Laton softball coach Willie Castaneda thought it has been 15 years since any Mustangs team in any sport has won a Central Section championship. His team will get the chance to change that.

Top-seeded Laton overcame an early 3-0 deficit after the top of the first inning to come out on top of Mendota 11-7 in a Central Section Division-VI playoff game Tuesday.

Mendota, the No. 4 seed, got on the board early, tallying the three runs on three line drives to the outfield.

"I thought they were going to fall apart," said Castaneda of the first inning onslaught.

But the Mustangs settled down after the first half of the inning and started clicking on offense.

Mendota didn't help its cause any either.

The Mustangs scored nine unearned runs and took advantage of 16 passed balls and four steals.

No passed ball was more critical than in the fourth inning. With two outs and no one on base, Jenna Richmond struck out but made it to first base safely.

After a walk, two passed balls brought Richmond home to tie the game at 4-4.

In the fifth inning, Brianna Adams also reached first base on a strike out after a passed bal.

She stole second, advanced to third on a force out to first then scored on another passed ball to take the lead.

Laton put it out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning with six runs - all unearned as 10 Mustangs came to the plate, making the score 11-7.

The Mustangs avoided a comeback in the seventh as the first three Medota batters reached home. After two fly outs, Mendota got runners on first and second base before hitting into a force out to second base.

Monica Castaneda was 2-for-3 for the Mustangs, including a triple and two RBIs.

Dawn Alves was 2-for-4.

Laton improves to 15-7 on the season and will play the winner of No. 2 McFarland and No. 3 Kings Christian Thursday for the D-VI championship, both members of the East Sierra League with the Mustangs.

Mendota finishes the season 5-17.

Laton split the season series with the Crusaders while defeated McFarland 5-3 in one game then winning by forfeit in a game that wasn't played.

"If we play like we did today," Castaneda said. "We should do ok."

(May 20, 2009)