The Usual Suspects

The 2006 Grossmont College women's fastpitch team. (Photos by Lenny Gemar)

Lauren Hastings (Lenny Gemar photo)

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (5-1-06) -- Grossmont College was equally pleased and disappointed when the announcement of the All-Pacific Coast Conference women's fastpitch teams were announced over the weekend.

The Griffins placed three players among the coaches' all-conference selections, including a first-team berth for catcher LAUREN HASTINGS, while JACKIE FURHMAN and DOMINIQUE DeLUCA received second-team berths.

"We were happily surprised Lauren made the first team," said Grossmont assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "We hoped the rest of the conference noticed her, because there are a lot of great catchers in the conference and she's one of them, too."

Hastings received the final berth to the first team, designated as the "wild card" position for a strong player who deserved recognition but was beat out by another player at the position. She batted .360 for the season, leading the PCC with six triples.

However, nowhere on the 22-player list would KYRSTIN GEMAR, the conference's 4th-leading hitter, be mentioned. It seems the PCC doesn't post a wild-card berth on the second team, only the first, in another lack of continuity within the conference.

"It was shocking to find out Kyrstin didn't make it," noted Landeros. "It seems the slots were already filled."

Unlike many conferences, PCC fastpitch uses an old-fashioned "slot" format, which dictates the number of players from a certain position which will make the team, rather than choosing the top players regardless of position.

Thus, Gemar, who paced the Griffins with a .418 batting average and four home runs, was relegated among the team's honorable mention.

Fuhrman finished seventh in the PCC batting race with a .396 average. Meanwhile, DeLuca, who pitched and played the outfield, also ranked among the batting leaders with a .306 mark, while posting an 8-8 pitching record and finishing tied for fifth in both complete games and innings pitched.

Two other East County based players were also honored, as Helix High alum SIPAU LEE-NOA of Palomar and Mount Miguel product ASHLEY BEASLEY of Southwestern gained first-team berths.

Lee-Noa, an outfielder, was the runner-up in PCC hitting (.454) for the Comets, while Beasley batted .352 as an infielder for the Jaguars.

Grossmont finished in a second-place tie with San Diego Mesa, while Palomar captured the PCC for the 21st straight season.

Grossmont's Stephanie Roberts slides into second base, but Palomar shortstop NAME Youngblood only needed to make the catch for the force out. (Lenny Gemar photo)

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (4-26-06) -- Needing an upset of the 21-time Pacific Coast Conference champions from Palomar College, Grossmont looked elsewhere for some assistance in order to finish in second place and gain a COA state playoff berth. On Tuesday (Apr. 25), neither happened.

While the Griffins were run-ruled by the sixth-ranked Comets, 14-0, Imperial Valley also failed to produce the needed upset, as the Arabs walked a pair of batters with the bases loaded for the only runs in a 2-0 loss to San Diego Mesa. The Olympians and Griffins finish tied for second place, but the tiebreaker went to Mesa by virtue of a 2-1 series edge.

"It's too bad because we played so well during the last couple of weeks,"said assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "We also played well at the start of conference, but those games in the middle killed us -- it came down to someone else needing to win for us and it just didn't happen."

Thus, Grossmont finishes the campaign at 15-15 overall (8-7 PCC), with a freshman-dominated roster. However, there were several highlights, including scholarship offers for two sophomores, and an opportunity to play for another school.

Santana High product DOMINIQUE DeLUCA, who pitched and played in left field for the Griffins, has William Penn and Cal State-San Bernardino interested in her services.

JENN PARKS, who prepped at Grossmont High, has Chapman University interested in her playing centerfield for the Panthers. And KIRA COFFEY, who visited Utah during spring break to check out the campus, plans to walk-on at Brigham Young.

All-Conference selections by the coaches are due to be voted on Wednesday, but one member of the Griffins received an early award. JACKIE FUHRMAN, a frosh from Stockton, was named the PCC Female Athlete of the Week after leading Grossmont to three consecutive victories to assume -- at least, temporarily -- undisputed possession of second place in the conference.

Jackie Fuhrman (top) takes a mighty cut, then accepts congratukatuins (middle) following her three-run homer to whip San Diego Mesa, 6-4. (Photos by Lenny Gemar )

East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (4-22-06) -- On Friday (Apr. 21), San Diego Mesa College celebrated its Sophomore Day. By the end of the afternoon, only one player remained on the field celebrating -- and she was wearing Green & Gold.

Former Olympians infielder KYRSTIN GEMAR lined a game-tying single in the fifth inning, then made a nice catch to start an inning-ending double play in the sixth, capping an amazing week for Grossmont College after securing a 6-4 come-from-behind decision over Mesa.

The victory gave the Griffins (15-14, 8-6 PCC), who desperately needed a sweep this week to remain in contention for a COA state playoff berth, a perfect 3-0 mark, clinching at least a share of second place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

Gemar, who has taken lip-service all season from Mesa's players after transferring to Grossmont in the off-season, silenced the critics by lining a shot to left field, scoring D'YONNA BACA. One batter later, JACKIE FUHRMAN followed with an RBI single to score DOMINIQUE DeLUCA and give the Griffins a 5-4 advantage.

