Note: the information in this article was written and compiled by Carlos Arias of OCSidelines, the best source for high school information covering Orange County and the Los Angeles area. For complete softball coverage, including detailed game reports from the Carew Classic, be sure to check out OCSidelines.com

For our preview and history of the Michelle Carew Classic, traditionally one of the top high school tournaments in Southern California, click here.

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Valencia’s softball team has had many memorable moments at the Michelle Carew Classic over the years and Nicole Joseph gave the Vikings one more special performance to add to the memory bank.

In a game that resembled a heavyweight slugfest between two of So Cal’s traditional powerhouses, Joseph, who is one of Valencia’s few seniors, delivered the final blow with her walk-off bomb to lead off the bottom of the seventh that gave the Vikings a 5-4 upset over Pacifica in the second round of the Michelle Carew Classic on Thursday night at Peralta Park.

It was a crushing blow to the Mariners that capped a huge day for Valencia’s program, which has struggled to regain its status as one of So Cal’s elite in recent years.

Valencia started off the day with freshman Ally Shipman, the younger sister of former Valencia star and Tennessee All-American Madison Shipman, belting two home runs in a 3-2 first-round win over Murrieta Valley, ranked No. 11 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 37 in the nation by FullCountSoftball.com, and finished with the triumph over Pacifica, ranked No. 5 in the state and No. 17 in the nation.

“This field has a lot of memories,” said Valencia coach Donna Lee, who guided the Vikings to Carew Classic titles in ’10 and ’07 and to the finals in ’06.

The game against Pacifica was an absolute slugfest. Hannah Martinez’s RBI single in the top of the first gave the Mariners an early lead, but the Vikings squeezed in a run in the bottom of the first to tie it, 1-1.

Hannah Cheek and Shipman had RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth to give Valencia a 3-1 advantage.

But Pacifica wasn’t going quietly. Arizona-commit Dejah Mulipola connected on a two-run homer to left field in the top of the fifth for Pacifica to tie it, 3-3.

Joseph and Brittney Ross-Smith came through with back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-3.

Pacifica had a great opportunity to tie it in the top of the sixth when Faith Canfield singled up the middle with Nicole Wise at second. Wise tried to score on the play and got thrown out at the plate by Valencia’s center fielder. It was the third time a Pacifica player had been thrown out at home in the game.

Despite the setback, Mulipola delivered her second home run of the game, a solo shot down the left-field line, to tie it, 4-4, in the top of the seventh.

But that left the door open for Valencia and Joseph, who led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo blast to dead-center field to end the game.

“Getting that chance was huge,” Joseph said. “Being a senior, I wanted to make my team proud.”

Valencia (11-5) advances to the quarterfinals where it will face Poway (10-3) on Friday at 1 p.m. at Peralta Park.

— Carlos Arias (OCSidelines.com)

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FRIDAY, APRIL 3, SCHEDULE

CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS

• Canyon vs. Vista Murrieta of Murrieta at Peralta 1, 1 p.m.
• Poway vs. Valencia of Magic Mountain at Peralta 2, 1 p.m.
• Mission Viejo vs. Cypress at Peralta 2, 3:15 p.m.
• Amador Valley of Pleasanton vs. Yucaipa at Peralta 1, 3:15 p.m.

FIFTH-PLACE SEMIFINALS

• Canyon-Vista Murrieta of Murrieta loser vs. Poway-Valencia of Magic Mountain loser at Peralta 1, 5:30 p.m.
• Mission Viejo-Cypress loser vs. Amador Valley of Pleasanton-Yucaipa loser at Peralta 1, 5:30 p.m.

CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS

• Righetti of Santa Maria vs. Norco at Peralta 1, 11 a.m.
• Lakewood vs. Murrieta Valley of Murrieta at Peralta 2, 11 a.m.
• Saugus vs. Corona at Yorba 3, 1 p.m.
• Cienega of Vail, Ariz., vs. Los Alamitos at Yorba 3, 3:15 p.m.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

• Righetti of Sant Maria-Norco winner at Yorba 3, 7:30 p.m.

