Jordyn Noriega's walk-off single lifts Villa Park softball past El Dorado
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VILLA PARK - Villa Park's softball team lost six consecutive games in early March to slip to 3-10, including one win by forfeit. The Spartans, however, didn't give up on their season and received a sweet reward Thursday.
Senior first baseman Jordyn Noriega singled in pinch-runner Abby Urbanski with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Villa Park to a 3-2 victory against visiting El Dorado in the Freeway League.
Noriega's line drive to right field off ace Emily Yoon and Urbanski's head-first slide into home plate ignited a wild celebration by the Spartans (11-13, 7-3), who maintained a half-game lead for first place.
Villa Park assistant coach Ted Lawton raced to congratulate Urbanski while the Spartans' players swarmed Noriega.
"I was getting pulled in a bunch of different ways and I almost fell but it was nice," Noriega said with a smile. "To get a good hit, in a good time when we needed it, in my senior year, it was just very nice."
Villa Park pitcher Jules Romero provided a spark with her bat in the bottom of the seventh. She singled to left with one out and gave way to Urbanski, who took second base on a groundout.
The Spartans, ranked No. 20 in Orange County, scored all three of their runs with two outs against No. 21 El Dorado (14-8, 5-5).
In sixth inning, Villa Park tied the score 2-2 on a two-out infield single by speedy center fielder Shea Gonzalez.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out single by Hannah Estrada. The sophomore drove in Sydney Pollack, who laced her first of two doubles.
Romero, a junior, scattered five hits with three strikeouts to help Villa Park maintain its narrow lead on No. 19 Yorba Linda (16-8, 6-3).
"This is a huge win for us, especially confidence-wise," Romero said. "Our team chemistry has been really good recently. We're just all there for each other and it's been really fun."
Villa Park coach Terry Williams said his team improved its defense and pitching to shake its early-season struggles.
On Thursday, Gonzalez highlighted the defense by throwing out a runner at the plate in the second. Catcher Lauren Cauthen applied the tag on the strike from Gonzalez, who is committed to Washington.
Romero walked only one.
"Jules has settled in pitching and (Estrada) and (Reese McGinnis) have played so much better defensively (at third base and shortstop)," Williams said. "We're not even close to the same team we were at the start (of the season). … These girls went through so much adversity that going forward, it will do them well."
Catcher Kelsi Davenport drove in both of El Dorado's runs with two outs. The sophomore doubled in a run in the second and singled in a run in the fourth for a 2-1 lead.
El Dorado also delivered a few outstanding defensive plays.
Left fielder Amy Cornelius made a running grab just before the fence with a runner on first base to close the second. Davenport threw out Gonzalez stealing in the first.
Yoon replaced freshman starter Finnley Dustin with one out in the fourth and escaped a base-loaded jam.
"They're in first place for a reason," El Dorado coach Melissa Chavez said of Villa Park. "We're looking at third (place), maybe tied for second."
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:52 PM.