Doubts Dashed as Woodbridge Wins Its 17th Straight Title

Alan Dugard, softball coach at Woodbridge, said after the fifth-ranked Warriors’ 2-0 victory Friday over No. 6 El Toro that this league championship was among the program’s best.

Woodbridge, which lost seven of nine games at one point and dropped from the county’s top 10 poll for the first time this decade, clinched the Sea View League title, its 17th in a row.

“At the beginning of the season, we had some doubts about whether we could beat them,” junior Breana Bohls said after dashing El Toro’s title hopes with a run-scoring double in the fifth inning that ended a scoreless duel between Woodbridge’s Tracy Alcaraz (18-7) and El Toro’s Susan Churchwell (14-4). “But we wanted to prove to everyone that no matter how many seniors we lose, we’re good, and we can beat anybody, any time, anywhere.”

Woodbridge (19-9, 7-0) graduated nine seniors. The Warriors, seemingly unaffected, started 8-1, but then lost seven of nine. Instead of giving up, they have since fashioned a nine-game winning streak behind Alcaraz. She pitched a three-hitter against El Toro (19-7, 4-3) and struck out seven, four with runners at second base; none reached third.

Bohls has been on a roll the last four games, with six hits (four doubles) and six runs batted in, including both in a 2-0 victory over Santa Margarita, the first RBI in a 4-2 win over Irvine (despite being sick), and the first against El Toro. She has 19 RBIs.

Bohls’ rocket down the left field line scored Natasha Watley, who reached on a one-out error. Churchwell intentionally walked Greenberg, but accidentally hit Breanne Cooley. An out later, Kayla Creamer beat out an infield single, her second, providing the 2-0 margin.

Churchwell pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine, six on called third strikes. .