Earlier, when trailing 2-0, Fuhrman started her 3-for-4, four RBI performance by cracking a 3-run homer to give the Griffins their first lead at 3-2 in the third. Again, Baca and DeLuca scored, as the Grossmont table-setters at the top of the batting order combined to score four times.

Grossmont's Jesse Peterson (Lenny Gemar photo)

Meanwhile, JESSE PETERSON pitched much like she sings -- a dramatic, operatic performance. Similar to Greek tragedy (in a poor metaphor), Peterson yielded four early runs, then stepped forward in heroic fashion by limiting the Olympians to just three hits over four final shutout innings to close her complete-game victory.

Peterson returned to the Grossmont roster after missing Thursday's victory at Imperial Valley. She was in rehearsals as a talented Third Row singer for an upcoming production by the San Diego Opera.

Two of the Olympians' hits came in the sixth, when Mesa placed runners on the corners with one out. However, Gemar helped Peterson escape the jam by handling a hot, one-hopper directed her way at third base. She tagged the baserunner straying off the bag next to her, then threw to first to complete the double play.

Mesa's Lindsey Fleet, the leading candidate for PCC player of the year laurels, opened the ballgame with her conference-leading 14th homer of the season -- a solo shot -- in the first inning.

Mesa and IVC have split two previous encounters this season.The Arabs won 4-3 on Mar. 15, then Mesa took a 5-3 decision on the Mar. 31 rematch.

East County Sports.com
IMPERIAL (4-21-06) -- Any resemblance to the Grossmont College women's fastpitch team from the previous 24 hours is merely coincidental.

Following seven long innings on defense which saw a generous scorekeeper "only" charge the Griffins with nine errors -- in a victory no less -- Grossmont bounced back with error-free ball for the final 6 2/3 innings to repel Imperial Valley College, 12-3, in Thursday's double-delayed, rain make-up contest.

The last time these teams met in Fletcher Hills, Arabs coaches insisted then the errors and hits portions of the Grossmont scoreboard remain vacated. Now the Griffins know why.

On Thursday (Apr. 20), IVC kept turning off its off scoreboard every time the Griffins came to bat, only keeping track of the ball-strike count and the scoring when the Arabs were at the plate.

Fortunately for the G-House, that wasn't very often. The visitors' scorebook registered a whopping 16 hits off Arabs pitching, giving the red-hot Griffins 39 hits over their last three ballgames in the team's push for the playoffs.

Third baseman KYRSTIN GEMAR paced the assault in the sandy, dusty conditions, batting 4-for-5 with three RBI. DOMINIQUE DeLUCA and MICHAELA CRAIN added three hits each, while shortstop D'YONNA BACA equaled a team season-high by scoring four times.

The Griffins posted an early 3-0 advantage, but IVC answered with a 3-spot in the 3rd.

Arabs third baseman P.J. Enders tripled home a pair, then tied the contest on a sacrifice fly.

However, Grossmont blew the contest with three runs in the fifth, then six more markers in the sixth to keep the scoreboard dark.

DeLuca, who scored three times, collected the go-ahead hit when she tripled over the left-fielder's head for a pair of runs and a 5-3 lead, eventually scoring when a ball hit by catcher LAUREN HASTINGS was misplayed to prevent IVC from ending the inning.

In the sixth, seven different Griffins registered hits to all-but-completely short out the fuse on the scoreboard. STEPHANIE ROBERTS started the scoring spree with an identical shot like DeLuca's over the head of the left-fielder for a run.

KIRA COFFEY and Baca would add run-scoring singles, then Gemar smacked a two-run single to center to cap her three RBI performance.

Finally, Crain added both finishing touches. She went to right field with a single for the final run, then returned to the pitching circle in the 7th to finish off her complete-game 6-hitter to gain the victory. Crain struck out two.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-20-06) -- The spring break must have been more than satisfactory for the Grossmont College women's fastpitch team because the Griffins were anything but ready to play defense in Wednesday's (Apr.19) Pacific Coast Conference ballgame.

A school record nine errors later, all the coaching staff could do was shake their collective heads in disbelief. Nevertheless, despite the series of bobbles, miscues and poor throws, Grossmont still managed to upend visiting San Diego City, 9-7.

This was not a contest for the school's highlight film, yet the victory kept the Griffins within a game of second-place San Diego Mesa in the race for a postseason berth.

"Since we close the season against (first-place) Palomar, basically, we must go 3-0 this week to make the playoffs," said assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "I've never seen anything like this before with all the errors, but we got the win and now we need two more."

The first of the sequence comes Thursday (Apr. 20) when the Griffins travel east to meet Imperial Valley. The contest, originally scheduled for Grossmont, is a rain make-up contest. However, since the Griffins were unable to play the make-up last week under procedures stated by PCC rules, the Arabs agreed not to accept a forfeit and play the game -- only if it's played at Imperial (Grossmont will still bat second as the home team).

