program. And with only three seniors the future appears bright.

“I’m very proud of these girls,” Milpitas coach Samantha Rodriguez said. “They did what they had to do no matter who we were playing and they came out wanting to win.”