LA MESA — Mater Dei Catholic’s softball team can do the Monster Mash. The Crusaders are averaging six runs a game this season, clubbing 85 extra-base hits, including 18 home runs.
But with an Open Division title on the line Saturday night, Mater Dei resorted to small ball. The Crusaders laid down two run-scoring squeeze bunts to break open a scoreless game before tacking on insurance to beat Bonita Vista High School 6-1 to win the Open Division title.
Going into the bottom of the fifth inning, Mater Dei had been outhit 5-1 and hadn’t advanced a runner past first base. But in the fifth, the Crusaders (25-7) took advantage of two errors, plus Bella Hiner and Liana Quinones laid down perfect squeeze bunts for Mater Dei’s first two runs.
“We have a saying that if you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result, you know what that’s called,” said MDC coach Mike Centrullo, citing the definition for insanity. “We made an adjustment. The short game has saved us a bunch of times this season. You can’t always count on (slugging). Small ball helped break it open.”
Sophomore Arri Romero pitched a complete game for MDC, giving up seven hits, striking out three and walking none. Romero is now 22-4 on the season with a 1.47 ERA.
“She’s a workhorse,” said Centrullo. “Being a sophomore, she’s so committed and so driven and has such a bright future.”
Mater Dei jumped up 2-0 on the two squeeze bunts. An error brought in a third run, then Gigi Flores crushed a two-run double to break the game open. Of her clutch hit, Flores said, “We know to never let off the gas.”
For Bonita Vista (24-7), Natalie Gonzalez was the hard-luck loser. While she gave up five runs in five innings, none of them were earned. Gonzalez is 11-3 on the season with a 1.28 ERA.
Romero helped herself with a single and scored a run. She’s hitting .436 on the season with 31 RBIs. But she’s best known for her work in the circle.
“I don’t think it was my best pitching, but it was enough to keep them down,” said Romero.
Romero’s catcher, Charlize Masingale, thought her ace was a bit too critical. Said Masingale, “I’d say it was one of her best games.”
The game, scheduled for UC San Diego, was played at Helix High because of a power outage at UCSD. Both Mater Dei and Bonita Vista advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Dating back to when the school was Marian Catholic, it was the program’s ninth section title. Mater Dei’s last championship came in 2022. For a school that won eight titles from 2010 to 2022, going three years between championships seemed like a drought.
“For this school, this program, it seemed like forever,” said Masingale. “But there was no doubt in my mind we were going to come out today and win it.”
