CCS softball playoffs: Monterey to chase third straight section title
SAN JOSE — Sequels rarely live up to the hype.
Yet, if Monterey and Salinas come close to the fireworks displayed in last season’s Central Coast Section Division II softball title game, it will be memorable.
The reigning two-time CCS champion Toreadores will chase a third straight title — this time in Division I, after salvaging a 4-3 win over Branham Thursday at MacDonald’s High in San Jose.
The title game will be a rematch of last year’s Division II championship battle with Salinas, in which Ella Myer’s walk-off two-run homer gave Monterey a dramatic 4-2 win.
“I try not to look past the opponent,” Myers said. “But yeah, I knew it was a possibility in the back of my head. I know them and they know me. I’m looking forward to it.”
The two Gabilan Division rivals met twice this year in the regular season, with Myers shutting out Salinas twice by identical 2-0 results.
“I watch a lot of film from previous games,” Myers said. “With each batter, I try and notice patterns in their swings and what they tend to do, what pitches they missed the last time. It’s insanely hard to beat a team three times.”
Dating back to 2022, the No. 3 seeded Toreadores (21-7) have won eight consecutive CCS postseason games, capturing a Northern California Division III title in 2022.
With five strikeouts Thursday, Myers went over 500 strikeouts in her first three seasons at Monterey, earning her 17th win of the season, finishing with five strikeouts.
“I knew Branham was a good hitting team,” Myers said. “I knew I needed to rely on my defense. If I got to 500 strikeouts, great. But I was trying to pitch for outs.”
With the aid of a three-run homer from Ryanna Elliott in the third inning, the Toreadores opened up a 4-1 lead over the upset minded Bruins, who knocked off No. 2 seed Gunn Saturday in the quarterfinals to extend their season.
“I don’t think people realize we’ve moved up a division,” said Myers, who verbally committed to pitch in 2026 for UC Santa Barbara. “We can’t just power through these opponents. Every game is a fight.”
Myers, who added a pair of hits and an RBI, was touched for a run in the fifth, while trading an out for a run in the seventh before inducing the final hitter to fly to deep center.
“I’ll be honest I was praying please catch the ball,” Myers said. “But I knew it wasn’t leaving the yard. I started walking off the field. Because this game was close, it was relief.”
Myers, Ashley Gallagher and Taylor Page all had two hits for Monterey, who has won five straight and eight of its last nine games.
Santa Teresa 10, North Salinas 0, five innings: Living up to their No. 2 seed in Division III, Santa Teresa has been on a mission in the postseason, sending the Vikings home in five innings.
In two playoff games, the Saints (16-13) have outscored the opposition 16-1, as they will face defending CCS Division III champion Alvarez on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s title game at a site yet to be determined.
Alvarez (16-12), who has won five straight games, will be seeking its third straight section title, having beaten the Saints 5-2 in last year’s championship game.
North Salinas, who won the CCS Division V title last year, came into the game riding a four-game winning streak, averaging over 10 runs a game.
Yet, for the first time since March 24 and just the third time all year, the Vikings failed to produce a run in seeing their season come to an abrupt close.
“They (Santa Teresa) were that good,” North Salinas coach Bernie Medina said.
Clarissa Corona doubled for North Salinas, while Valerie Nunez added a single, as North Salinas finished the season 12-13.
