Trojans walk-off 10th section softball title

Oak Ridge is the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I softball champions and this team did it with a flair for the dramatic. In their four playoff games, Oak Ridge earned a walk-off, 5-4 victory, in the first round game against River City, led 8-2 going into the final inning against Granite Bay in the semifinal and held on for an 8-6 win and on Saturday, defeated Inderkum, 3-2, to win the championship with another dramatic walk-off victory in the eighth inning, after almost winning it with another walk-off an inning earlier. The section championship was the program's 10th and first since Oak Ridge won four straight from 2007-2010. The Trojans have a lineup full of good hitters and that's what they needed in this playoff run, as the Trojans would have never won if they were relying on only one or two players. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Trojans got the all important leadoff hitter on base when Emery Glaser hit an infield single, as she hauled it down to first to beat the throw. A bunt by Carly Short pushed Glaser to second and led Inderkum's coach to the decision to intentionally walk Brooklyn Paratore. Sam Alekman drew a walk to load the bases and Maddy Ridge won the game for the Trojans when she smacked the ball to center field for a game-winning base hit. "It's incredible to get the game-winning hit and win this thing," Ridge said. "My first three at bats I was 0-3 with two strikeouts, but I was seeing the ball really well. So I came up there completely locked in and was confident. I was seeing she was hitting the outside pretty confidently so I got right on the plate and was ready for the outside pitch and that's what I got. "We've been fighting for this 10th section championship for about a decade now and to be a part of it is insane. We were a pretty young team, and now we're upperclassmen setting the path for the next freshman and sophomores coming in." Oak Ridge came really close to winning the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, after not doing much all day offensively. Trailing 2-1, the Trojans again got the leadoff batter on with a single by Alekman. Carmen Montes de Oca was safe on an error to put two runners on. After Ridge struck out, Gia Almont hit an infield single which scored Alekman to tie the game at two. After Kyden Walker popped out, Jessica Szelenyi singled to left field but inderkum's Mia Garcia made a perfect throw to catcher Alexandra Jacques, who made the tag on Montes de Oca to send the game into the eighth inning. One key to Oak Ridge winning was the return of their top pitcher, Ellison Schroeder. She's been out since spring break with an over-use injury of her arm and it's still an issue, but has been used sparingly until late. In the first round against River City, Ellison pitched two innings, while she pitched four innings against Franklin before pitching the entire game against Granite Bay and Inderkum. "It's better, but it's still a little painful but I've been working through it," Schroeder said. "It kind of hurts in warm-ups but in game I don't really notice it. I felt great today. I think I ended the game better than I started it. I got a little tired, but I dug deep and got the win." "Ellison did amazing," Ridge said. "She's played a huge role in our success, and she's killing it right now." Despite having a team with only one senior, who did not play against Inderkum, Oak Ridge coach Sam Toy feels her team is right where she thought they'd be this season. "We're right where we thought we'd be," Toy said. "After the first day of tryouts, Kelsey (Wagner) and I felt this could be the team that wins the 10th section championship. We're young but we knew we had the talent. We just had to pull it together and we did. "This team, something clicked in the last week or so. They know how to stay with it, stay composed and stick together all the way to the end and that's what they did."