Santa Margarita softball unites to edge JSerra again in Trinity League
Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
Santa Margarita sophomore cleanup hitter Anna Plotke stepped into the batter's box against JSerra in the fourth inning Friday with extra motivation.
One batter earlier, Plotke's teammate and close friend Scarlett LaBriola was hit with the first pitch she faced after launching a two-run home run in the first inning.
"My girl," Plotke said of LaBriola, a sophomore first baseman.
Plotke promptly belted a 1-0 pitch for a two-run home run that proved to be the difference as Santa Margarita edged visiting JSerra 4-3 to take sole possession of second place in the Trinity League.
The home runs by LaBriola and Plotke, their fifth each, helped support pitcher Lyla Morales (13-3). The junior stranded the tying run at second base in the seventh by forcing a popout to Plotke at shortstop to complete a five-hitter.
"You have to want to win (in the Trinity League) and you have to be a team," Plotke said.
Santa Margarita (16-5, 2-2), ranked No. 7 in Orange County, beat No. 3 JSerra (16-7, 1-3) by one run for the second time in league. The Eagles also bounced back from consecutive shutout losses to Orange Lutheran (17-5, 4-0) and Mater Dei (12-9, 1-3).
"It's definitely pretty intense," Morales said of facing JSerra, who she helped beat 1-0 in late March. "I think we take a lot these games super personal, too."
"We came together, especially after a big loss to (Orange Lutheran)," she added. "The one thing that separates our team from everyone else is that we're super, super close. Everything we do is for each other."
LaBriola said she connected on a riseball for her towering home run in the first, which scored second baseman Isla Ebner. The leadoff batter reached on a single.
Santa Margarita also showed its unity on defense.
Third baseman Payton Stowasser stabbed a liner with a runner at second for the final out of the second inning. The Eagles' infield turned a double play to close the fourth. And center fielder Camryn Legeny made a running grab in the sixth.
Santa Margarita returns just a few starters from last season's Division 2 playoff team.
Morales was the team's No. 3 pitcher while LaBriola and Plotke were mostly pinch-hitters a year ago.
"We're learning to fight," LaBriola said. "I expected there to be challenges this year, especially having such a new, fresh (team) … but I'm really impressed and happy."
JSerra, the Division 2 runner-up last season, scored once in fifth and twice in the sixth.
Zena Edwards doubled in Brooklyn Lamb with one out in the sixth and stole home to trim the Eagles' lead to 4-3.
Lamb went 2 for 3 with two doubles. Liliana Escobar fired three innings of scoreless relief for starter Abby Ford. Escobar allowed an infield single to LaBriola and tallied four strikeouts.
Anneke Lukowski and Magenta De Arte made diving catches in the outfield for JSerra.
In other games Friday:
In the Trinity League:
Orange Lutheran 7, Mater Dei 1: Carlie Snyder went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs and Sierra Nichols went 4 for 5 to lead the Lancers at Fountain Valley Sports Park. Jojo Marsh tossed a six-hitter.
In the Sea View League:
San Juan Hills 4, El Toro 4 (11 innings): The game at San Juan Hills was suspended in the 11th inning due to darkness, Stallions coach Jeremey Wooten said.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 8:54 PM.