ORANGE – Mater Dei Catholic High School’s softball team began the season with a motto: “Full Circle Repeat.”
In 2022, the seniors on this year’s team won a Division I CIF San Diego Section championship, topped by a Division 2 Southern California title.
Said sophomore star pitcher Arri Romero: “We knew from the jump what we wanted.”
On a sun-splashed late Saturday afternoon, with planes descending into John Wayne Airport, the Crusaders pulled off their goal, beating Orange El Modena 12-3 to win the Southern California Division 1 championship. One week earlier, the Crusaders won the San Diego Section Open Division title.
“It feels amazing,” said senior pitcher/utility player Analesse “Peanut” Garcia, who drove in four runs, including a bases-loaded, go-ahead three-run double in the fifth inning.
“I’m so happy for the seniors,” said co-head coach Mike Centrullo. “They started that way (as champions) and ended that way.”
While the game ended as a rout, it was a tense affair going into the top of the fifth. Down 3-1, Mater Dei hung a six-spot in the inning on the strength of four hits, four walks and a hit batter.
“I’m speechless,” said co-head coach Liz Centrullo of the explosion. “Because they always come through. Every time.”
The Crusaders (27-7) trailed 3-2 when Garcia came up with the bases filled, one run in and no outs. She said she noticed that El Modena’s pitchers were throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes.
“Honestly, (I was thinking) just put the ball in play. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink. (The pitch was) middle-out. I took it to right-center.”
The game did not begin on a good note for MDC. The Crusaders wasted a leadoff double in the first. Seven pitches into the home half of the first, El Modena led 2-0. The leadoff batter doubled, then Monica Garcia hit a two-run homer.
Romero said she was not fazed. Her mindset?
“Don’t let them get to me mentally,” she said.
Romero (23-4 with a 1.62 ERA) closed the game in a rush. In the final six innings she allowed just three hits and one run. She finished with nine strikeouts, three hit batters and one walk. She was gritty, throwing 117 pitches.
Said Liz Centrullo, “We say it time and again. She hates to lose. After that first inning, she came back just ready to go. This girl has fire in her heart. She has fire in her blood. You can’t teach that. The ion is undeniable.”
In the seventh inning, MDC took advantage of backup pitchers for El Modena (23-10) to score five runs, including home runs by Garcia and Maya Matthies.
As for her nickname “Peanut,” Garcia, bound for the University of San Diego, said she wasn’t breathing when she was born. A nurse performed R and said, “Give me a deep breath, Peanut.”
“Peanut” ended her high school career in style, dropping a home run bomb to left field. In the last at-bat of her senior season, she hit her first home run of the season.
“I told myself, ‘I need to end this on a good note,’” said Garcia. I felt it off the bat. I was shocked.”