CONSOLATION GAMES

• Sheldon of Sacramento vs. Santa Monica at Peralta 3, 1:15 p.m.
• Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga vs. Pacifica at Peralta 3, 3:15 p.m.
• Etiwanda vs. Centennial of Bakersfield at Yorba 1, 1:15 p.m.
• Great Oak of Temecula vs. Aliso Niguel at Yorba 1, 3:15 p.m.
• Sheldon of Sacramento-Santa Monica winner vs. Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga-Pacifica winner at Peralta 2, 5:30 p.m.
• Sheldon of Sacramento-Santa Monica loser vs. Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga-Pacifica loser at Peralta 3, 5:30 p.m.
• Etiwanda-Centennial of Bakersfield winner vs. Great Oak of Temecula-Aliso Niguel winner at Peralta 2, 7:30 p.m.
• Etiwanda-Centennial of Bakersfield loser vs. Great Oak of Temecula-Aliso Niguel loser at Yorba 1, 7:30 p.m.
• Kennedy vs. Oxnard at Yorba 2, 1 p.m.
• El Toro vs. Foothill at Yorba 2, 3 p.m.
• Agoura vs. Piedra Vista of Farmington, N.M., at Peralta 3, 11 a.m.
• Roosevelt of Eastvale vs. Esperanza at Yorba 1, 5:15 p.m.
• Kennedy-Oxnard winner vs. El Toro-Foothill winner at Yorba 2, 5:15 p.m.
• Kennedy-Oxnard loser vs. El Toro-Foothill loser at Yorba 3, 5:30 p.m.
• Righetti of Sant Maria-Norco loser vs. Lakewood-Murrieta Valley of Murrieta loser at Yorba 2, 7:30 p.m.
• Saugus-Corona loser vs. Cienega of Vail, Ariz.,-Los Alamitos loser at Yorba 3, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

• Centennial of Bakersfield 3, Piedra Vista of Farmington, N.M., 2
• Cypress 7, Corona 2
• Great Oak of Temecula 9, Cienega of Vail, Ariz., 1
• Amador Valley of Pleasanton 5, Roosevelt of Eastvale 1
• Sheldon of Sacramento 4, Righetti of Santa Maria 1
• Valencia of Valencia 3, Murrieta Valley of Murrieta 2
• Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga 15, El Toro 7
• Poway 6, Lakewood 4

CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND ROUND

• Cypress 4, Centennial of Bakersfield 0
• Amador Valley of Pleasanton 3, Great Oak of Temecula 1
• Canyon 6, Sheldon of Sacramento 4
• Poway 8, Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga 4
• Valencia of Magic Mountain 5, Pacifica 4

CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND

• Cienega of Vail, Ariz., 6, Roosevelt of Eastvale 1
• Corona 5, Pedra Vista of Farmington, N.M., 3
• Righetti of Santa Maria 7, Kennedy 5
• Murrieta Valley of Murrieta 5, Foothill 0
• Lakewood 5, El Toro 0

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

• Canyon 9, Kennedy 1
• Vista Murrieta of Murrieta 3, Oxnard 2
• Santa Monica 2, Norco 0
• Pacifica 7, Foothill 4
• Mission Viejo 2, Agoura 0
• Etiwanda 3, Saugus 2
• Aliso Niguel 9, Esperanza 1
• Yucaipa 5, Los Alamitos 3

CHAMPIONSHIP SECOND ROUND

• Vista Murrieta of Murrieta 5, Santa Monica 3
• Mission Viejo 1, Etiwanda 0
• Yucaipa 9, Aliso Niguel 4

CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND

• Norco 12, Oxnard 1
• Saugus 10, Agoura 5
• Los Alamitos 6, Esperanza 0