The San Diego Mesa College softball team is headed to the state championship after sweeping El Camino College, 2-0, in an unforgettable playoff series.
Game 1 did not start the way the Olympians had hoped. After a hot start from the Warriors, Mesa found itself trailing 4-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. But from there, everything changed.
The Olympians exploded for 10 runs in the inning, completely swinging the momentum of the game. Freshman Itzel Soto delivered the biggest moment of the day, crushing a 3-2 count grand slam that brought home Ana Zeigler, Anabella Heguy, and Giselle Peregrina.
Mesa added another run in the fifth after Ariele Torres singled to score Marissa Lieras. Then in the sixth, Anabella Heguy put the finishing touches on the comeback with a three run home run, sealing a 14-6 victory and triggering the run rule.
The second game turned into a back-and-forth battle from the very beginning.
Mesa jumped out early with a six run first inning, but El Camino immediately responded with four runs of their own. The Warriors added three more in the third to take a 7-6 lead and remind everyone why they earned a spot in the postseason.
The Olympians answered once again in the fourth inning when Anabella Heguy singled home Arielle Torres to put Mesa back in front, 8-7. But just like a heavyweight fight, the Warriors countered immediately, reclaiming the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
With the pressure rising and the dugout energy growing louder, Mesa came through again.
Madelyn Egan delivered one of the biggest hits of the series, ripping a bases clearing double that scored Alexis Serrano, Arielle Torres, and Olivia Anderson to give the Olympians an 11-10 lead. Egan finished the game 3-for-4 as a slapper, coming up clutch when it mattered most.
And once again, Itzel Soto delivered the dagger.
The freshman standout, who has been on an incredible postseason run, went 3-for-5 and launched another home run, a two run shot in the sixth inning that extended Mesa's lead to 13-10 and punched their ticket to the 3C2A State Championship.