Clock Strikes 12 for Rio Mesa

CAMARILLO —  Neighboring rivals Camarillo High and Rio Mesa played 12 innings but all the action came at the end.

Underdog Rio Mesa scored in the top of the 12th before Camarillo’s Kortney Edge singled home two runs with two out in the bottom of the inning to give the Scorpions a 2-1 victory in the Southern Section playoffs.

Camarillo (21-2-1) will play Pacifica on Thursday in a quarterfinal game, but for the first 11 1/2 innings Tuesday, the Scorpions teetered on the edge of a significant upset.

Camarillo had seven hits, but couldn’t do any damage to Rio Mesa pitcher Marcella Ramirez (15-6), whose deceptively slow offerings led to 18 outs on popups, fly balls and foul outs.

“I told the girls it’s harder to adjust to slower pitching than it is to quicker pitching,” said Camarillo Coach Nichole Victoria, whose team faced a succession of flame-throwing pitchers while finishing second in the Marmonte League.

“I felt their frustration but you have to have discipline at the plate and we didn’t have it until [Rio Mesa] had control of the game.”

Rio Mesa (19-7), the Channel League’s No. 2 team, also used stellar defense to keep pace. The Spartans worked out of bases-loaded jams in the fifth and the 10th, turning an inning-ending double play to close out the latter.

Rio Mesa’s Rhianna Rogers reached second in the 12th on an infield hit and an errant throw by shortstop Brooke Rutschman.

Rogers, who along with Spartan catcher Kiara Cochran transferred to Rio Mesa in February after being cut from the Camarillo varsity, was sacrificed to third by Trina Ayala and scored on Laura Moreno’s grounder.

Camarillo loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the 12th on infield hits by Tommie Payan and Rutschman, and a walk to Jessica Ziese.

Edge drove a ball under the glove of Rio Mesa shortstop Jade Sawyer. Payan trotted home to tie the game and Rutschman scored the game-winning run with a slide that beat an accurate throw by Spartan center fielder Carol Saldana.

“We were hitting the ball in the air and it wasn’t going anywhere,” said Edge, who had hit a flyout and two popups earlier.

“I saw the outfield was playing pretty deep so I knew a ball on the ground and in a gap would score at least one run.”

Camarillo pitcher Cindy Ball (10-1-1) struck out 18 and walked five.