EL SEGUNDO HERALD May 31, 2018 Page 5
Lady Eagles’ Season Ends in CIF Quarterfinal Loss to JW North
Story and Photos by Gregg McMullin
They weren’t supposed to win 17 games, a
league title was a lon shot, defeating the number
one team was unthinkable and visions of a CIF
Southern Section quarterfinal playoff appearance
were but a dream. But that didn’t stop the
El Segundo High School softball team from
reaching those levels this season. The Eagles
had lost five key players to graduation after
a 12-15 record in 2017. Head coach Megan
McCann had some talented players returning,
but she believed in her team’s potential to
reach its lofty goals.
The Eagles defeated top-ranked La Reina in
the second round of the playoffs, but their 6-2
loss to JW North (Riverside) in the CIF-SS
Division 5 quarterfinals ended their season.
They finished with a 17-10 record overall and
are the reigning Ocean League champions. It
was quite an accomplishment for a team that
ended up starting just two seniors.
The Eagles traveled to Thousand Oaks to
face La Reina. Sporting a 20-3 record and
a stingy pitching staff that has a micro 0.77
team ERA, the Regents were the obvious
top-ranked team. El Segundo used one good
inning combined with lights-out pitching to
knock off La Reina 4-1.
The game was scoreless through the four
innings as the Eagles’ Monique Benjamin
and the Regents’ Erin Brown were locked
up in a pitchers’ duel. Then in the Eagle half
of the fifth inning Gabby Benjamin doubled,
Audrey Butler was hit by a pitch and freshman
phenom Katie Croxall had a two-run double to
score pinch runner Jade Johnson and Butler.
Adri Hebert tripled to score Croxall, and Kaili
Reitano had an RBI single that scored Hebert
to give the Eagles a 4-0.
Benjamin was dominant and allowed her
defense behind her to play flawlessly. She
struck out four, walked none and allowed one
unearned run in the seventh inning. Hebert
was stellar at third base with eight assists,
including a few to her left in the hole as well
as attempted bunts and slap hits. Croxall led
the offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and
a run scored. Hebert, who is hitting .502 on
the season, had an RBI triple.
The Eagles advanced to the CIF Southern
Section quarterfinals for the fifth time in 11
years (previously 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2015).
Their reward was hosting JW North and a
heavy-hitting team with a .445 team batting
average and 91 extra base hits to its credit,
including 21 home runs.
The Eagles had their problems figuring
out North’s Bryanna Zepeda in the circle. El
Segundo had outhit its opponents in 15 out
of the last 16 games and as a team was hitting
.394. In this game Zepeda changed her
delivery and pace and mixed up her pitches.
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The Eagles could only manage three hits and
two walks, though they struck out just once.
The balls they hit were stung hard, but the
Huskies played great defense behind Zepeda.
In the first inning, Hebert hit a ball destined
for an extra base hit that was tracked down
by centerfielder Julie Phelps. Kaelyn Kearney’s
long fly ball was caught in the third inning.
Gabby Benjamin’s deep fly ball to the left
centerfield gap in the seventh inning was also
caught. With the change of pace and the spin
Zepeda put on the ball, the Eagles popped up
several times with runners on base.
JW North took the lead with a two-run third
inning. The speedy Latrice Thompson bunted
for a hit and stole second base. Lair Beautae
tripled in Thompson and ended up scoring on
an errant pickoff throw for a 2-0 lead. The
Eagles responded in their half of the third
inning. Audrey Butler drew a nine-pitch walk
and then scored on Monique Benjamin’s triple
in the right-center gap. Zepeda then induced
one of seven pop-ups in the game to get out
of the inning.
The Huskies blew an opportunity to have
a big fourth inning. Phelps singled and stole
second and third base. Bianca Salazar walked,
but was thrown out trying to steal second.
Monique Benjamin then struck out Zepeda
on four pitches. She got out of the jam when
she got Mariah Garcia, a .411 hitter, to hit a
meek pop-up. The Eagles had their chance
in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game.
Kaili Reitano singled, but was later erased
on a questionable pickoff call at second base.
In the fifth inning, the Huskies threatened to
score again. Monet Morgan was hit by a pitch
and took second and third base on consecutive
sacrifice bunts fielded by Hebert. The Eagles
got out of the inning when Benjamin got Lair
Beautae, who is hitting an eye-popping .670
on the season, to fly out to end the inning.
The Eagles scored the tying run in their half
of the fifth when Gabby Benjamin led the inning
off with a double off the leftfield fence.
Shanai Owens, running for Benjamin, scored
on an RBI single by Katie Croxall to even
the score at 2-2.
The Huskies strung together two runs in
each of the sixth and seventh innings off Kaili
Reitano in relief of Monique Benjamin for a
6-2 lead. The Eagles went quietly in each inning
and their season ended.
Monique Benjamin threw four innings and
gave up two unearned runs on two hits while
striking out five. The El Segundo offense,
which had scored 37 runs in the previous four
games, could manage just two runs on three
hits. Though the loss was stinging to the team,
it was still a successful season. For a team
that few outsiders thought would do so well,
McCann and company knew they would play
beyond others’ expectations. Afterwards the
second-year head coach consoled her team
and told them how proud she, the school and
the community were of all of them.
ESLL Championship Saturday
Championship Saturday and Closing Ceremonies
are slated for Saturday. At 9 a.m.,
the AA championship game will start followed
by the AAA Championship at 11:30 a.m. At
2 p.m. the Majors championship will wrap up
the division championship games. The awards
ceremony will begin at approximately 4:15 p.m.
Also scheduled are the champion and runners-up
recognitions, the presentation of the graduating
12-year-olds, the Nate Chittick Phenomenal
Coach Award, and the Home Run Derby
This is a family-friendly, all-day celebration of
another successful Little League season. During
the day there will be a bounce house, Jacob’s
ladder and free throw games. Come explore
the ESFD firetruck or have some cotton candy
or enjoy a snack from the Sno Kone Machine.
Coaching Positions Available
El Segundo High School Athletic Director
Steve Shevlin has announced that coaching
positions are available. With the departure of
Riley Brady, the athletic department is looking
for head coaching positions for the boys and
girls water polo programs. Brady is concentrating
on his adaptive P.E. class, which takes a
hit time-wise while coaching.
Interested persons should contact Shevlin,
at 310-615-2662 at ext. 2310, or email him
at sshevlin@esusd.K12.ca.us. •
The coaching staff consoles the team after their 6-2 loss in the CIF Southern Section Division 5 quarterfinals.