Should Grossmont survive the long trek to the desert, the team will play a winner-takes-all ballgame at Mesa on Friday (Apr. 21).

Against San Diego City, the Griffins, playing their first game in 12 days, jumped to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to JACKIE FUHRMAN of Stockton. The freshman was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, driving in three of the initial six runs.

In the third, Fuhrman's RBI double scored DOMINIQUE DeLUCA, staking Grossmont to a 4-0 lead. The next inning, Fuhrman rattled a single, plating both DeLuca and catcher LAUREN HASTINGS.

After the Knights trimmed the margin to 5-4, KYRSTIN GEMAR (2-for-2, plus a walk) answered with a 2-run single to score DeLuca (3 runs scored) and Hastings, as the Griffins (13-14, 6-6 PCC) scored three times in the sixth for a 9-5 margin.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-5-06) -- Palomar College may possess the best fastpitch team in the Pacific Coast Conference, yet San Diego Mesa may field the circuit's top individual performer.

For the second consecutive meeting, PCC batting leader Lindsay Fleet provided the offense to defeat Grossmont College. Following her walk-off grand slam in the teams' last meeting, Tuesday's (Apr.4) rain make-up game was more traditional.

Fleet, a 3-year performer for the Olympians (2003-05 in basketball, 2006 in fastpitch) went 2-for-4 with two RBI, leading second-place Mesa to a 7-1 decision over the Griffins.

Entering the ballgame, Fleet was batting .684 in PCC play, so her average actually dropped. And although she didn't add to her lead in homers, her two-run double keyed a 5-run uprising in the sixth to break open the contest.

"It was the inning from hell," lamanted Grossmont assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "Palomar has a lot of great players, but Fleet is the best player in the conference."

Meanwhile, Mesa pitcher Christina Delaney carried a no-hiiter into the seventh inning, but was tagged for four hits in the final frame. Included was a leadoff double by KYRSTIN GEMAR, then JACKIE FURHMAN singled. One out later, KIRA COFFEY walked to load the bases, then MICHAELA CRAIN singled for Grossmont's lone run.

With the bases still loaded, Grossmont registered another single off the bat of JENN PARKS, yet no runs would score on a strange rulebook scoring situation.

The sharp grounder smacked by Parks hit a Griffins baserunner, causing an automatic deadball. The runner hit by the ball was ruled out, the other two runners were returned to their respective bases, with Parks safe at first on a rulebook single.

Delaney followed with her second strikeout to finish the victory, giving Mesa a two-game advantage over Grossmont in the standings.

Grossmont shortstop D'yonna Baca (left) makes the play to first in a recent ballgame against Palomar, while Jesse Peterson (right) delivers the pitch. (Photos by Travis Downs)

Palomar blanks Griffins

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-1-06) -- In consolation, Grossmont College's latest loss to perennial state power Palomar College on Friday (Mar. 31) was a lot closer than the last meeting on Mar. 15. The Comets (27-8, 9-0) won both Pacific Coast Conference contests, by a combined 30-1 score. At Grossmont on Friday, the final count was 8-0.

Grossmont (11-13, 4-5) collected five hits, including a double by DOMINIQUE DeLUCA. D'YONNA BACA, KYRSTIN GEMAR, JACKIE FUHRMAN and MICHAELA CRAIN had singles.

Next up for the Griffins is a Tuesday (Apr. 4) PCC rain make-up home game against San Diego Mesa at 3 p.m.

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (3-26-06) -- Following an upset loss to Cerritos, the 8th-ranked Long Beach City College women's fastpitch team quickly bounced back by sweeping a "three-way doubleheader" Saturday (Mar. 25) by winning consecutive games from Pacific Coast Conference schools.

The Vikings (24-6) nipped PCC leading Palomar, 3-2 in 12 innings, then came back to drop Grossmont, 9-1, in five frames.

Against the Griffins (11-12), Sarah Frudakis pitched a two-hitter, backed by a 4-for-4 performance by shortstop Jessica Mendez, who slugged a pair of doubles and scored twice.

Grossmont tied the game early with a run in the top of the second inning.

The Griffins open a three-game homestand on Wednesday (Mar. 29), hosting San Diego Mesa at 3 p.m.

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (3-25-06) -- It was a good day for Grossmont College's KYRSTIN GEMAR, but an overall bad day for the Griffins Friday (Mar. 24) as they dropped a 9-3 Pacific Coast Conference verdict at San Diego City College.

SDCC (9-14, 3-5 PCC) touched up two Grossmont pitchers for 14 hits.

Grossmont faces Long Beach City College Saturday (Mar. 25) at Palomar College at 2 p.m. (time change) in the second game of a 3-way double-header. The visiting Vikings and Palomar meet at noon.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-23-06) -- DOMINIQUE DeLUCA capped a rally from a 4-2 deficit with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Grossmont College a walk-off 5-4 triumph over visiting Southwestern in Wednesday's (Mar. 22) Pacific Coast Conference women's fastpitch game.

The victory again lifted the Griffins (11-10 overall, 4-3 PCC) into a second-place deadlock with San Diego Mesa in the PCC standings. Meanwhile, the loss extended the losing streak for the last-place Jaguars (6-17, 0-6) to 14 straight contests.

