Norco softball team outlasts Marina in Division 1 playoff opener
NORCO - Rick Robinson has guided eight softball teams to CIF Southern Section championships, the past seven coming at Norco High School.
Even so, Robinson still gets a little nervous when the postseason rolls around.
“I’m never comfortable going into playoff games,” Robinson texted Friday morning. “I hope I have gone over everything we need.”
There was extra reason to be concerned, as the Cougars drew a tough Division 1 first-round match-up against Marina and its ace pitcher Mia Valbuena.
The game went down to the wire, and Norco prevailed 2-1 when Kendra Nelsen scored the decisive run on an error in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Cougars (26-2) will continue defense of their Division 1 title when they travel to Riverside Poly (22-7) for a second-round game Saturday at 3:15 p.m.
A thing Robinson rarely has to worry about is the performances of his pitchers. Peyton May, a senior who has signed with Oklahoma State, allowed one unearned run on four hits and fanned eight batters in 5 2/3 innings. Williams, a junior committed to UCLA, retired the final four hitters to pick up the win.
“It was exciting because this is the first time I’ve gotten the chance to start the first game of CIF,” May said. “So, to pitch as well as I did felt pretty good.”
Runs and hits were difficult to come by Friday afternoon, not a surprise with May, Williams and Valbuena (a senior signed with Michigan) inside the circle.
May escaped a jam in the second inning with a strikeout, and Valbuena also avoided early damage in the second and third with inning-ending strikeouts.
Norco finally broke through during the fourth inning. Bella Ray drew a leadoff walk and her courtesy runner, Rae Logue, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Camryn May (Peyton’s sister). Sadie Burroughs, who tripled in her first plate appearance, lined a single to center field to plate Logue.
“Today’s approach was just to make sure to swing at good pitches,” Burroughs said. “Just keeping it simple up there and trying to produce for my team.”
Marina (19-9) answered in the sixth. Gabriella DiBenedetto walked with one out and Avianna Valbuena, Mia’s twin sister, singled to left with two down.
Ava Kim bounced a ball up the middle, and Norco shortstop Leighton Gray was unable to field it cleanly. The ball hit off Gray’s glove and trickled into the outfield, allowing courtesy runner Jolie Densmore to score the tying run. Williams entered the game and stranded the potential go-ahead run at third.
Williams struck out the side in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for the Cougars to win the game in walk-off fashion in the bottom half of the frame.
Nelsen lined a single to right to open the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. Angelina Gonzales’ third hit of the game, a single to left field, moved Nelsen to third. Marina co-coach Dan Hay elected to intentionally walk Savannah Gonzalez, loading up the bases with no outs but setting up force plays.
Gray hit a grounder to the left side, but Marina third baseman Kimmie McDonnell bobbled the ball and could not recover in time to make a throw home.
Valbuena allowed one earned run while walking five (two intentionally) and striking out five. She finished her career with 68 wins and 897 strikeouts.
“She’s been phenomenal and really led this team to believe in themselves,” Marina co-coach Shelly Luth said. “She gives you a chance in every game.”
Hay and Luth have announced they are retiring. Luth has been at Marina for almost 40 years and led the program to Division 1 titles in 1994 and 1995. Hay has coached Orange County teams for 20 years, the past nine at Marina. Luth and Hay guided the Vikings to the Division 3 section title last season.
“We had to have a plan because it’s very hard to walk away from athletes and students who are good kids,” Luth said. “And It’s never really a good time, but it was the right time. I’m 67 and have a couple of grandkids, and Dan has a lot of grandkids. I’m sad and it’s a little bittersweet, but now is that time.”
Added Hay: “I had some great times, but the biggest joy I’ve had is joining back up with her (Luth). We thought we were going to be here three years or maybe four, at the most. This group of seniors came in, and we promised them that we’d stay until they graduated. I’m 67, too, and it’s time to move on.” .
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.