The562’s high school softball coverage for the 2023 season is sponsored by Long Beach City Councilwoman Megan Kerr.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
Her team was trailing by five runs in the fourth inning so Lakewood senior Julia Miramontes took it upon herself to rally the troops.
“I brought the team together and said, ‘We’re not going to try for home runs. We’ve got to put it on the ground… we’re not going to play for ourselves, we’re going to play for each other’ and that helped us,” Miramontes said.
The Lancers responded with five runs in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth inning on their way to a 14-5 win over visiting Wilson in the first Moore League game of the season.
Miramontes had three hits, four RBI and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Her 2-out RBI single in the fifth gave Lakewood the lead for good.
“She’s a senior who has to be a leader who steps up in those times,” Lakewood coach Andy Miramontes said. “I’m proud of her, but I expect that out of her.”
Lakewood only had three hits in the first three innings, and then exploded with 11 hits in the next three innings. Lancers starting pitcher Laci Berecochea didn’t give up a run after her team tied the game in the fifth.
“Our girls kind of have a more laid back approach and they seem to turn it on a little late, but it’s giving me a heart attack to be honest with you,” coach Miramontes said. “But we’re a good team. I knew we would hit the ball and in the fourth inning it started going our way.”
All nine spots in the Lakewood lineup reached base, and all but the nine spot scored a run. Khalea Puhulu, Kaleyse Foster and Madeleine Mendoza all had two hits. Mendoza also capped the scoring in the fifth with a 3-run home run through the left center field gap.
Wilson scored three times in the top of the first inning after Tatum Yates and Charlotte White led off with singles. JJ Babore brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, and Talluluah Watts brought home two runs with a 2-out single.
The game was stopped in the middle of the second inning when a police chase got dangerously close to Lakewood High School. The players were taken to nearby classrooms, and returned to the field when it was deemed safe about 10 minutes later.
Wilson took a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning. Watts (3-for-3, 2 RBI, R) started it off with a single, Kaijah Alexander reached on an error, Hannah Stump delivered a 1-out single, and Charlotte White plated another with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Bruins starter Emily Castano was great through three innings, but a few errors got Lakewood going in the fourth and led to a pair of unearned runs before an out was recorded. Belle Casanova’s bloop single and Miramontes’ double drove in three more runs to tie the game 5-5. Miramontes thinks playing at the Varsity level has prepared her for those moments.
“When you play on this team you have to earn your spot and as a senior I have to say that I’ve earned my spot so I have to bring that confidence to my team,” she said.
Once her team tied the game, Berecochea went to work stranding two runners in the fifth and putting the Bruins down in order in the sixth. The game was called in the seventh.
Berecochea also had her RBI singles in the fifth and sixth innings to help herself.
“I think I swing angry but keep the same mentality that if I’m not doing well on one side of the ball then on the other side I have to make up for it,” she said. “Once we settled in and started trusting each other it got a lot easier for all of us.”
Lakewood will face Compton on Tuesday after Wilson travels to Long Beach Poly on Monday.
