Fullerton softball falls to Millikan in ‘needed' tune-up for CIF-SS playoffs
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FULLERTON — Fullerton’s Hayley Brock stepped to the plate in the seventh inning Wednesday motivated to erase her team’s deficit, and it showed.
The senior left fielder slammed her bat into the dirt after a few foul balls.
“Us being down, it definitely made me very angry,” she said. “(But) I’d rather have the competition. That what fuels me.”
Brock led off the seventh with a single but Millikan sophomore Jade Torres stranded the tying run at first base to seal the Rams a 4-3 victory at Fullerton High in a clash of league champions preparing for the CIF-SS playoffs.
Fullerton (24-3), which rolled to the Empire League title, is ranked No. 1 in Orange County and third in the latest section power ratings that will be used to construct the playoff draw.
Indians coach Trevor Holton said he scheduled the game against Moore League champion Millikan (22-6) to give his team a taste of the Division 1 playoffs.
“We knew Millikan is a good team and we really haven’t been in a competitive game in a month,” Holton said. “It was good to be right there. We did some things that we know we can do better. We’ll make improvements.”
“I rather lose this game than the first round (of the playoffs) next week,” the coach added.
Millikan provided the Indians’ a CIF checklist of sorts by throwing out three runners on the bases and drawing five walks. The Rams drew four walks against ace Katelynn Mathews (14-1), who suffered her first loss.
Millikan leadoff batter Mia Meza sparked a three-run fifth by opening the inning with a walk.
One batter later, Meza raced to third as the Rams executed their “wheel” play. Meza stole second base on a “suicide squeeze” bunt by Kayla Cisneros and beat Fullerton’s throw to third base. Millikan tied the score 2-2 as Addy Everett followed with a RBI single to right.
Riley McAndrew, hitting cleanup for the first time this season, then followed with a game-winning two-run home run.
“It’s a great momentum boost,” Millikan coach Michelle Lehr said of the win.
On the home run, Fullerton center fielder and No. 2 batter Kaylyn Yi suffered an injury and left the game.
“She rolled her ankle on the base of the fence,” Holton said of Yi, who is hitting a team-high .545. “I hope she is OK.”
“We missed her,” the coach added. “And we’re missing Melia Vera (knee), too.”
Brock hit a two-run home run, her team-leading seventh, in the third to give Fullerton a 2-1 lead.
Third baseman Ava Flores delivered a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Rams’ lead to 4-3.
Malaya Majam-Finch collected two hits as Fullerton outhit the Rams 9-5. The Oklahoma commit also tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
Mathews allowed four hits and struck out eight.
“I’m very angry we lost but I think it was needed because it’s going to make us lock back in,” said Brock, a Utah Valley commit. “I think we’ll responded really well.”
The playoff pairings will be released Monday at 9 a.m.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 9:18 PM.