Southwestern attempted to catch the Griffins off-guard by not starting hard-throwing freshman Ashley Beasley (Mount Miguel), instead throwing off-speeder Elysia King, an all-conference performer in 2004, into the pitching circle for her first start of the season.

However, Grossmont was able to chip away with single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to escape with the victory.

"We hit well and it was nice to see the team not give up," said Griffins assistant coach ANA LANDEROS on the team's 12-hit attack. "Especially, LAUREN HASTINGS, who got two more triples."

Hastings, a transfer catcher from San Diego Mesa, registered a pair of triples for the second straight ballgame. She bombed a ball to the fence for an RBI in the first, then scored on a sacrifice fly by KYRSTIN GEMAR for a quick 2-1 lead.

Southwestern answered with two runs in the second and another run in the fourth, but DeLuca allowed just one hit the rest of the way to give herself a chance to use her bat to drive home the game-winning run.

In the fourth, Hastings blasted her fourth double in two games, scoring on a Gemar grounder to the right side for an RBI, reaching first when the ball was misplayed.

Two innings later, JACKIE FUHRMAN singled, moved to third on a DeLuca sacrifice bunt and a grounder to the right side by MICHAELA CRAIN. STEPHANIE ROBERTS then slapped a single to center to tie the contest.

The rally continued in the seventh on a one-out single by NICOLE SESSIONS, who matched Hastings by going 3-for-4 and scoring twice. Hasting followed with an identical basehit up the middle.

The Jaguars then made an interesting decision, choosing to intentionally walk Gemar -- Grossmont's top hitter -- to force the potential game-winning run to third. The strategy almost worked when King coaxed a pop fly for the second out, but DeLuca bombed an 0-1 pitch to the fence in left-centerfield. She raised her pitching record to 8-5.

East County Sports.com
IMPERIAL (3-18-06) -- When the Grossmont Griffins played Imperial Valley for the first time earlier in the season, they saw the Arabs run themselves out of several innings with overly aggressive baserunning, as the Griffins claimed a 1-0 decision.

In Friday's (Mar.17) Pacific Coast Conference rematch, Grossmont failed to learn from IVC's mistakes and committed the same errors.Twice, the Griffins saw runners thrown out between third base and home plate to kill budding rallies, giving Imperial Valley a chance to comeback from a 3-run deficit to stun Grossmont, 7-3.

Grossmont had the opportunity to run-rule the Arabs and end the ballgame by the fifth inning. However, after scoring a run in the first on an RBI triple by LAUREN HASTINGS, another potential run was thrown out at the plate after the shortstop caught a popup while running into left field. Hastings was sent home, yet the IVC defender turned and fired a strike at the plate to easily nail the Griffins' runner by 15 feet.

Two innings later, after KYRSTIN GEMAR reached third on another RBI triple, she was sent home for a potential inside-the-park homer run, only to be signaled to stop too late after already passing the bag. The Arabs third-baseman allowed an easy tag upon the runner's retreat, leaving Grossmont with just two runs and a 3-0 lead instead of a greater margin.

The fired-up Aravs then rallied with three runs in the fifth to tie, then four more in the sixth to win consecutive PCC contests for the first time this season. Imperial Valley downed San Diego Mesa, 4-3, earlier in the week.

The Griffins registered six hits, including a pair of triples by Hastings.

The setback dropped Grossmont (10-10 overall) into a 3-way tie for second place with San Diego Mesa and San Diego City at 3-3, with IVC (7-10) just a half-game back at 2-3.

Jesse Peterson of Grossmont College (Lenny Gemar photo)

East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (3-16-06) -- Could the Palomar Comets be doing it on purpose?

In pursuit of its 21st straight Pacific Coast Conference title, Palomar first defeated Southwestern College, 21-0, on Tuesday, then followed up the effort by disposing of Grossmont College, 22-1, in Wednesday's (Mar. 15) contest.

The margin of victory both times: Lucky No. 21. Oh, did we mention it was also Palomar's 21st victory of the season?

The 5th-ranked Comets also held a 21-0 margin on San Diego City last week, but the Knights scored late to "only" lose by 20. Either way, these Comets are again the class of San Diego and Imperial counties.

Against the Griffins, Palomar (21-6 overall, 5-0 PCC) rode the arm of starting pitcher Melissa Lerno, who went the first four innings before former All-East County performer SIPAU LEE-NOA (Helix) tossed the fifth and final frame before the mercy rule ended yet another PCC blowout.

Earlier in the week, Lerno, whose mother is the head coach at Imperial Valley College, verbally committed to play at Cal State San Marcos when the Cougars debut their women's fastpitch program in 2007.

The Griffins (10-9, 3-2) actually scored first, getting on the scoreboard in their initial at-bat with a jumbled lineup with a pair of players absent after missing the departure time of the team bus.

NICOLE SESSIONS opened with a walk, then moved to third when a single to centerfield by LAUREN HASTINGS was misplayed, placing runners on the corners to setup an RBI single to right by KYRSTIN GEMAR.

