RIALTO — The Colton softball team, seeking its first 20-win season since 2012, put another notch in its belt Wednesday.
The Yellowjackets defeated Eisenhower 10-1 in a San Andreas League game played under cloudy skies .
-
Colton catcher Sadie Rodriguez throws a runner out at first base during a San Andreas League softball against Eisenhower on April 16, 2025. (John Murphy, Correspondent)
1 of 4
Colton catcher Sadie Rodriguez throws a runner out at first base during a San Andreas League softball against Eisenhower on April 16, 2025. (John Murphy, Correspondent)
Expand
The victory gives Colton 16-3 overall, 4-0 league) a one-game lead over Eisenhower (7-2, 3-1) in the standings.
Colton is in its second year under veteran coach Mike Southworth who previously led the programs at Fontana and Chino Hills.
Following losing seasons under a previous coach in 2022 and 2023, the Yellowjackets went 16-12 under Southworth last season. Now, they have already equaled that win total.
“We played hard and pretty efficient,” Southworth said. “We hit the ball well and the pitching was good. The last inning we had a few screw-ups, but we were up 10-0 so it didn’t really matter that much.”
Colton pitcher Jasmine De La Rosa yielded five hits and no earned runs while striking out six and walking three.
The Yellowjackets scored all the runs they needed in the first inning on a run-scoring triple by Sadie Rodriguez and an RBI single by Jocelyn Ornelas.
Stephanie De La Cruz contributed a two-run single for Colton in a five-run third inning as the Yellowjackets increased their lead to 8-0. The way De La Rosa was pitching, Colton would not be caught.
De La Cruz had a monster day, going 4 for 5 with three RBI. She had two triples and two singles.
“I was excited because normally against pitchers who throw outside, I’m not necessarily the best, but I was able to move up toward the plate and get some hits for my team,” De La Cruz said.
De La Rosa and Desiree Armenta both had three hits and one RBI for Colton. Andrea Varela has two hits and drove in three runs, while Ornelas and Maleah Juarez each had two hits.
Eisenhower finally broke through in the seventh, scoring an unearned run on a dropped fly ball. Nadyia Ramirez and Milani Page had hits during the inning.
“The girls didn’t give up,” said Eisenhower coach Laurie Dunbar-Smalls, who has coached the Eagles for 30 years. “We went out and fought. At no time did we drop our heads, and at no time did we give up on the game.”
Eisenhower did well, considering it only has 10 players on the varsity roster and its junior varsity team is made up largely of first-time players who are more comfortable on a soccer field.
“We’re just not getting the numbers,” Dunbar-Smalls said. “Last year we didn’t have a JV team at all. But we play with what we have.”
Originally Published:
