Hart softball coach Steve Calendo didn’t try to downplay it.
“It was pretty crazy,” he said of the Indians’ 11-8 road win over Redlands on Thursday in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs.
Hart led the division’s No. 2 seed, 9-3, entering the bottom of the fifth, but, uncharacteristically, it made four errors on the infield and gave up five runs.
With the tying run on second and two outs, Calendo re-inserted pitcher Mona Trevizo after pulling her earlier.
Trevizo recorded the final out of the inning and sat the Terriers (24-5) down in order in the final two innings. Hart tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh.
“Mona showed a lot of backbone to come in and do what she did,” said Calendo, whose program earned its first playoff win since 2011 earlier this week in the wild-card round.
Hart will play the winner of Paraclete of Lancaster and California of Whittier at home Tuesday.
Indian Brooke Marquez was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs. Kylie Norwood was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Abby Sweet was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Another highlight: Hart outfielder Jordyn Gasper robbed a would-be home run.
Pacifica of Garden Grove 8, Saugus 4
Saugus coach Julie Archer believes people doubted her team entering the season.
As it turned out, any doubts were unfounded.
The Centurions (16-13) earned second place in the Foothill League and a berth in the Division 1 playoffs.
The run ended Thursday in Garden Grove, though.
Pacifica scored three runs in the first. Saugus cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fourth, but Pacifica answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Saugus’ Jessica Cordola, Clarissa Ellwein and Ryleigh Bermea each had an RBI.
Leslie Reynaga limited Pacifica to three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Saugus made five errors.
“It was a successful season the way we battled through league and came in second,” Archer said.
