Rancho Alamitos softball edges Orange in 8-inning thriller in Grove League

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ORANGE — Two freshmen contributing at critical positions. A steady pitcher capable of pushing for a little extra. And an upward mentality.

Rancho Alamitos’ softball team combined all those qualities Wednesday to beat a prolific strikeout pitcher and take sole possession of first place in the Grove League.

Freshman shortstop Tabitha Sanchez had two triples and scored four runs, and junior pitcher Fernanda Cervantes outdueled Scarlett Poitra as Rancho Alamitos edged host Orange 7-6 in eight innings.

Rancho Alamitos (11-2, 6-1) snapped a 6-6 deadlock with one out the eighth. Left fielder Esperanza De Rosas banged a grounder up the middle to score freshman catcher Amalia Lopez from third base.

Lopez opened the inning with an infield single and raced to third on a pair of errors on the play.

Cervantes stranded the tying run at third base in the bottom of the eighth by retiring the final three batters after a leadoff triple by Ashley Orozco.

Last season, Rancho Alamitos dominated the Orange League — the lowest grouping in the Orange Grove Conference — but now holds sole possession of first place in the conference’s middle league.

“Moving up is always fantastic,” said Rancho Alamitos coach Lindsay Arangure, whose team is 2-0 against Orange. “Fernanda being a junior this year and winning league last year as a sophomore, I just knew we were going to come in strong and we were going to have a good go at it. I didn’t know we were going to be this strong.”

Sanchez, a left-handed leadoff batter, walked three times to reach base safely five times in the clash of CIF-SS Division 8 playoff teams last season.

With Orange (11-5, 5-2) leading 6-5 in the seventh, Sanchez opened the inning with her second triple. She scored one batter later on a RBI groundout by Amber Murray.

On defense, Sanchez threw out a runner at the plate to close the fifth inning and snagged a low liner in the sixth.

Lopez threw out runners at first, second and third base.

“I’m proud of be part of it,” Sanchez said of playing for the Vaqueros. “(My teammates) help me be better and I hope I help them get better.”

Cervantes ended a game that featured three ties and four lead changes with her fifth strikeout.

“I just kept thinking that my defense had my back and just focused on me and my catcher, like we’re playing catch at practice,” she said.

Rancho Alamitos’ offense also received a spark from sophomore Alani Corona, who had two hits.

Poitra, who entered second in Orange County in strikeouts, notched eight. The junior went 2 for 3.

Orange coach David Poitra, the pitcher’s father, took responsibility for the loss because of his base running strategy after the Orozco’s leadoff triple in eighth.

“The girls work hard,” he said. “That (loss) is strictly on me.”

Orozco went 3 for 4.

Orange freshman Thalia Bracamontes gave the Panthers a 6-5 lead with a two-out, RBI double in the fifth.

No. 9 batter Sophia Bracamontes and Anabelle Alvarado each added two hits for Orange.

On Friday, Rancho Alamitos plays host to Savanna (9-5-1, 5-2), another contender in league.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 8:51 PM.