Moorpark High softball team can't complete comeback in CIF-SS Division 4 final

IRVINE — Even 26 years later, Meagan Stotts recognized what was about to happen.

So as Temple City began to celebrate on the diamond at Deanna Manning Stadium, the Moorpark High softball coach gathered her players and tried to distract them.

“Listen, I’ve been here before,” Stotts told her young team. “I’ve been in your shoes. Don’t watch them celebrate right now. Focus on us. Go back in that dugout, take a deep breath and line it up on the line.”

Despite an early lead and a strong pitching performance in relief from sophomore Taylor Cook, top-seeded Moorpark fell to Temple City, 4-2, Friday afternoon in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship game.

“It’s tough,” Stotts said. “It’s a tough moment.”

The last time the Musketeers (23-5) reached a sectional final, Stott was sophomore third baseman Meagan Finnerty. For more than a quarter of a century, her RBI single against Santa Monica-Crossroads represented the last time Moorpark had scored in a sectional final.

Moorpark’s first run Friday was scored by Stott’s niece Madison Finnerty. Its second was driven in by Stott’s niece Caitlin Finnerty.

“We wanted that RBI,” Stotts said, “but we didn’t want it to be the last one.”

With a promising roster that included 11 sophomores, three freshmen and just two seniors, the young Musketeers had rolled to the cusp of its first sectional title, having outscored their postseason opposition, 18-3.

Pitcher Madison Finnerty had just thrown the first perfect game of her life in a 5-0 semifinal win Tuesday against Northridge-Heritage Christian.

But despite an auspicious first inning, Friday’s season finale did not provide the perfect ending for a memorable season.

“Obviously, a tough moment to swallow,” Stotts said. “Extremely hard to look these girls in the face and have a conversation with them today. But all you can tell them is how proud you are of their run and the experience they gained and bringing their seniors to a championship game.”

Seven of the nine Musketeers starters reached base. Sophomore shortstop Shae Anderson was 2 for 4 with a double. Sophomore pitcher Madison Finnerty was 1 for 3 with a run scored. Sophomore third baseman Driana Martinez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Moorpark jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, when sophomore Madison Finnerty drove a one-out double to right-center field and scored on senior Madison Zulager’s RBI single up the middle.

In the bottom of the second, Temple City ended the postseason no-hit streak Finnerty brought into the final at 8.1 innings.

Then, with Finnerty struggling to adjust to the strike zone, it ended her postseason shutout streak at 24 innings.

“It was obviously a tighter zone than we’re used to, working with that today,” Stott said. “That’s a good lesson on adaptability for these girls.”

After Kassandra Gewecke tied the game with an RBI single and Gisselle Sasaki’s RBI double to left gave Temple City the lead, Finnerty walked her second and third batters of the inning to force in a third run.

“The tighter zone was definitely affecting her,” Stott said. “We had to make a decision.”

Stott replaced her ace with Cook, a fellow sophomore who was 9-2 with a 1.82 ERA.

“The two of them have fed off each other all year,” Stott said. “There was no hesitation.”

Cook escaped the bases-loaded, one-out jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Cook kept Moorpark, trailing 3-1, within striking distance with 4.2 innings of strong relief, striking out seven and allowing just one run on three hits.

Moorpark repeatedly threatened to take advantage, but stranded runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Anderson singled and Madison Finnerty walked with one out in the third, but were stranded in scoring position.

Kate Guy walked and Sydney Burckhard singled in the fourth, but were stranded.

Anderson led off the fifth with a double off the wall in left field, but was stranded.

After Temple City extended the lead to 4-1 on Mikala Sanchez’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, Moorpark answered in the top of the sixth.

Driana Martinez lined a leadoff single to left field and scored on Caitlin Finnerty’s single to left field.

But that would be the Musketeers’ last rally. Temple City pitcher Gewecke induced the final four outs to close it out.

“You can’t take that experience away,” Stott said. “Only two teams get to be here in this division. I know they’re hurting right now, but they’re going to have the opportunity to look back on this and understand what a great moment it was for them.”

Joe Curley covers softball for The Star. He can be reached at  joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage of local high school sports, follow @vcspreps on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark High softball can't complete comeback in Division 4 final