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May 12, 2026
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
Heading into the final regular season game, La Mirada High head coach Brent Tuttle was worried about not getting one of the top four seeds in Division 1. The Matadores dropped a 9-7 decision to Gahr High but still grabbed the No. 4 seed in the division while five other area teams were rewarded with home games as the CIF-Southern Section softball playoffs begin on May 14 with even-numbered divisions and Friday for odd-numbered divisions.
DIVISION 1
Los Alamitos High (19-8 overall, 11-1 in the Sunset League, champions) @ #4 La Mirada (22-4, 6-2 in the Gateway League, champions)-This might be one of the program’s best teams in a long time despite having four sophomores, three freshmen, all of whom are starters, and one everyday senior. Last season, the Matadores advanced to the quarterfinals after having been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round the previous two seasons.
The first loss of the season for La Mirada, which was the second game back on Feb. 21, came to Los Alamitos, a 10-0 defeat in the First Pitch Challenge. But the other three were by a combined nine runs and came against JSerra High, which is also in Division 1, and Gateway League opponents, and Division 2 combatants Gahr and Warren High.
The Matadores went on winning streaks of eight and nine games, but the last two losses came within the final six games of the season.
La Mirada batted .371 and eight players combined to hit 36 home runs, led by junior catcher Riley Hilliard’s 10, to go along with her team-leading .600 batting average and 14 doubles. Her sister, shortstop Reese Hilliard, has a .583 average with a team-leading 49 hits and has added 10 doubles and seven home runs.
Junior Alison Ortega is one of the best pitchers in Southern California and went 16-2 with an earned run average of 1.07, struck out 130 batters, walked 22 and allowed 70 hits.
The Matadores have defeated the Griffins three times in the last 13 meetings dating back to 2010, but two of those three victories came in 2024 (5-2) and 2025 (9-5). This is the fourth opening round game in the upper bracket involving a pair of league, or co-league champions
The winner of this game will face either Martin Luther King High or Palos Verdes High in the second round on Saturday.
DIVISION 2
Yorba Linda High (18-8, 8-4 in the Freeway League, co-champions) @ Gahr (15-12, 5-3 in the Gateway League, tied for second place)-This may not have been the best Gahr team, but the Gladiators played another tough non-league schedule, won at least 11 games for the 13th straight full season and have reached at least the semifinals four times in the last seven seasons.
The Gladiators won their first three games before going 4-7 including a 7-6 loss to Downey High in the Gateway League opener. While Gahr has never fallen below .500, it has not won more than three games in a row. The team has a pair of hitters batting over .400, but one of them has played half the season because she is a transfer. That is junior Kayleigh Allen (.429, 18 hits, 14 runs scored) while the other is sophomore Hazel Anglo (.410, 32 hits, 10 doubles, 16 RBI, four home runs).
The heart and soul of the pitching staff is junior Isabella Gonzalez, who has amassed over 132 innings pitched, has an ERA of 2.08 and has a 14-6 record along with 132 strikeouts. She started 20 of the 27 games while seven other players have combined to throw 34 innings and allowed nearly twice as many earned runs as Gonzalez.
The winner of this game will face either Foothill High or second-seeded Mater Dei High in the second round on Saturday.
DIVISION 3
Oak Park High (16-10, 4-4 in the Coastal Canyon League, third place) @ Valley Christian High (12-8, 6-2 in the Olympic League, second place)-The only thing missing from V.C.’s season was more games. The Defender’s had a pair of games in the middle of February cancelled and no makeup’s or replacement games were added. Still, V.C.’s season saw the team score at least 10 runs nine times, all victories, while it lost four games when it allowed at least 10 runs.
The Defenders boast an explosive offense that hit .376 and has four players batting over .400, led by senior shortstop Aubrielle Ramirez (.478, 32 hits, 23 runs scored, 22 RBI). After her comes senior catcher Peyton Kingery (.464, 32 hits, 29 runs scored, 29 RBI, 11 doubles and eight home runs), senior center fielder Choyce Chambers (.417, 30 hits, 24 runs scored, 21 RBI, four home runs) and senior third baseman Brianna Ramirez (.406, 26 hits, 18 RBI).
In the circle is junior Rachel Zhang, who has been dependable since she stepped in the circle for the first time as a high school pitcher and went 11-6 this season. She has allowed less than five runs in 11 of her 17 starts.
The winner of this game will face either Quartz Hill High or third-seeded Riverside Prep High in the second round on Saturday.
DIVISION 5
Shadow Hills High (14-5, 12-3 in the Desert Empire League, second place) @ Cerritos High (12-6, 8-0 in the 605 League, champions)-Another team that was cheated out of more games is Cerritos, which did not play in four originally scheduled games, including three in the St. Joseph Tournament in late February. The Dons won their ninth straight league title, including the last two from the original seven-member Suburban League. During those nine seasons, Cerritos has fallen in league just four times.
This season has been somewhat challenging as the Dons returned half a dozen players, two of whom are sophomores, and have five freshmen. Even though Cerritos has played in just 18 games, it batted close to .400 with freshman Adelyn Archie leading the way with a .526 average, 24 RBI, 20 hits and 16 runs. After her is senior Jeanine Mauricio (.464, 13 hits, 12 runs). sophomore Noelle Martinez (.455, 15 hits, 11 runs), senior Ava Ceron (.438, 23 runs, 21 hits) and freshman Daphne Linsangan (.429, 24 hits, 21 runs, 17 RBI).
Ava Ceron, freshmen Alexis Ceron and Jade Hernandez have spent time in the pitching circle with Hernandez going 7-2 with five shutouts in league play.
The winner of this game will face either fourth-seeded Providence High or Viewpoint High in the second round on Saturday.
Ontario High (13-9, 9-6 in the Mt. Baldy League, third place) @ Norwalk High (15-10-1, 8-2 in the Mid-Cities League, second place)-It’s been an up and down season for Norwalk, which has not won more than four games in a row and has dipped below .500 twice. But the Lancers have had some recent success in the playoffs, splitting their last eight postseason games since 2022.
Nine players have at least 20 hits and are all batting well over .350 as the offense has scored in double digits 13 times with senior Mariah Favela, the veteran pitcher, sporting a 10-5 record and allowing five or fewer runs in 11 games while sophomore Alyssa Hurst, one of 10 returning players from last season’s squad, is 3-4.
The winner of this game will face either Durate High or second-seeded Northwood High in the second round on Saturday.
DIVISION 7
Cathedral City High (14-5, 10-2 in the Sun Valley League, first place) @ Artesia High (10-11, 5-3 in the 605 League, tied for second place)-The only area playoff team with a losing record is also the youngest area playoff team with seven freshmen, four juniors, three sophomores and two seniors. Still, this is not a team you should sleep on as the offense is batting over .300 and has five players eclipsing that mark.
That begins with sophomore Brisyeda Munoz (.414, 24 hits, 31 runs, 20 RBI), followed by sophomore Pacifica Hamilton (.383, 23 hits, 26 RBI, 16 runs, three home runs), senior Abbygail Perez, a transfer from Gahr (,364 in 12 games, 12 hits, seven RBI, three home runs), junior Paulina Nava (.354, 23 hits, 25 runs, 11 RBI) and freshman Andrea Mejia (.322, 19 hits, 11 RBI, 10 runs).
Perez became eligible just in time for the league opener against Cerritos, a 6-0 loss. Before that, freshman Danika Vega was getting a lot of playing time and has thrown over 43 innings. But Perez has 93 strikeouts in 10 games.
The winner of this game will face either third-seeded Chadwick High or Desert Christian Academy in the second round on Saturday.
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