LONG BEACH – A year ago the CIF City Section Open softball final featured Granada Hills Charter losing a slugfest in extra innings against Carson.
Both teams returned to this season’s final but delivered a very different game, as the Colts won 1-0 in 14 innings at Long Beach State on Saturday night.
Pitchers’ duel doesn’t begin to do justice for how well the pitchers for both teams performed in the title game.
Carson’s Alana Langford is greeted by teammates at home plate after the first baseman belted a 14th inning home run to left field, leading the Colts to a 1-0 win over Granada Hills in the CIF City Section open division championship game on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills starter Addison Moorman delivers a pitch in the CIF City Section open division final against Carson on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex.. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Giselle Pantoja struck out 17 batters in 14 scoreless innings to help lead the Colts to the CIF City Section open division title for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills starter Addison Moorman struck out 19 batters in a heartbreaking CIF City Section open division final 1-0 loss to Carson on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex.. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson starter Giselle Pantoja reacts after retiring Granada Hills in the seventh inning of the CIF City Section open division title game against on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson winning pitcher Giselle Pantoja (14) is overcome with emotion as she’s hugged by hitting hero Alana Langford after the Colts won the CIF City Section open division championship for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson players celebrate after winning the CIF City Section open division championship for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Fired-up Carson starter Giselle Pantoja is greeted by teammates after a 1-2-3 sixth inning in the CIF City Section open division title game against Granada Hills on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson winning pitcher Giselle Pantoja, left, and home run hitter Alana Langford hold the championship hardware after the Colts won the CIF City Section open division title for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Giselle Pantoja struck out 17 batters in 14 scoreless innings to help lead the Colts to the CIF City Section open division title for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills players show their disappointment after a hard-fought, 14-inning 1-0 loss to Carson in the CIF City Section open division final on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills starter Addison Moorman struck out 19 batters in a heartbreaking CIF City Section open division final 1-0 loss to Carson on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex.. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson players pose with the championship trophy and plaque after winning the CIF City Section open division title for the second straight year, defeating Granada Hills 1-0 on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Long Beach State softball complex. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Both pitchers threw complete games as Lehigh commit Addison Moorman allowed four hits and struck out 19 for Granada Hills while her counterpart, Carson’s Giselle Pantoja, struck out out 17 and didn’t allow a hit until the 12th inning. She surrendered only one hit over 14 innings.
“Addison pitched amazing,” said Granada Hills coach Ivan Garcia. “Obviously (Pantoja) pitched amazing. She kept us off-balance the whole game.”
Carson (18-7-2) took a lead on a home run down the left field line by senior Alana Langford. She hit the full-count pitch out after fighting off multiple two-strikes pitches.
“It’s just very frustrating because these girls worked really hard this year,” said Garcia. “We really thought we were ready to make that leap. We’ve been here in the past, and we’ve lost to them twice now by one run. It’s extremely frustrating.”
Moorman set the tone for Granada Hills, quickly retiring the side in order to open the game. She had a pair of strikeouts in the inning.
Pantoja pitched around a pair of first-inning walks, recording two strikeouts to keep the game scoreless.
After hitting the leadoff batter in the top of second, Moorman struck out the next three hitters to put the Highlanders (28-3) back on offense.
Pantoja added two more strikeouts in the second.
The pitchers continued to trade zeroes in both the hits and runs column. Neither side recorded a hit until the top of the seventh and the Highlanders went hitless the first 11 innings before Sam Esperanza singled.
Granada Hills nearly broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. After drawing a walk, Malia Plourde looked to have scored on Jeniece Jiminez’s line drive down the right field line, but it was eventually ruled a foul ball, leaving both teams still looking for their first hit.
The Colts finally changed that when Langford drilled a double deep to left-center field with one out in the top of the seventh. It was the first hit for either team.
Moorman retired the next two hitters, stranding the runner at second.
Earlier in the day, top-seeded Garfield captured the CIF-SS Division 1 crown with a 5-2 win over No. 3 Kennedy.
Chatsworth, the top seed in Division 2, beat No. 2 Marquez 12-2 to win its first section title since 2018.
Denial of responsibility! Chronicles Live is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – chronicleslive.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
