Xplosion advances to state

The Xplosion, a girls’ 10-and-under Gold team from North Huntington Beach Girls Softball, worked its way to a third-place finish at the District Championships in an event hosted by the West Garden Grove and Cypress softball leagues.

The Xplosion played all its games in Garden Grove and the tournament wrapped up Sunday.

By placing third among 16 Central District teams in the tournament, the Xplosion qualified to compete at the Amateur Softball Assn. State Championships that begin Friday in San Diego.

The Xplosion began the tournament with a tough draw — taking on cross-town rival South Huntington Beach — and had to come from behind to post a 6-3 win. Next came a meeting against a Tustin team that had won its opener, but the Xplosion won handily, 6-0.

Their third tournament game was against an undefeated Rancho Trabuco team. A win for either team would secure a spot in the State Championships.

The Xplosion scored a run early in the game and maintained a 1-0 lead through the sixth inning, thanks to the solid pitching of Hannah Howell. In the bottom of the seventh, however, Rancho Trabuco scored the tying run and was in position to win the game by loading the bases, but the Xplosion defense held and the teams headed to an international tie-breaker.

In the tie-breaker, with Howell on second base, Darcy Weiser took an 0-2 pitch and drove a single up the middle to bring home Howell for the go-ahead run. Weiser went on to score on another single up the middle, this one by Meghan Myer to make it 3-1. Rancho Trabuco scored one run in its last at-bat to narrow the score and again loaded the bases with two out. The game ended when a hard hit toward the middle was snagged by Xplosion second baseman Stephanie Lakso, who turned and made the perfect throw to Kristina Inouye at first base for the final out.

The North Huntington Beach Xplosion 10-and-under Gold All-Star team is: Hannah Howell, Taylor Hickman, Alyssa Horeczko, Kristina Inouye, Kelly Kazempoor, Anna Kufta, Stephanie Lakso, Meghan Myer, Ally Sterzer, Aly Sojka, Darcy Weiser and Kylee Zwonitzer, Coach Ken Inouye and assistants Brian Sterzer, Marci Zwonitzer, Roman Horeczko and Steve Lakso.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (714) 966-4611 or by e-mail at [email protected].