Irvine softball dominates Arroyo to end CIF-SS championship drought

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IRVINE — The green and light blue-colored cowboy hats with frizzy edges surfaced early as Irvine’s softball team and its faithful arrived at the CIF-SS Division 6 championship game Thursday.

So did the Vaqueros’ high-powered offense with Harper Vandermolen.

The senior drove the second pitch she saw in the first inning high off the fence in right field for a run-scoring double and tone-setting moment against Arroyo of El Monte.

Irvine finished with 12 hits and received solid pitching from Midori De Los Santos to race past Arroyo 15-2 at Deanna Manning Stadium.

On the final out, Irvine shortstop Katie Liu snagged a grounder up the middle and threw to first baseman Andrea Torres. Irvine celebrated its first section title since 1991 with future Olympian Jennifer Brundage, now a coach at the University of Michigan.

“It’s a big thing,” Irvine softball coach James Knapp said of the championship. “When they opened up Northwood High School, the Irvine sports program sort of took a big hit, all the way across, football (and) everybody. It was a tough stretch. We’re just now really getting back to where we’re good, solid competitors in most of the sports.”

Irvine (16-16) entered its second final in four seasons by averaging 13.5 runs in the playoffs.

The Vaqueros surpassed their average during a six-run fifth inning as they batted around for the second time against Arroyo (18-10).

Torres sparked the inning with a two-run double to score Vandermolen and De Los Santos.

Irvine’s offense signaled its intentions by plating three runs in the first. The Vaqueros scored twice after Vandermolen’s near-home run. Torres and catcher Jocelyn Knerr followed with run-scoring singles.

Irvine scored twice in the second inning to open a 5-0 lead and added four runs in the fourth.

“I felt like a good leadership opportunity for the rest of my team,” Vandermolen said of her first at-bat. “Just seeing me do it first inning, they’re ‘OK, now we have the energy, the momentum. We can relax and do our thing.’ “

Vandermolen, a third baseman who is committed to Bowling Green, went 3 for 5 with five RBIs. Liu, who is committed to Pomona-Pitzer, Torres and Knerr each added two hits.

De Los Santos scattered seven hits in allowing one earned run. The junior plays for the Mexican 16-under-team as an outfielder but pitches for Irvine to help her school in the circle.

Harper and freshman right fielder Ella Pruce started double plays to support De Los Santos.

“I just had to throw my pitches and trust my defense,” De Los Santos said. “(Winning) was crazy. I was so excited.”

Irvine faced injures and challenging opponents in starting the season 1-11. The Vaqueros bounced back from a 19-0 loss to Rosary and 8-0 loss against Northwood to beat both teams for a share of the Pacific Coast League title.

The cowboy hats, the team’s rally caps courtesy of assistant coach Carlie Chaulsett-Utley, emerged in league.

“They are resilient,” Knapp said of his team. “We took our beatings (early) but the girls know preseason doesn’t matter a whole lot.”

Irvine’s finish on Thursday mattered the most.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 9:04 PM.