Palomar responded with a pair of 6-run innings and another of 8 runs, including a 3-run homer by Jerica Fa'asua.

Grossmont will play at Imperial Valley on Friday, but the team's scheduled appearance at the Mt. San Jacinto Tournament this weekend has been canceled.

Grossmont's 3-run rally in the third included this 2-run single by Kyrstin Gemar (top), followed by the first of two RBI singles from Jackie Fuhrman. The G-House held off San Diego City College, 4-2, to remain in a virtual tie for first place with Palomar -- the Griffs' next opponent. (Photos by Lenny Gemar)

Griffins claim yet another nailbiter
GC in virtual tie for first place with Palomar

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-9-06) -- For the third time in as many days, another Grossmont College softball game went down to the very last pitch.

After already scoring a run in the seventh inning, San Diego City College brought the potential game-tying runner to the plate, but Griffins pitcher DOMINIQUE DeLUCA coaxed a soft grounder and a routine fly ball to end the threat, giving Grossmont a 4-2 triumph over the Knights in Wednesday's (Mar. 8) Pacific Coast Conference ballgame.

"This team is so much improved," noted Grossmont assistant coach ANA LANDEROS, herself a former Griffins standout. "And it was an important win because we're all in a fight in the race for second place."

With state-ranked Palomar again considered the PCC kingpin, a runner-up finish is still worth a postseason berth, a position Grossmont currently now holds (by percentage) as the first round of conference plays nears completion.

Deluca finished with five strikeouts, allowing just four hits, a walk, and a pair of unearned runs to further lower her earned-run average.

Trailing 1-0, Grossmont scored three times in the third to grab the lead for keeps. And the runs came after there were two outs and nobody on base.

D'YONNA BACA started the rally by surprising the Knights defense with a bunt single, then stealing second base. DeLuca and LAUREN HASTINGS both walked to load the bases, then KYRSTIN GEMAR followed with a solid two-run single to left-centerfield for a 2-1 lead.

JACKIE FUHRMAN followed with a run-scoring single, then repeated the feat for an insurance run in the fifth, completing a 2-for-3, two RBI outing.

Because of changes in the schedule to accommodate other teams participating in tournaments, Grossmont (10-8 overall, 3-1 PCC) is off Friday and now gets a full week off, next playing at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Palomar.

Griffins catcher Lauren Hastings registered three outs at the plate (besides strikeouts) Tuesday, including the game-ending tag for a double play to upend visiting Imperial Valley, 1-0, in Pacific Coast Conference play, (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-8-06) -- Call it a flair for the dramatic. After losing on a walk-off grand slam less than 24 hours earlier, this time, the Grossmont Griffins found a way to win on the final play of the game in Tuesday's (Mar. 7) Pacific Coast Conference contest.

With Grossmont holding to a slim 1-run lead, Imperial Valley College coach Jill Lerno gambled and sent an IVC baserunner home in an attempt to tie the ballgame with two outs in the seventh after watching Grossmont shortstop D'YONNA BACA race deep into left field to catch a difficult pop-up in the wind.

However, Baca recovered in time to fire a strike to catcher LAUREN HASTINGS at the plate for the game-clinching double play, giving the Griffins a resounding 1-0 decision over the Arabs.

The play was one of three important outs recorded at the plate by the Grossmont defense, making a winner of starting pitcher DOMINIQUE DeLUCA. Don't hold your breathe -- more thrills could be at hand Wednesday (Mar. 8) when Grossmont plays its third game in as many days by entertaining Southwestern at 3 p.m.

"I had my head in the game and made the plays you have to make," said Baca. "The whole team came through with big plays and made things happen."

The Baca-Hastings combination also was responsible for the game's lone run on Grossmont's first two at-bats of the ballgame.

Grossmont shortstop D'yonna Baca (2) shows the ball to the umpire after tagging out IVC's Lindsay Lugo, who tried unsuccessfully to take the extra base after reaching on an error in the seventh inning of Tuesday's contest. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

After Baca was hit by a pitch to leadoff the first, she stole second, then scored on a single to right-centerfield by Hastings.

"We just play hard and we keep working together on defense," said Hastings, who registered two of Grossmont's five hits. "And the hits are coming -- I'm actually looking at the ball and seeing it."

End of scoring -- although both teams had chances. However, DeLuca escaped several jams with her defense nailing three runners at the plate, as the Arabs continued to apply pressure on the Grossmont defenders, to no avail.

In the third, third baseman MICHAELA CRAIN fired to Hastings at home to nab the lead runner. Then in the sixth, following a deep single down the left-field line, outfielder NICOLE SESSIONS threw a strike to Baca, who relayed another perfect throw to Hastings to end the inning.

"That was easily our best defensive game of the year," added DeLuca. "We all pulled together -- it's always good to play with such intensity."

Notes -- The game was played under a form of "protest," for lack of a better term, as Lerno insisted during the pregame meeting at home plate that the scoreboard should only list the game score, but not the counts on total hits or team errors.

