Cats just short in regional finals

The Saddleback softball season came to an end on Saturday at the 3C2A regional finals at Cypress College.  The Bobcats dropped the series to the host Chargers in finishing with 25 wins for the season.

Saddleback had its chances again on Saturday but was unable to come up with the big hit when they needed it.  The Bobcats scored first in the bottom half of the second inning when Jenna Juarez hit a ball to the right side of the infield that was misplayed by the Cypress second baseman, allowing Tasneem Kerdiya to come home with the opening run of the game.  Unfortunately, that would be the only run the Bobcats would have over two games as the Chargers came back to score two runs in winning on Saturday, 2-1. 

Cypress would score the eventual winning run in the top half of the seventh to take a 2-1 lead.  Saddleback then had runners at first and second base with one out in the bottom half of the seventh inning but could not get the tying run across home plate to extend the game.

Alexa Pfutzenreuter pitched another solid game to keep the Bobcats in the game.  Pfutzenreuter spread around 10 hits and allowed no walks, helping push the Chargers to the limit.  

Saddleback had seven hits in the game as both Cristen Areopagita and Ka'ui Garcia had two this apiece.  The Bobcats left nine runners stranded on base throughout. 

Saddleback finishes the season 25-16.  It was the first season since 2015 that the program had made the playoffs and the first time since 2014 that it had advanced past the opening round of the playoffs.