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FULLERTON — Fullerton’s softball team faces a double whammy if Malaya Majam-Finch isn’t able to play.
“Malaya is like (Shohei) Ohtani (in Orange County softball),” Indians coach Trevor Holton said. “You’re losing your ace and you’re losing arguably your best hitter.”
Fullerton not only played without Majam-Finch at Sunny Hills on Wednesday, but was minus center fielder Andrea Montes De Oca.
But the Indians overcame the injuries to defeat the Lancers 8-5 to remain in contention to capture the final Freeway League title.
Fullerton (18-7, 7-0), ranked 10th in Orange County and No. 11 in CIF-SS Division 3, scored six runs in the fifth inning to seize control and support reliver Tianna Salcido.
“It shows that we’re building a program,” Holton said. “We’re down (Majam-Finch) and we’re down another starter and we go into the defending league champs without them and we played really well.”
“Maddie Moreno (of Sunny Hills) is a good pitcher,” Holton added of Lancers’ starter. “It’s a goal of ours to win the last Freeway League title.”
Maiah Rodriguez sparked Fullerton’s outburst in the fifth with a leadoff home run to right to break a 1-1 tie.
The Indians sent 11 batters to plate in the frame and scored five more runs to open a 7-1 lead against the Southern Utah-bound Moreno.
Fullerton flashed its depth in the fifth as No. 9 batter Ava Paquin reached on a slick bunt single with one out after the home run by Rodriguez. After Hayley Brock followed with a single, second baseman Zoey Bautista drove in two runs with a double to right.
The Indians, the reigning SoCal Division 3 champion, capitalized on an error, wild pitch and RBI single by Abby Lee to cap its six-run inning.
“Who really stepped up is a our senior Maiah Rodriguez,” Holton said of his catcher, who singled later in the fifth and singled in a run in the second.
In the sixth inning, Brock hit a home run to extend Fullerton’s lead to 8-1.
No. 24 Sunny Hills (8-9, 4-3) answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth but a spectacular diving play by Bautista at second base ended the threat. With two runners on base, the senior raced to her left to snag a ground ball and throw to Lee at first.
Salcido pitched the final four innings in relief to earn the victory. The senior bound for Tennessee State escaped a one-out, bases loaded jam in the fourth to set the tone for the Indians’ explosion in the fifth.
Salcido started the game in center and made an excellent running catch in the third on a drive near the fence.
Katelynn Mathews, a freshman, started in the circle for Fullerton but was limited to three innings due to a sore back, Holton said.
“Katelynn is at 50 percent right now,” he said. “That kid is tough.”
Majam-Finch suffered a knee injury during practice Monday, Holton said. The sophomore is 9-3 with a 1.36 ERA and also leads the team with 34 RBIs.
“I think it’s just a bone bruise but we don’t know,” said Holton, whose team takes on second-place Sonora (11-8, 5-2) on Friday. “We want her for the long run, too, and not to push anything.”
Catcher Riley Gonzalez had three hits to help pace Sunny Hills’ attack. Shortstop Olivia Pedraza tripled and scored on a single by Elayna Marquez in the first as the Lancers took an early lead.
