Top-seeded Imperial High School beats Eastlake for Division 2 softball title

Last season was no fluke.

That was the mantra preached this season by the Imperial High School softball team after the Tigers claimed the CIF Division 3 championship a year ago. After moving up to Division 2 for this season, Imperial responded to the challenge and collected its second straight CIF crown Saturday with an 11-2 victory over Eastlake in the CIF San Diego Section Division 2 final at UCSD.

“We wanted to do what we did last year and amplify it,” said Tigers pitcher Jayden Rutledge, who spun a complete game and limited the Titans to two runs on seven hits. “We knew we had the talent, and we all wanted it as a team.

“It’s amazing that we could have a season to top last season.”

Rutledge, a junior right-hander, also had two of Imperial’s 14 hits at the plate.

“Our entire lineup is hard to get through,” said Tigers coach Ashley Caro-Brown. “A lot of these girls play travel ball.

“We didn’t lose any seniors from last year, and we wanted to show we could play at a higher level.”

The Imperial Valley League champions came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, and they will be taking a 27-3-1 record and an eight-game win streak into the Southern California Regionals, with pairings announced Sunday. The CIF crown is the Tigers’ fourth to go with the Division 3 title last year, a Division 4 championship in 2005 and a Class 1A crown in 1981.

Imperial, which defeated Eastlake 2-0 during the regular season, had five extra-base hits against the Titans in the playoff rematch. Junior second baseman Hannah Johnson had three hits with a double and two singles, and sophomore designated player Raegan Ray doubled and scored in the second inning before closing out the scoring with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth.

Second-seeded Eastlake, which won just three games last season, finished with a 21-12 record under coach Tony Garcia.

Imperial struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Ray doubled to the gap in left-center field with two out and scored on a single to left by senior third baseman Mariana Pesqueira.

The Tigers padded their lead in the third when the first four batters reached base. A leadoff single by freshman right fielder Addison Clark, a walk to senior center fielder Andrea De La Trinidad and a single by Johnson loaded the bases for Rutledge, who delivered a two-run single to left for a 3-0 Imperial lead.

A sacrifice fly to left by sophomore shortstop Mirella Barron scored Johnson with the third run of the inning, giving the Tigers a four-run advantage.

Eastlake cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth on a one-out single by junior second baseman Brianna Ayap, a walk to junior shortstop Mackenzie Olshenskie and a two-run double to left-center by junior third baseman Jaelene Jenkins.

Imperial responded with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth which began with a leadoff double to right-center by Johnson and was capped by a two-run single up the middle by Barron.

A bases-loaded triple to left with two out by Ray in the sixth inning provided the final blow for the winners. Jenkins had a double and a single for Eastlake.