CIF SoCal Showdown: Titans nip Christian in 12 tough innings

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: June 8, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
CIF State Championships
South Region Championship

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

EL CAJON – Thirty years ago, Christian High celebrated its first-ever state championship in girls athletics thanks to :the shot heard ’round the world.”

Stephanie Chadwell, the 1995 East County Player of the Year, sank a dramatic hlaf0court shot at the final buzzer, claiming the CIF State Division 5 title in a thrilling 49-47 triumph at Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Arena on March 18, 1995.

Chadwell, now 43, remains active in athletics as an administrator for several U.S. National/Olympic teams.

Meanwhile, the Patriots softball team was in the middle of its longest postseason run in school history, hosting the CIF State south regional in an all-San Diego Section finale with Eastlake.

The ballgame lasted 12 innings — and it wouldn’t go farther on Saturday (June 7), as the sun was about to set, which meant a delay until Monday to secure a Southland champ.’

However, following several excellent scoring chances by both ballclubs, a 12th double by junior catcher Mia Vasquez to lead off the 12th inning was cashed in on a run-scoring base hit by senior shortstop Deziree Gomez, giving Eastlake a dramatic 2-1 victory at Roma Dawson Field.

“After the first two innings, when both teams scored, both teams has numerous scoring opportunities,” said Christian head coach George Genbtry. “They were the ones who got the big hits.”

Scoring chances abounded, but as the ballgame progressed, people were talking about this being one of the longest CIF games ever.

Well, not quite.

The longest softball contest in state history occurred on what is now the softball field at Helix High School.

Shared by the Highlanders was La Mesa Pony League, as with host Scotties prevailing in 29 innings, 2-1, in 29 innings on March 5, 1976, in the CIFSDS semifinals.

Not because of darkness, because La Mesa Pony has lights just like they have today, but the contest was postponed a day due to a 10 p.m. curfew.

In those days, when girls athletics became state-sanctioned, softball was a winter sport — thus, a March title games — with the pitching “plate” locate only 37 feet from home plate — the uniform distance in high school, college, ASA and professional fastpitch — causing a rash of 1-0 verdicts and countless no-hitters.

Helix later won a 22-inning marathon over Mount Miguel, 2-1, in 1980; the second-longest contest went 23 frames when Serra (now Canyon Hills) edges Grossmont, 1-0, in the 1995 CIFSDS Division 2 championship game, when the rubber was at 40 feet.

However, Saturday’s Christan-Eastlake affair, at 12 innings, is among the longest since the pitching circle was moved three additional feet closer to second base.

Patriots senior Lucy Sherburne, who will play for Chicago State next season, with former Christian High coach Roma Dawson, who is a member of two softball Hall of Fames and has the Pats ballfield named for her

Game stuff

Eastlake needed three batters to dent the scoreboard in the first.

Gomez opened the contest with a ground ball single up the middle. Onbe out later, a doubler by senior third baseman MacKenzie Olshenskie — the runaway leader on the Titans in batting average — stroked a line RBI single to right field.

Christian puled even ijn the second when thirdjunior baseman Keels Carrizosa fouled off two consecutive 2-2 pitches before delivering the seenth pitch of her at-bat into the parking lot beyonf the left field fence for a leadoff home run.

For Carrizosa, the homer was her fourth of the season to finish the year ranked fourth on the Patriots. The leader was Sammy Baca with 8.

Then the zeros started to pile up, Old School style.

Eastlake shortstop Deziree Gomez, knocks down a hard ground ball, then records the out at first base in the 10th inning / Photo by Nick Pellegrino

Both sides saw their lead batters each in the 7th and 8th innings, all advancing to third base, but none were knocked in.

In the 11th, Eastlake placed runners on second and third, but Christian center fielder Lucy Sherburne, a senior headed to play softball at Chico State, made the grab for the third out.

Christian also placed two runners on after consecurive one-out singles by seniors Tyler Krystek and Ashley Wood, then a two-out walk to Alyssa McCurty loaded the bases.

However, Titans pitcher Addison Suriano escaped on a on grounder for a fielder’s choice.

Addison pitched all 12 innings for the complete-game victory. Addison struck out 14 Patriots batters after tossing 224 pitches.

Eastlake (25-8-1) gets a week off prior to the state championship contest in Division 2 — section and state division are not aligned by the same rules.

Gomez posted three hits, while right fielder Jaelene Jenkins added two.

Christian (24-9-1) saw Wood bat 3-for-4 (plus a pair of walks), equaling a career-best in hits for the 11th time in her four-year varsity career.

Quotes

Lucy Sherburne, a senior center field headed to Chico State:

:This season has been amazing, even monumental. We have never been this far before — so making it so far ‘and reaching the state playoffs makes we so proud to have gone so far; I’m so proud for member of everyone on this team.”

:Kaitlyn Moody, a senior headed for Manhattan College (N.Y.):

“We took it so far, so thinking about how far we’ve gone — even since thinking about our freshman year -and where we were at — we couldn’t have any further, so I am so proud of this team.”

Linescore

CIF State Championships
South Regio Final – Division 2
At Roma Dawson Field
TITANS 2, PATRIOTS 1 (12 inn.)
Eastlake (25-8-1)    100 000 000 001 - 2 9 0
Christian (24-9-1)   010 000 000 000 - 1 8 2
Suriano and Del Busto.
Barrios, Staite (6), McCurty (7) and Moody.
WP - Suriano.
HR - Carrizonsa (C), 2nd, lead off.