Lady Knights 3-Run Fifth Enough to Advance (See interviews)

Caitlyn Callahan rushes to beat the throw to first. (Photo by Anne Cypress)

(El Monte) – Arroyo exploded for three runs in the fifth to advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs with a 3-1 win over San Marino.

Jaclyn Wagner pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out 10 Titans enroute to her 15th win of the season.

Down 1-0 heading into its bottom half of the fifth inning, the Lady Knights finally solved San Marino pitcher Michelle Floyd’s mastery.

With one out, Felicia Gonzalez went pulled Floyd’s pitch down the leftfield line for an inside the park homer to tie the score at one.

After Gonzalez’s homer, Lorena Helguera worked her way to first on a base on balls. Paige Medina worked the count to 2-0 and smacked a line-drive to right-center field that went deep enough to clear the bases for the game-winning runs.

Wagner settled in after getting a two-run cushion and retired the final six-Titan batters to end the game.

Early on it looked like Alexis Watanabe’s lead-off inside the park homer was enough for San Marino.

Floyd looked unhittable early, striking out 10 through the first-four innings. She struck out the sides in the second and fourth inning before Arroyo finally two of its four hits on the day in the fifth. Floyd finished with 12 strikeouts and scattered four hits.

Her counterpart Wagner looked nearly as flawless cruising through the Titan lineup and only scattering two hits through the final six innings.

Gonzalez finished the game going 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI.

The win avenged an early 1-0 loss to San Marino.

Arroyo will face Savanna in the quarterfinals. The game will be played at Savanna.

Paige Medina gets an inside the park homer to help Arroyo advance. (Photo by Anne Cypress)

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