RIVERSIDE — Valley View softball coach John Perez was looking for the perfect time to send Isabella Miller to the plate. Poly pitcher Marley Audoma #13 can only watch as Valley View catcher Alyssa Torres #8 scores on a pass ball in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 20 25. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View infielder Destiny Mendoza #4, right catches a Poly flyball as Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 crashes into to her in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View infielder Isabella Miller #44 celebrates after her double scored the go a head run against Poly in Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View head coach John Perez celebrates after the tie breaking run scores against Poly in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly catcher Honesty Romero #37 makes the catch of Valley View outfielder Hailey Ramirez #13 foul ball in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View infielder Destiny Mendoza #4, right catches a Poly flyball as Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 crashes into to her in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the fence in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View centerfielder Jacqueline Divine #34, left laughs with right fielder Maddie Barrios #21 after climbing back over the centerfield fence. Divine went over the fence trying to catch a homer hit by Poly’s Katelyn Cortez #7 during the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View pitcher Bella Hernandez #22 pitches against Poly in an Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly third baseman Maddy Waddell #4 celebrates her hit against Valley View in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly pitcher Marley Audoma #13 and the bench celebrate their game tying run against Valley View in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly pitcher Marley Audoma #13 pitches against Valley View in an Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View infielder Ailiyiah Picazzo #1 makes the catch of a Poly hit ball in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View infielder Destiny Mendoza #4, right catches a Poly flyball as Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 crashes into to her in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly head coach Robert Sakaguchi reacts after questing a call at second base with an umpire in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Poly pitcher Marley Audoma #13 and Valley View catcher Alyssa Torres catcher #8 show sportsmanship after the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Valley View outfielder Jacqueline Divine #34 tries to catch a homer hit by Poly third baseman Katelyn Cortez #7 and ends up going over the centerfield fence during the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 22Poly pitcher Marley Audoma #13 can only watch as Valley View catcher Alyssa Torres #8 scores on a pass ball in the Ivy League softball game in Riverside on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Expand That moment finally arrived with a one out in the seventh inning and a runner standing on first base. Miller’s pinch-hit double sparked a five-run outburst as the Eagles knocked off Riverside Poly 6-2 in an Ivy League opener Thursday afternoon. “It was her time,” Perez said of Miller, a sophomore who has started a handful of games this year. “She’s come a long way this season.” Valley View (14-2 overall) grabbed the lead in the second inning, when Jacqueline Devine doubled and scored on a groundout by Giselle Morales. Poly (13-5-1) leveled the score in the fifth inning, when pinch-hitter Brookelyn Duerfeldt singled home Maddy Waddell. The Bears had an opportunity to take the lead, but Valley View pitcher Bella Hernandez got two infield pop-ups and a flyout to strand a pair of runners. Poly had runners at first and second with one out during the sixth, but Hernandez again got two outs through the air to escape the jam. “We wasted a lot of chances today,” Poly coach Robert Sakaguchi said. “We’re chasing the high pitches too much. The same thing happened to us on Monday (a 2-0 loss to Shadow Hills), and it carried over to today. We have a lot of young hitters, and I think they’re pressing and trying to do too much.” Poly starter Marley Audoma retired nine consecutive batters between the fourth and sixth innings, but a walk to Hailey Ramirez leading off the seventh opened the door for Valley View. Miller jumped on the first pitch she saw and just clipped the line in left field for the run-scoring double. “I was kind of nervous,” Miller said about coming on as a pinch-hitter. “You just have to keep the mentality that you have a job to get done. “I thought it was foul for a second, but then I looked up at my coach and he was telling me to keep on running. I was proud of myself for getting a big hit for my team.” And the floodgates opened. Ato Laumatia and Miranda Maese knocked in runs, and the Eagles added two more runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball. “It’s a big win for us,” Perez said. “Poly is the four-time defending champions of this league, so this is a good way for us to start.” Poly went down swinging, however. Katelyn Cortez led off the bottom half of the seventh inning with a home run to center field to trim the deficit to 6-2. Perez, for third time in the game, intentionally walked Honesty Romero, and Cassandra Ayala singled to left field. Hernandez settled down and pulled off another escape act, getting two infield pop-ups and a soft liner to first base to end the game. Related Articles Arlington softball team rolls past Canyon Springs in Sunbelt League opener Aquinas softball team beats Linfield Christian in Ambassador League showdown Los Osos baseball team starts fast, holds off Centennial in nonleague showdown All-CIF Southern Section: Three Inland boys basketball players receive top honors All-CIF Southern Section: Three Inland girls basketball players earn top honors “I think my outside curve and rise balls were working well today. They were getting under the ball for some easy outs in the air,” said Hernandez, a sophomore southpaw who improved to 9-1 on the season. “I’m very good at controlling my emotions, so I didn’t let anything get inside my head.” Maese and Divine each recorded a pair of hits for Valley View, and Cortez and Waddell did the same for Poly. The teams will meet again April 22 at Valley View. ...read more read less