Tag Archives: Alyssa Porras

Burroughs Softball Blanks Burbank 6-0 For Share Of Third Straight League Title

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By Rick Assad

 

There was much riding on the outcome of Thursday night’s Pacific League softball clash between Burroughs High and Burbank at McCambridge Park.

A win by the Indians would assure them of a first-place tie with Crescenta Valley, and a victory by the Bulldogs would give them fourth place, one game ahead of Glendale and a CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

Some members of the Burroughs softball team gather after beating rival Burbank and winning a third consecutive Pacific League banner. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

In the end, junior Presley Miraglia was simply too good and in control, striking out 11 and yielding four hits in a 6-0 complete-game shutout in the regular-season finale as the Indians secured a share of a third straight league title.

“Any time we go into a game, we feel good,” first-year Burroughs coach Wes Tanigawa said. “The way they were focused and settled down, I felt good.”

The Indians (19-8 and 12-2 in league) scurried in front 1-0 in the fourth inning against sophomore Alyssa Porras and added five more runs in the sixth.

The initial tally started when Miraglia (three singles) reached base on an error. Sophomore Citlali Mendez then came in to pinch run and moved to second base on sophomore Mia Storer’s infield hit.

Junior pitcher Presley Miraglia, shown in a recent game, allowed four hits with 11 strikeouts in a 6-0 win over the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Mendez took third base on junior Jessica Amaya’s sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on junior Nikki Ricciardella’s perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt.

Burbank (12-14 and 8-6 in league) fell behind 6-0 after the five-run explosion that began with a base hit by Miraglia to left field. Once again, Mendez ran for her.

Junior hurler Allie Benson replaced Porras and faced Storer, who was safe on an error.

Pinch hitter Kaitlin Escamilla, a sophomore, drew a walk to load the bases and Ricciardella was hit by a pitch which forced in a run.

The key blow was delivered by senior Amanda Flores (two hits), who clubbed a two-run double to right center.

Porras re-entered and allowed an infield single to pinch hitter, sophomore Morgan Mersola, that scored a run and two batters later, senior Lauren Lopez added a run-scoring single to right field.

“It got away from us,” Burbank coach Mike Delaney said. “We simply made too many key mistakes.”

Miraglia worked a perfect first and fanned all three batters before allowing a one-out single in the second inning to right center by junior Erin Lashkari, who went to second base on sophomore Sarah Garelick’s sacrifice bunt.

But Miraglia then collected herself and struck out junior Macie Jensen swinging.

Miraglia then fashioned a 1-2-3 third and fourth inning, striking out freshman Katie Treadway in the third and fanning junior Anysia Gonzalez in the fourth.

“My pitching coach worked with me to get my pitches down,” Miraglia said. “I needed to fix my level of pitches. I knew what I had to do.”

Delaney admitted that Miraglia was throwing hard and also keeping the ball down, but said they were perhaps too anxious. “We didn’t decide what part of the plate to swing at,” he pointed out.

Miraglia retired Lashkari to open the fifth inning on a liner to center field and then struck out Garelick looking.

Jensen reached first on a miscue and then stole second, however, Miraglia settled down and induced junior Bene Snyder to line out to first base.

Miraglia began the sixth inning by fanning senior pinch hitter Alyssa De La Torre, but surrendered an infield single to sophomore Alex Davis.

Miraglia whiffed sophomore Amaya Broyls, but allowed a single to left by junior Melissa Daniel, only to strike out Gonzalez swinging.

Miraglia induced Lashkari to ground out to begin the seventh, but Garelick laced a single to right center.

Jensen popped up for the second out and Snyder grounded out to seal the victory.

Porras allowed seven hits and struck out two with two walks in seven innings while Benson walked a batter, hit a batter and gave up one hit.

Burbank Softball Falls Behind Early To Crescenta Valley, Loses 8-5

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By Rick Assad

 

For all intents and purposes, two innings doomed the Burbank High softball team when it faced Crescente Valley on Thursday afternoon at McCambridge Park.

Getting the early jump, the Falcons scored three runs in the first and second innings and held on for an 8-5 Pacific League triumph.

“After that we settled down,” Burbank coach Mike Delaney said of the first two frames. “They put pressure on you and we didn’t handle that pressure very well.”

Alex Davis had a double in the first inning of an 8-5 loss to Crescenta Valley, but didn’t score. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Eight batters trotted to the plate in the opening stanza against sophomore Alyssa Porras, who went one and two-third innings initially, two and two-third overall, walking five with six hits allowed.

Five of the first six batters were safe including a bases-loaded walk to sophomore Viviana Bocanegra that forced in senior Jessica Yzaguirre (four hits), who led off with an infield single.

Sophomore Ryan Eldred (three singles) later added a two-run smash to right field that brought home sophomore Alyssa Hernandez, who walked and freshman Maddie De Leon (three hits), who drilled a single up the middle.

Crescenta Valley’s cushion was extended to 6-0 in the second inning when nine hitters marched to the dish.

