Loula McNamara strikes out 14 batters to reach 380 career punchouts in the Titans’ upset 10-2 win over the Bears 

The Tesoro Titans pulled off an upset victory over a heavily favored John Burroughs Bears squad by the final score of 10-2 on Thursday afternoon. The loss sends Burroughs home early for the second straight season. Loula McNamara pitched a complete game and struck out 14 Burroughs batters. McNamara (Boise State Commit) also reached 380 strikeouts in her high school career in the Titans’ win over the Burroughs Bears. 

Heading into the first round contest, Burroughs came off an 11-9 loss to Arcadia in the championship game of the Pacific League Tournament back on Wednesday, May 7th. Despite the loss, the Bears entered the postseason as the Pacific League Champions based on overall record and tournament score. This was Doug Nicol’s eighth Pacific League championship that he’s won as the head coach of the Burroughs Bears softball team. Tesoro ended the regular season on a rough note, getting swept by Mission Viejo back on Cinco de Mayo. 

Sami Macchaiarolli began the day for the Titans by driving home Reese Frazier to give Tesoro an early 1-0 lead over Burroughs. Valentina Clemmons worked around Macchaiarolli’s RBI Double by getting Loula McNamara and Harlow Higgins on groundouts to the third baseman, Chloe Centeno, to end the top of the first inning. Karlee Earl  recorded a one-out double in hopes of getting the game tied, but Chloe Centeno and Sophie Rangsiyawong both failed to drive Earl home and left her stranded at second base. 

The Titans continued their scoring parade over the next two innings as Bella Bailey drove home Chloe Gills with a two-out RBI double to increase the Titans’ lead to three. She advanced to third base on an error charged to shortstop Sophie Rangsiyawong. Gillis then drove home Macchaiarolli and pinch runner Ellie Buffington with a one-out two-run RBI double in the top of the third inning to increase the lead to 5-0. 

The Bears were held scoreless in innings two, three, and four, but finally broke through offensively in the bottom of the fifth inning. Karisma Mendez drove home Haven Vickers and Kalani Miramontes in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim the deficit to 7-2 providing some  hope of an epic comeback. 

Loula McNamara all but ended the Bears comeback hopes with a two-run RBI double in the top of the sixth inning. Bella Bailey put the game away in the top of the seventh inning by recording a two-out RBI double for a 10-2 lead. McNamara worked around Kalani Miramontes’s one-out double by getting Chloe Zavala on a ground out and striking out Alli Cortez swinging to end the game. 

Tesoro will host Aquinas in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division three playoffs on Saturday, May 17th at 3:15 p.m., and Burroughs’s season has come to a close. The Bears will spend the entire summer and the fall preparing for the 2026 season with high expectations. They look to have a core in place to chase down back-to-back Pacific League titles next season.