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Irvine softball players come off the field after a team meeting following Wednesday’s game. (PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
After capturing two victories in the CIF Division 5 playoffs, Irvine High School’s softball team was eliminated from post season play Wednesday, losing to J.W. North 4-2 at Irvine.
JW North (20-10) moves on to the semifinals to face St. Bonaventure Saturday.
Irvine (9-17) notched playoff victories over Flintridge Sacred Heart and Highland and battled JW North to the end, scoring a run in the sixth inning to get to within two runs.
However, JW North pitcher Annela Kinnevey was able to work out of a jam in the seventh inning to earn the win.
Kinnevey held Irvine to six hits.
“We didn’t hit the ball, I thought as well as we could have against her,” said Irvine Coach Jim Knapp. “She uses her off-speed pretty effectively and I think she got us a couple times, especially with the middle of the lineup.”
In the top of the first inning, Lily Hiraoka singled, stole second and third and scored on an error.
Irvine countered in the bottom with a run. Midori DeLos Santos reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on an RBI single by Reese Villanueva.
DeLos Santos was able to work out of jams in the second, third and fourth innings but in the sixth inning JW North took advantage of three walks and scored one of the three runs on an RBI single by Denise Guillen to take a 4-1 lead.
“She battled, she did what she could,” Knapp said of DeLos Santos. “There was one inning where she just walked too many people and three walks to load the bases and three runs scored. That will kill you every time but she did a great job for us. When I went out and talked to her, she told me, ‘don’t take me out, let me pitch,’ so that’s what happened.”
Irvine cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Katie Liu singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by DeLos Santos.
Knapp believes the future of the program is bright.
“We’re fairly young, I only lose three seniors,” Knapp said. “They’re great kids.”
Abby Sasaki is going to Hawaii and Villanueva to Concordia University to continue their softball careers and Evelyn Shen is going to USC for studies, Knapp said.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com