money Coachella Valley tops Indio in clash of elite DVL softball teams
One of the many home-made signs attached to the outfield wall at the Coachella Valley High School softball diamond Monday was one that said "Vicky Loo Coming Through."
It took one at-bat in the Arabs' clash with rival and fellow unbeaten Indio High School for that sign to make sense.
Coachella Valley leadoff hitter Victoria Guzman laid down a perfect bunt toward third. The throw to first got past the first baseman and as the right fielder tracked it down, Guzman was flying around the bases. To her surprise head coach Paul Salow was giving her the sign to round third and head for home. She finished the play with a perfect head-first slide into home plate, just under the tag for a stunning 1-0 start to the game for Coachella Valley. Vicky Loo came through.
It proved to be the winning run as ace pitcher Jolene Miramontes kept Indio off balance all night as the Arabs won the game 3-0 and guaranteed themselves at worst a share of the DVL title. Coachella Valley is now 13-0 in league play and Indio dropped to 12-1. The two teams meet again in the regular-season finale on Thursday at Indio.
"That first run really set the tone for us," Salow said. "Vicky's been so dynamic for us. Her speed is eye-popping. For us to get that break right there and get the lead right away it just really calmed us down and let us play from ahead for the rest of the game which was huge."
Miramontes was in control on the mound the rest of the game. She set the school's single-season strikeout record already this year and had eight more strikeouts in this one.
The Arabs tacked on two more crucial insurance runs in the fifth inning. Angelina Valencia led off the inning with a single. Indio got one out on a fielder's choice, but Guzman struck again with a hard shot past the shortstop. Isabel Inzunza raced from first to third and Guzman advanced to second on the throw. Arissa Gonzalez followed with an RBI groundout and Miramontes helped herself with an RBI double to knock in Guzman.
Indio made it interesting in the seventh inning. Sienna Rodriguez got a one-out single and pinch-hitter Julissa Alford followed with a clean single to left field to put two runners on. But Miramontes induced a short flyout to centerfield and then Indio's Miyah Mata ripped a line drive into the glove of first baseman Marley Delgado to end the game and touch off a celebration near the pitcher's mound as the Arabs secured a share of the DVL crown.
In a display of how dominant these two teams are compared to the rest of the DVL, heading into Monday's game, Indio had outscored its league opponents 199-22, while Coachella Valley had outscored its opponents a ridiculous 199-2. So now make that 202-2 for the Arabs, who picked up their 19th straight win.
"It feels so good to get this win," Miramontes said. "It's going to put the pressure on them for Thursday's game since we know we at least are co-champs. It was a tight game, I knew I wouldn't be able to blow it by them all night and I knew they would get some hits because they are such a good team, but I trusted my defense and trusted myself."
The stars
Jolen Miramontes, Coachella Valley senior pitcher: Miramontes went the distance, striking out eight and allowed four hits. She also had a single and a double at the plate.
Victoria Guzman, Coachella Valley freshman: Guzman led off the game with the bunt single turned home run. She also added a double and scored again, touching home for two of the team's three runs.
Victoria Huerta, Indio junior: Huerta, the team's leadoff hitter, had a single and a double and was agonizingly left in the on-deck circle when the game's final out was recorded.
Alyssa Grinstead, Indio sophomore pitcher: Grinstead pitched well, yielding just six hits while striking out four.
Alizabeth Rico, Coachella Valley junior: Rico almost gave the Arabs an extra run in the fourth inning when her long line drive to center field smacked off the top of the center field wall and stayed in play. She hit it so hard she only got a single on the play.
Mila Villalobos, Coachella Valley junior: The Arabs catcher made two huge defensive plays with one of the funny variety and one of the serious variety. With two outs in the fourth, Indio's Rodriguez hit a pop up at home plate. Villalobos went for it, but it bounced off of her mitt to first baseman Delgado for the unlikely out, which drew plenty of smiles in the Arabs dugout. In the sixth inning, after a leadoff walk, Villalobos stopped a pitch in the dirt and as the baserunner raced toward second Villalobos threw a perfect strike to second base to get the runner by a few inches. It was a crucial rally-killing play.
The chatter
Coach Salow on playing in a tight game: "Our league has not been the strongest this year, so it's really good to have a game like this to get your adrenaline flowing, a game you know is going to be tight and every little play or pitch or base-running play will be important."
Salow on Miramontes: "She's been lights out all year. She set the single season record, she's up around 170 strikeouts now, and, hey Coachella Valley High School has been around for a long time."
Miramontes on facing Indio: "It's definitely fun, but also nerve-wracking. My team had my back and I just thought about every pitch, one at a time. I thought about my windup, my spin, everything, just trying to keep my composure."
Guzman on her game-opening bunt and score: "I just wanted to get on base and I didn't expect to get all the way around the bases, in fact I slowed down a little at one point. But that feeling of scoring at home and all my teammates jumping on me and the crowd supporting me, it made me happy. I love that support system."
What's next
The two teams meet again at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Indio with a lot still on the line. The Rajahs will be looking for a share of the DVL crown and the Arabs want to complete a perfect league season. Both teams will then advance to the CIF-SS playoffs with the playoff brackets being announced Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: High school softball: Coachella Valley tops Indio, nabs share of DVL title