Allie Benson entered as a reliever and held her own over four and one-third innings. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

De Leon’s two-out booming triple to left center scored Yzaguirre, who was safe on an infield single and Hernandez, who walked.

It became 6-0 on a bloop single to right center by Bocanegra off junior Allie Benson, who went four and one-third innings, walking six, with three hit batters, six hits surrendered and one strikeout, that brought in De Leon.

“Our pitchers were not hitting their spots,” Delaney said of his duo that combined to allow 11 walks and 12 hits with three hit batters.

Burbank (11-13 and 7-5 in league) cut the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the second when junior Bene Snyder (two hits) had an infield single off junior Emily Mulcahey (seven innings while scattering 12 hits, walking two, with four strikeouts and one hit batter) that drove in junior Macie Jensen, who walked.

Melissa Daniel slides into third base during a two-run third inning versus the Falcons. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Bulldogs chipped away and made it a three-run deficit with a two-run third inning as sophomore Sarah Garelick (two hits) rifled a single to center field that knocked in junior Melissa Daniel, who led off with a walk and junior Anysia Gonzalez, who reached base on an infield single.

“We’re a confident offensive team,” Delaney noted. “We don’t fear too many pitchers. But we had three strikeouts in critical situations.”

Burbank trimmed Crescenta Valley’s lead to 6-4 with a tally in the fourth inning when Daniel’s double to left field plated sophomore Amaya Broyls, who singled to center.

A two-run frame in the sixth by the Falcons (18-7-1 and 10-2 in league) pushed the lead to 8-4 as Eldred led off with a single to right center and later came around on an error while sophomore Peyton Hause’s run-scoring hit to center scored sophomore Kristy Taix, who laid down a sacrifice bunt and went to second base on an error.

The Bulldogs made it a three-run deficit with a run in the seventh when junior Erin Lashkari clubbed a long leadoff triple to left center and crossed the plate on Jensen’s single to right field.

Burbank sophomore Alex Davis doubled, junior Anysia Gonzalez singled twice and freshman Katie Treadway also singled.

Burbank Softball Takes Out Rival Burroughs, 5-2

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By Rick Assad

 

From the first inning, it was evident the Burbank High softball team was going to be extremely patient at the plate.

In many at-bats, including a bases-clearing double by junior Melissa Daniel in the sixth inning, the Bulldogs waited for hittable offerings from junior Burroughs ace Presley Miraglia.

Presley Miraglia surrendered six hits in a 5-2 loss to rival Burbank in a Pacific League match at Olive Park. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The result was Burbank’s 5-2 win in a Pacific League game at a jammed-packed Olive Park on Wednesday night, which snapped a three-game losing streak to its city rival.

“When we play like we’re capable of, like we did tonight, we’re a good team,” Burbank coach Mike Delaney said. “The reason we won was because of all 15 girls.”

Burbank’s lead was 2-1 heading into the sixth inning, but the advantage swelled to four runs on Daniel’s deep blast that saw her attempt to stretch the hit into a triple, but was thrown out at third base.

“The moment that I hit that pitch, I knew it was going to score the runners,” said Daniel, who also doubled in the fifth inning. “I’m really proud of this team. Alyssa Porras [winning pitcher] did an amazing job.”

Burroughs second baseman Nikki Ricciardella throws out a runner. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Bulldogs (6-11 and 5-3 in league) struck in the initial frame when junior Anysia Gonzalez, who also singled in the sixth, lined a two-out rocket to left center for a home run.

In the third, the lead swelled to 2-0 when sophomore Amaya Broyls sliced an opposite-field double down the left field line that scored sophomore Sarah Garelick, who was safe on an error.

The Indians (13-8 and 6-2 in league) cut the advantage in half with a run in the fourth as junior Hannah Talavera doubled to left center to lead off the inning.

It was the first hit for Burroughs against Porras, who retired the first nine batters she faced including three on strike outs.

Porras, a sophomore, was highly effective as she toured seven innings, striking out four, allowing seven hits and no walks across seven innings.

The Indians used “small ball” against Burbank pitcher Alyssa Porras. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior Lauren Lopez then rifled a base hit to right field as Talavera raced over to third base and scored on Miraglia’s single up the middle.

The Indians came within three runs in the sixth inning as senior Brianna Johnson drew a one-out walk and moved to third base on Miraglia’s double to right field.

The run scored on sophomore Mia Storer’s grounder, but the inning came to an end when senior Amanda Flores lined to Porras.

Sophomore Alex Davis singled in the sixth inning for the Bulldogs, but did not score.

Sophomore Kaitlin Escamilla singled twice for the Indians, and both times failed to cross the plate.

“If the girls don’t have it 100 percent, it could go either way,” Burroughs coach Wes Tanigawa said. “I’m hoping that they’re going to see what happened and not like it.”

Miraglia surrendered six hits and fanned five with one walk over seven innings, but some of her offerings found too much of the plate.

“Presley performs and she performs well,” Tanigawa said. “Sometimes I think that she feels she has to throw perfect pitches. Sometimes I think that she feels an added pressure.”