Orcutt Academy advances to semifinals again, to play Fresno Roosevelt on Thursday | High School

The Orcutt Academy softball team has played itself into a CIF Central Section divisional semifinals for the third straight year.

Orcutt senor catcher Jaylene Roybal went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, Lylah Garcia pitched a two-hit complete game and the top-seeded Spartans routed No. 8 California City 14-0 in the Division 5 quarterfinals Tuesday at Lakeview Junior High School. The game was called after the top of the fifth inning because of the 10-run rule.

The Spartans (13-11-1) will play No. 4 Fresno Roosevelt (17-5) in the semifinals at Lakeview Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The Ravens finished 15-12. During the regular season, Orcutt finished in a tie for third place in the Sunset League. California City won the High Desert League championship.  

Thursday, Orcutt Academy will make a bid for a third straight trip to Fresno State for a third straight divisional final under veteran coach Chris Duncan. In 2022, Orcutt was without its best pitcher, Garcia, who could not make the trip because of a family commitment. Up against a good pitcher, Bakersfield South’s Scarlett Lopez, Orcutt Academy fell 10-0 to South in the Division 6 title game.

No. 2 Orcutt Academy’s 4-3 loss to No. 6 Porterville in the 2024 divisional semis stung, said Duncan and Roybal. Orcutt Academy led 2-0 going into the top of the seventh, but the Panthers scored four runs then. A Spartans rally in the bottom of the inning ended when the Panthers threw a runner out at the plate for the final out.

“We had all the expectations last year,” said Duncan. “We just came up a little short.”

“That loss made us hungrier this year,” said Roybal.

On paper at least, the Spartans appear to have a tough task ahead of them. Besides Roosevelt’s 17-5 overall record, the Patriots won the North Yosemite League championship with a 10-0 campaign. The Spartans do have the higher state ranking, No. 475 to No. 510 for the Patriots.   

Tuesday, Ravens catcher Cali Gonzalez twice in the first inning threw to pitcher Nevaeh Ramirez, who was covering home, to nail a Spartans runner who was trying to score. The first time was on an errant throw from the outfield. The second was on a passed ball.

The Spartans did everything else pretty well. They racked up 14 hits, played error-free defense and capitalized on six Ravens errors behind Ramirez.

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Garcia was in control on the mound the entire way, striking out five batters and walking just one. Cheyenne Roth ripped a two-out double to center field in the first inning, and Lana Isreal singled with two outs in the fifth for the only hits against Garcia.

Roybal hit two doubles and a triple Tuesday. She was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. On defense, she did a solid job of catching Garcia.

“(Garcia) mixed her pitches today – screwball, changeup, rise,” said Roybal.

Garcia is a junior and is in her third year of pitching for the Orcutt varsity. This year, “I haven’t really added any new pitches,” she said. “Coach John (Valencia, Orcutt’s pitching coach) has just been working with me on improving the pitches that I already have.” 

Orcutt Academy started four freshmen Tuesday. Freshman shortstop Iris Villa went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Sophomore center fielder Kaleena Barragan had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Sophomore third baseman Whitney Clevenger had a hit and an RBI.

“We’re a different kind of team than we were last year,” said Duncan. “We have seven freshmen, who bring a lot of energy. We only have three seniors.”

Roybal said, “I think our chemistry is better this year.”

When it comes to a third straight berth in a divisional final, “We really want it,” said Roybal.   

Orcutt Academy softball advances to semifinals again