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SAN BERNARDINO – Cajon softball coach Lee Haines had a message for teams trying to defeat left-handed pitcher Jada Villegas: “You’ve got to get to her early to have a chance,” he said.

Villegas struck out 12 batters to lead Cajon to a 4-1 victory over Fountain Valley in the CIF Southern Section Division 5 semifinals Saturday.

Cajon will play Flintridge Prep Sacred Heart or El Toro in the championship game Friday or Saturday at Bill Barber Park in Irvine on May 20 or 21.

“My question going into this game was whether we could hit against their team,” Haines said. “They have good pitching, but after seeing Yucaipa and Beaumont in the Citrus Belt League, they didn’t look that scary.”

Villegas gave up only two hits, both to Kira Velasco, who singled in the first inning and doubled to left-center to lead off the fourth inning.

“She (Velasco) is a friend, we both played travel ball together on the Orange County Batbusters,” Villegas said. “I just wanted to keep them from getting hits and scoring.”

Hope Morales had a two-out single in the first inning, and Kim Rodas followed with a double to open the scoring for the Cowgirls.

Fountain Valley tied the score in the top of the second when Makensie Butt drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

Villegas struck out catcher Brooke Bonny, and Taylor Reynolds bunted Butt over to third base, and Butt scored on a passed ball.

Velasco led off the fourth with a solid double to left-center, but Villegas struck out two of the next three batters.

Cajon strung together several hits to put three runs on the board in the bottom of the third. Vanessa Flores, a senior bound for Syracuse University, singled to left. She moved to second when Mercedes Alba drew a walk.

Hope Morales loaded the bases with a single to center. Flores scored on a fielder’s choice, and KC Caldera singled to center to bring Morales home.

Flores homered to lead off the fifth to put Cajon ahead 4-1.

Fountain Valley, which was the top seed in Division 5, finished its season with a 22-5-1 record.

True to Coach Haines’s word, Villegas got stronger as the game progressed. She did not allow a hit after Villegas’s leadoff double in the fourth. She was able to get outs on off-speed pitches.

Villegas’s favorite college player is Oklahoma softball pitcher Jordy Bahl, and her favorite player overall is Albert Pujols.

“That’s the reason I wear number 55,” she said.

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