East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (3-7-06) -- Following six innings of sparkling defense, Grossmont College committed a pair of errors in the seventh inning of Monday's (Mar. 6) Pacific Coast Conference fastpitch game. And it cost them.

Walking up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out, San Diego Mesa slugger Lindsey Flett launched a grand slam over the fence in left field to snap a 1-1 tie, giving the Olympians a walk-off 5-1 victory over the Griffins.

Trailing 1-0, the Griffins tied the game in the 6th, also on an unearned run.

LAUREN HASTINGS led off with a walk, then KYRSTIN GEMAR sent a pop-up down the left field line. The Mesa third baseman made the catch, but fell to the turf in her effort, as Hastings tagged and raced to second on the error.

Hastings later stole third, then scored when MICHAELA CRAIN muscled the ball over the infield to center for the two-out RBI single.

Grossmont pitcher DOMINIQUE DeLUCA struck out two but was tagged with the hard-luck loss. Christine Delaney was the winner for Mesa, yielding just three hits.

East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (3-4-06) -- Santana High product DOMINIQUE DeLUCA tossed a 2-hit shutout Friday (Mar. 3), leading the Grossmont College softball team past Southwestern, 4-0, in Pacific Coast Conference action.

DeLuca struck out four and walked two, as the Jaguars never advanced a runner past second base. With her second straight shutout, DeLuca raised her record to 5-3, helping lift the Griffins' record (8-7) over the .500 mark for the first time all season. Grossmont is also 1-0 in its conference scheduled opener after Wednesday's game with Imperial Valley was rained out.

The G-House scored all the runs they needed in the second inning with a 3-spot.

STEPHANIE ROBERTS bombed a deep double for an RBI, scoring JENN PARKS to start the rally with a 1-out walk.

D'YONNA BACA, a Mount Miguel product, followed the first of her two RBI basehits of the contest, then JACKIE FUHRMAN also added a run-scoring single. Baca's other hit came in the fifth to score Parks.

The Griffins start a string of three games in as many days Monday (Mar. 6), starting with a road game at San Diego Mesa. Grossmont then hosts IVC in a 1 p.m. make-up game Tuesday, then San Diego City at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Jackie Fuhrman whips a run-scoring, the difference in a 1-0 decision over visiting Ventura. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-26-06) -- In their cleanest outing of the season, Grossmont College bounced back from an embarrassing seven-error performance to play near-flawless defensive softball Saturday (Feb. 25), blanking Ventura, 1-0, in the Griffins' final tune-up prior to the opening of Pacific Coast Conference action.

DOMINIQUE DeLUCA tossed a four-hit shutout, but needed her one and only strikeout at a critical juncture after Ventura placed two baserunners on board in the seventh inning.

With Pirates on the corners, DeLuca coaxed a pair of groundballs. The first resulted in a throw to the plate, taking out the potential game-tying run and the first out, but the next grounder went to the right side of the infield, with the only play going to first base to place two runners in scoring position with two down.

However, DeLuca, a Santana High product, then registered her only strikeout for the victory, lifting her season record to 4-3 and moving the Griffins (7-7) back to the .500 mark.

Grossmont tallied its only run in the fourth, set up by one of two doubles on the day by catcher LAUREN HASTINGS, eventually scoring on an RBI single to center by JACKIE FUHRMAN.

KYRSTIN GEMAR and DeLuca also recorded basehits in Grossmont's 5-hit attack.

The Griffins open PCC play on Wednesday, hosting Imperial Valley at 1 p.m.

Grossmont shortstop D'yonna Baca strides for third base on her RBI triple in the second inning, giving the Griffins an early 5-1 advantage. Baca finished the contest batting 3-for-5 and scored twice to spearhead a 13-hit attack. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-24-06) -- They may not be "Designing Women," yet the Grossmont Griffins still found another way to garner another fastpitch victory. Overcoming an embarrassing seven errors on defense, the offense responded with a 13-hit attack, whipping visiting El Camino, 12-5, in Thursday's (Feb. 23) non-conference contest.

Freshman shortstop D'YONNA BACA paced the offense with three hits, including an RBI triple to highlight a 3-run rally in the second inning to give Grossmont (6-7) a commanding 7-1 advantage.

"We just have to work harder and practice harder on defense," said Baca, who added a pair of singles and scored twice. "The team is bonding and the players are playing their butts off."

Following booming line drives on her first three at-bats, Baca almost surprised the Warriors (2-5) with a bunt in the fifth, yet she was thrown out by a half-step.

"I like to bunt after hitting the ball deep," she noted. "I like to think that I am kind of fast, so it was to my advantage."

Grossmont exploded for four runs in the first, highlighted by a 2-run double by JACKIE FUHRMAN for a 4-1 lead. El Camino was handed four unearned runs after the Griffins committed an unsightly seven errors to cut the lead to 8-5.

