Torrey Pines’ big inning delivers coach Jon Moore his 504th win

Torrey Pines High School softball team was down to its last five outs.

Its game Thursday was never the same after that.

The Falcons, the county’s No. 3-ranked team, recorded hits in the next six at-bats and wound up that fateful sixth with nine runs on 10 hits en route to a 12-4 trouncing of No. 10 San Marcos.

In all, Torrey Pines’ offense included 18 hits, including freshman second baseman Reagan Cullivan’s single to center to score what turned out to be the winning run.

Cullivan also pitched the final two innings in relief and retired all six batters she faced to improve her record to 2-0.

“All I knew was I had to score a run,” Cullivan said. “I had to do anything to score a run. I haven’t seen an inning like that in quite a long time.”

The win was the 504th career victory for Torrey Pines coach Jon Moore, who is only the third softball coach in San Diego Section history to reach the 500-win milestone during his 27-year career.

“That’s a lot of bus rides and it means I’ve gotten old on the job,” said Moore, who collected his 650th win as the boys basketball junior varsity coach at Torrey Pines this season.

“I never thought I would win 500 games. I love to win games you’re really not supposed to win.”

Moore, who is now 504-268-14, trails only Margaret Mauro (University-Cathedral Catholic) at 777-334-13 and Hilltop’s Nancy Acerrio with a record of 568-254.

Moore has a pair of CIF titles to his credit, winning it all in Division I in 2012 and 2013.

The Falcons lost the Division I finals in 2010.

For almost six innings Thursday it appeared as if the Falcons (13-2, 1-1 North County Coastal) would lose to San Marcos (8-4-1, 0-2).

They trailed 4-3 before 14 Falcons batted in the sixth inning.

Sophomore Kelly Whelihan was 4-for-5, Cullivan was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and freshman Mina Crouch was 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Torrey Pines.

“It’s fun to play for a coach like Jon who wants to make sure we enjoy it,” Whelihan said. “I met him in eighth grade and he already knew me.”

Added junior starting pitcher Georgia Bilski, who was also 2-for-5 with an RBI: “Jon is very unique because I’ve never met anyone like him before. I was in third grade when he kept telling my mom to send me to Torrey Pines as a joke. Coach likes to win, but it’s not his priority. His players are.”

During the big rally, Whelihan singled twice, Bilski had a single and a double and Crouch had a pair of singles.

“I’ve been blessed with 26 players who went on to play at Division I colleges,” Moore added. “But the losses stay with a coach a bit longer than the wins.”

Moore said he may coach softball until his current freshmen are done playing.

San Marcos was led by senior Zara Wasserman’s 3-for-4 performance.