Juncos, Sabana Grande advance to women’s softball final

Leanne Matthews went 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored as the Valencianos of Juncos beat the Leonas of Ponce 7-0 to advance to the Women’s Premier Softball League Crown Series.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Valencianas of Juncos and the Prodigiosas of Sabana Grande both earned victories on Saturday to qualify for the 2026 Crown Series of the Women’s Premier Softball League.

Juncos eliminated the Leonas of Ponce with a 7-0 win at Toño Feliciano Park in Ponce, clinching Series A (three games to one) and advancing to its first championship series since 2022.

Import pitcher Marissa Quintero hurled a complete-game one-hitter, striking out four batters and issuing three walks.

The Valencianas took the lead in the third inning when Elicia D’Orazio scored on a double by Ava Blake. They added another two runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and one more in the seventh to seal the win and advance.

Leanne Matthews led the Juncos offense, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored. Suzannah Brookshire added two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.

Nashally Rivera took the loss for the Leonas after allowing five runs in four innings.

Meanwhile, the Prodigiosas will return to the championship series for the first time since 2023 after defeating the two-time defending champion Bravas of Cidra 8-5 at Luis “Papa” Rivera Park in Cidra to win Series B by a 3-1 margin.

Sabana Grande scored first on a two-run single in the first inning by Madison Velázquez that drove in Morgan Smith and Colby McClinton. In the second inning, Luz Feliciano scored to make it 3-0, capitalizing on defensive errors by the Bravas.

The decisive rally came in the third inning as Alyssa Ramírez doubled in a run and Makayla Nieves hit a two-run homer to extend the Prodigiosas’ lead to 6-0.

Smith earned the win in relief after pitching 4.2 innings, while Alexandra Wright took the loss for Cidra, allowing six runs, one unearned, over 2.2 innings.

Ramírez led the Sabana Grande offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double, followed by Nieves and Velázquez.