However, the hosts responded with five consecutive hits in the sixth for four insurance runs. LAUREN HASTINGS opened with a double, followed by an RBI single by KYRSTIN GEMAR, basehits by MICHAELA CRAIN and Fuhrman to load the bases, followed by an RBI single by JENN PARKS, an infield grounder for a fielder's choice and another run off the bat of STEPHANIE ROBERTS, then winning pitcher DOMINIQUE DeLUCA lifted a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Deluca allowed five runs, but only one earned while striking out three El Camino batters. Shayda Jones was the losing pitcher for the Warriors, who also were unhandy were their gloves by committing five errors for a combined 10 miscues by the teams.

Griffins pitcher Dominique DeLuca releases a changeup for one of her three strikeouts, garnering the victory after allowing just one earned run in her complete-game effort to pace Grossmont past visiting El Camino, 12-5. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

Hastings, Gemar, Fuhrman and Parks each added two hits each, while Gemar, Fuhrman and Parks each drove home a pair of runs.

The game was part of a "3-way" doubleheader, as San Diego City College (5-9 overall) also downed El Camino, 8-4, in the first game.

Another "3-way" twinbill is slated for Saturday (Feb. 25), as Grossmont hosts Ventura at 11 a.m., with the Pirates staying for its annual contest with San Diego Mesa at 1 p.m.

Notes -- Gemar was named a Pacific Coast Conference honorable mention Athlete of the Week, for the week ending February 12. The freshman first baseman/designated player from Clairemont High has had walk-off home runs against Saddleback and Orange Coast over the last two weeks. Gemar is batting .444 with five RBIs... Crain was a PCC honorable mention selection the previous week, too.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-22-06) -- Another single-inning breakdown prevented Grossmont College from earning another victory. On Tuesday (Feb. 21), visiting Santa Ana erupted for five runs in the fifth inning, then held off a late Griffins rally for a 7-3 non-conference victory.

Already leading 1-0, the Dons opened the decisive inning with a pair of singles and a walk. The fourth batter then received an RBI for a bases-loaded walk to chase the Grossmont starting pitcher, but the bullpen did no better, as Santa Ana's Nina Hernandez slugged the very next pitch down the right-field line for a bases-clearing double.

The Griffins (5-7) cut the 6-0 deficit in half, as JACKIE FUHRMAN doubled, then scored on a single to right by JENN PARKS in the fifth. One inning later, STEPHANIE ROBERTS led-off with a walk, NICOLE SESSIONS singled, then both scored on a double to the fence by KYRSTIN GEMAR.

However, Santa Ana (6-4-1) scored once in the seventh to put away the victory in the final game of a 3-game roadtrip, making a winner of starting pitcher Mallory Marquez (2-2). Losing pitcher JESSE PETERSON is also 2-2 overall.

Grossmont will host El Camino on Thursday (Feb. 23) at 1 p.m., as the Warriors (2-4 entering the week) will then play a second game at 3 p.m. against San Diego City on the Griffins' diamond in a "3-way doubleheader." Grossmont will also host a 3-way twinbill on Saturday, playing in the second game against Ventura after the Pirates meet San Diego Mesa in the 1 p.m. opener.

Santa Ana opens a 6-game homestand Wednesday (Feb. 22), entertaining Pasadena at 3 p.m.

Griffins pitcher Dominique Deluca lets loose with the pitch, helping Grossmont sweep a doubleheader from visiting East Los Angeles, 9-1 and 5-4 in eight innings. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-18-06) -- DOMINIQUE DeLUCA pitched all 13 innings on Friday (Feb. 17), leading Grossmont College to a sweep of a non-conference doubleheader from East Los Angeles College, 9-1 and 5-4 in eight innings.

DeLuca was credited with her first two wins of the season as the Griffins improved their overall mark to 5-6. She pitched a five-inning 3-hitter in Grossmont's lopsided conquest and then finished her day by scoring the winning run in the 8th inning of the nightcap. DeLuca tripled with one out and scored on an error. It was DeLuca's second three-bagger of the twinbill.

JACKIE FURHMAN was Grossmont's big hitter of the day, driving in four runs with a double and four singles. MICHAELA CRAIN was 4-for-7 with two doubles and three RBI.

KYRSTIN GEMAR gave the Griffins an early lead in the opener with a 2-run triple in the first inning.

Grossmont hosts Santa Ana on Tuesday (Feb. 21) at 3 p.m.

Notes -- Kyrstin Gemar was named a Pacific Coast Conference honorable mention Athlete of the Week, for the period ending February 12. The freshman first baseman/designated player from Clairemont High School has had walk-off home runs vs. Saddleback and Orange Coast the last two weeks. Gemar is hitting .444 with five RBIs.

East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-11-06) -- Following a pair of doubleheader splits against strong Orange County based programs over the past week, Grossmont College reverted back to its Week One form Friday (Feb. 10), dropping a twinbill to visiting Mt. San Jacinto.

The Eagles (4-10) were able to double their season win total by handing the Griffins losses of 9-7 and 5-3, with seven of their 12 runs coming unearned due to seven Grossmont errors, including five in the first contest.

Grossmont (3-6) held multiple-run leads in both ballgames.

In the opener, the Griffins scored twice in the first inning, eventually collecting a season-best 16 hits only to fall due to five errors. MICHAELA CRAIN drove in a pair of runs, while three others -- KYRSTIN GEMAR, LAUREN HASTINGS and JACKIE FUHRMAN -- all collected three hits each.

