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Huntington Beach softball coach Jeff Forsberg calls the Oilers’ offense “crazy good.”
The lineup showed why Monday as it helped tighten the Sunset League race.
Cali Bennett, Tea Gutierrez and Bree Carlson each had three hits to pace a 16-hit attack as visiting Huntington Beach defeated first-place Los Alamitos 9-4.
Huntington Beach (16-7, 5-2), ranked No. 13 in Orange County this week, trimmed the lead of No. 11 Los Alamitos (13-11, 7-2) to half-a-game over No. 15 Marina (12-11, 6-2) and one game over the Oilers.
Huntington Beach focused on making contact in producing 14 singles, one double and a home run. The Oilers struck out only once.
“Definitely a team effort,” said Bennett, who batted leadoff and also made a running catch in center fielder. “We’ve been working a lot (on making contact) in practice and I think it really showed today. Just trying to make good contact with the ball and not trying to hit it out every single time.”
Huntington Beach’s approach at the plate shined in the fourth inning. The Oilers scored five runs with two outs to open an 8-3 lead.
With runners at second and third, Gutierrez drove in a run with an infield single.
After Los Alamitos intentionally walked Carlson to load the bases, Zariah Billinger hustled for an infield single to drive in two runs. Gutierrez scored from second base on the play with a head-first slide into home.
Morgan Drotter followed with a two-run double to right on a 2-2 pitch.
Carlson again supplied the power. The sophomore first baseman opened the sixth with an opposite-field, solo home run to right for her 10th home run.
Carlson tied Huntington Beach’s single-season school record held by Devyn Greer (2021) and Zoe Prystajko (2023).
The Oilers’ offense supported freshman pitcher Juliette Foultz (10-2), who scattered nine hits in a complete game. Foultz struck out four and walked two in her matchup against freshman Jaliane Brooks.
Huntington Beach’s Sienna Shortle and Maleah Humble added diving catches in the outfield in the seventh.
The Oilers’ effort came against a Griffins team that beat them 10-5 in the first round of league.
“After our first game (against Los Alamitos), we all just came together as a family and had to understand that we have to trust each other,” said Tea Gutierrez, who has seven home runs.
Huntington Beach faces another big test Tuesday night in visiting Marina and perhaps Michigan committed pitcher Mia Valbuena.
“This is a really big week for us,” Carlson said. “We’re just going to take this mindset and bring it with us for the rest of the week.”
Alivia Magallanes, Los Alamitos’ center fielder and No. 9 batter, threw out a runner at third base for the final out in the top of the second and had two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the inning.
The Griffins also received three hits from Morgan Fitzpatrick and two from relief pitcher Layni Kimura.
“We just need to be a little better in the circle,” said Los Alamitos coach Rob Weil, whose team fell to Edison 10-3 last week. “That’s the big thing.”
In the Pacific Coast League:
Rosary 14, Irvine 1: K’lene Gutierrez went 3 for 3 with a double, home run and four RBIs as the No. 1 Royals (23-2-1, 8-0) clinched their first league title since 2008. Rosay has won 14 straight games.
Woodbridge 14, Northwood 4: Seli Yamamoto went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Kaitlyn Underwood went 4 for 4 to lead the second-place Warriors (11-9-1, 7-2. Arizona commit Natalie Keith went 4 for 4 with three doubles an two RBIs to lead the Timberwolves (6-9, 4-5 ).
In the North Hills League:
Foothill 13, Crean Lutheran 0: Freshman Brooklyn Austin and senior Haley Rodriguez each had three hits for the third-place Knights (11-13, 5-5).
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