Rylee Silva helps Orange Lutheran softball hold off JSerra in Trinity League ...0

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ORANGE — Orange Lutheran’s softball team returned to action Friday for the first time since March 8 and promptly displayed to the style has it ranked No. 1 in Orange County.

The Lancers used their speed, bunting and the pitching of freshman Rylee Silva to hold off No. 11 JSerra 3-2 in the Trinity League.

Silva, a hard-throwing right-hander pitcher, struck out 11 and walked one to collect a complete-game victory in her first Trinity League start. She improved to 6-0 in the circle.

Oklahoma-bound center fielder Kai Minor had two two hits, including a triple, and two stolen bases, and Olivia Oskorus went 3 for 3 to pace the offense for Orange Lutheran (8-1, 1-0).

The Lancers, the CIF-SS Division 1 runner-up last season, scored twice off passed balls.

“It’s a good start (to league) but we’re going to see them two more times,” said Orange Lutheran coach Steve Miklos, whose team beat starter Abby Ford (1-6). “We did a lot of live hitting, a lot of live bunting to try to keep sharp. The girls practiced well.”

Miklos turned to Silva to start on a day in which junior Jo Marsh, a UCLA commit and transfer from Los Alamitos, became eligible after observing the CIF-SS sit-out period for transfers.

“She’s been throwing well,” Miklos said of Silva. “They’re both good. Rylee has been pitching in games … (we) let (Marsh) get settled in where she’s eligible.”

Silva said she learned Wednesday that she would would start against JSerra (8-8, 0-2), a Division 1 semifinalist last season. She studied the Lions’ lineup but said a pregame meeting with catcher Cate Medvitz settled her nerves.

“We had lunch and she talked to me and she was just, ‘You’re going to do great. You don’t have to prove yourself to anybody. You can win this game,’ ” Silva said of Medvitz. “She’s an awesome player and awesome person.”

Orange Lutheran flashed its speed on the bases throughout the game but the third inning provided insight how the Lancers can capitalize on the trait.

With Orange Lutheran leading 1-0, Minor reach on a fielder’s choice with two outs. With cleanup batter Madelyn Armendariz at the plate, Minor stole second and on the first pitch and scored one pitch later as Armendariz laid down a bunt single. Minor raced home after the Lions bobbled the ball at first.

“Speed puts pressure on defenses,” Miklos said. “We executed well. That’s kind of our game. This is the fastest team I think I’ve ever had.”

Orange Lutheran scored the eventual game-winning run in the fifth after Sierra Nichols led off with a bunt single and took second on an error on the play. She scored to make it 3-0 after a wild pitch and passed ball.

Medvitz, a junior, showed her speed by making a sliding grab of a foul ball near the JSerra dugout for an out in the sixth.

In the seventh, freshmen Madeline Capek and Annabel Raftery belted solo home runs to spark JSerra, which was no-hit by Mater Dei’s Cienna Acosta earlier this week.

For a squad with several young players and some key injuries, the home runs were encouraging.

“It’s promising. Offense has been our Achilles’ heel for sure,” JSerra coach Katie Stith said of the late hits. “That’s what we’ve been missing a little bit, as of late, that mentality that we can always win and come back.”

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