CIF-SS posts softball quarterfinal scores, semis

Whittier Daily News posted the latest Southern Section softball playoff roundup on May 20 after quarterfinal games were completed across the CIF-SS bracket. The update served as a scoreboard-and-schedule item rather than a game-by-game recap, confirming that the Wednesday round had finished and that semifinal pairings were set for Saturday, May 23. The CIF Southern Section’s official 2026 softball bracket page shows quarterfinals on May 20, semifinals on May 23 and finals scheduled for May 28, May 29 or May 30. (cifss.org) The bracket matters because the quarterfinal round narrowed each division to four teams. In Division 1, the official CIF-SS bracket shows La Habra, Orange Lutheran, Etiwanda, La Mirada, Pacifica of Garden Grove, JSerra, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Norco as the quarterfinal winners that advanced out of the May 20 round. ### Which semifinal matchups are now on the board? Division 1 semifinal pairings for May 23 are La Habra against Orange Lutheran, Etiwanda against La Mirada, Pacifica of Garden Grove against JSerra, and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks against Norco, according to the CIF-SS bracket. (cifss.org) The same bracket page lists all non-final games as starting at 3:15 p.m. unless schools agree to another time and receive CIF-SS clearance. Division 3 semifinal pairings for May 23 are Great Oak against Edison, North Torrance against San Juan Hills, Riverside Prep against La Serna, and Dos Pueblos against Villa Park, according to the High School on SI bracket page summarizing CIF Southern Section results. (cifss.org) ### What did the quarterfinal round decide? May 20 quarterfinal results in Division 1 included La Habra beating Murrieta Mesa 6-4, Orange Lutheran beating Chino Hills 17-14, Etiwanda beating Westlake 11-9, La Mirada beating Palos Verdes 3-0, Pacifica of Garden Grove beating Cypress 9-8, JSerra beating Ayala 5-4, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks beating Oaks Christian 8-5, and Norco beating Poly of Riverside 8-2. (cifss.org) Those results appear on both the CIF-SS bracket page and the High School on SI bracket listing. (si.com) Division 3 quarterfinal results on May 20 included Great Oak beating Rancho Cucamonga 6-5, Edison beating El Toro 10-3, North Torrance beating Murrieta Valley 6-5, San Juan Hills beating West Ranch 6-0, Riverside Prep beating Oak Park 2-1, La Serna beating Highland 8-3, Dos Pueblos beating La Salle 5-1, and Villa Park beating Liberty 7-3. ### How broad is the CIF-SS playoff schedule from here? The CIF Southern Section calendar lists softball semifinals on May 23 and finals from May 28 through May 30. (cifss.org) The same calendar shows the state regional tournament opening June 2, followed by additional regional dates on June 4 and June 6. The official CIF-SS bracket page lists eight divisions in the 2026 softball postseason. The page also notes that host schools are marked with an asterisk and that the draw was based on information available to the section office as of May 7. (si.com) ### Where should readers look for the next update? Saturday, May 23 is the next on-field date in the Southern Section softball bracket. CIF-SS will determine the finalists that day, and the section calendar lists championship games for May 28, May 29 or May 30 before the state regional tournament begins on June 2. (cifss.org 1) (cifss.org 2)