In the second game, Grossmont mounted a 3-0 advantage, as JEN PARKS drove in a run in the first, then scored in the third before the Eagles' comeback.

East County Sports.com
COSTA MESA (2-7-06) -- Three days after splitting a doubleheader against 9th-ranked Saddleback, the Grossmont College women's fastpitch team returned to Orange County and achieved the same results against another state-ranked foe.

The Griffins split a twinbill against previously unbeaten Orange Coast College, as the 11th-ranked Pirates took the opener, 5-3, to extend their winning streak to five games, but the Griffins ended the sting with a 4-2 triumph in the nightcap.

JESSE PETERSON garnered her second pitching victory in as many decisions to give Grossmont the split, scattering six hits and striking out three after allowing an unearned run in the first inning.

She also got out of a major jam in the bottom of the seventh, when the Pirates had the potential game-tying run on third base with two out. However, on a sharp ground ball up the middle, Grossmont second baseman KIRA COFFEY made a diving stab for the ball, throwing to first baseman STEPHANIE ROBERTS in time for the game-ending out.

Just like against Saddleback, Grossmont lost the first game, then bounced right back to score in the first inning of the second ballgame. D'YONNA BACA opened with a lead walk, moving to third on a MICHAELA CRAIN basehit and a fielder's choice, then scoring when Roberts lined a single to left.

OCC tied the game in the first, but the Griffins recorded the tie-breaking run in the fourth with a two-out rally. After the Pirates set down the first two batters, NICOLE SESSIONS grounded a sharp single to left, then a Coffey low liner to right skipped past the outfielder and rolled to the fence for an error, allowing Sessions to circle the bases.

In game one, again in a reflection of the Saddleback doubleheader, Orange Coast scored three times in the first inning. The Griffins tried to rally but fell short, despite a seventh-inning leadoff homer by KYRSTIN GEMAR.

The Griffins complete their season-opening, 7-game road trip with a 3-4 record. The ballclub will now start an 8-game home stand which will carry to the start of Pacific Coast Conference play. The stretch begins Friday (Feb. 10) at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Mt. San Jacinto.

East County Sports.com
MISSION VIEJO (2-4-06) -- Following a controversial, seventh-inning loss in the first game of Friday's (Feb. 2) doubleheader, Grossmont College exploded for three runs in the first inning of the nightcap, going on to gain a split against host Saddleback in nonconference action.

The Griffins allowed two unearned runs in the seventh to fall, 5-4, in the opener, but made their quick 3-spot in the first hold up for a 4-2 victory against the Gauchos, who were the 12th seed in last season's regional playoffs.

Trailing 4-3, Saddleback gained a ground-rule double to tie the game. The next batter ran the count to 3-2, but the Gauchos' scorekeeper came onto the field and said it was ball four. Although there is no basis in the rule book for this unless the umpire directly asks for assistance, the call was upheld despite the protests of the Griffins -- although they failed to protest the game.

On the next pitch following the delay due to the argument: line drive RBI single and a Saddleback victory.

"Let's just say we weren't very happy," said Grossmont assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "We took it out on them right away in the next game."

Six of the first seven Griffins batters all singled, including RBI knocks by MICHAELA CRAIN, KYRSTIN GEMER and JACKIE FUHRMAN. Pitcher JESSE PETERSON made the runs standup by scattering six hits for her complete-game victory.

Gemar also homered in the opener, her first of the season, smacking a leadoff shot in the fourth to give Grossmont a 3-0 lead. DOMINIQUE DeLUCA was the hard-luck loser, allowing just one earned run for the Griffins (2-3). Saddleback goes to 4-2.

East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (2-1-06) -- Coach RICK TRESTRAIL's Griffins were limited to three singles Tuesday (Jan. 31), falling to Citrus College, 4-0, at San Diego City College.

Grossmont's offense consisted of a first-inning base hit by DOMINIQUE DELUCA, a two-out single by D'YONNA BACA in the 3rd and a one-out single by JACKIE FUHRMAN in the fourth frame.

The loss dropped Grossmont's record to 1-2.

Next up for the Griffins is a non-conference double-header against Saddleback Friday (Feb. 3) in Mission Viejo at 2 p.m.

Michaela Crain leaps onto home plate following her solo home run to best San Bernardino Valley, 11-1, in the second of 2 games played at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. The Panthers topped the Griffins in the first game, 7-2, to open the season. (Photo by Lenny Gemar)

East County Sports.com
RANCHO CUCAMONGA (1-29-06) -- Grossmont College's MICHAELA CRAIN pitched a complete-game victory and went 5-for-7 with a fence-clearing home run and three RBI Saturday (Jan. 28), as the Griffins opened the 2006 womne's fastpitch season with a doubleheader split.

The Griffins pounded out 21 hits in an 11-1 romp over San Bernardino Valley after losing their opener to host Chaffey College 7-2 at the same site.

Crain was 2-for-3 with a first-inning RBI in the loss to Chaffey. Grossmont pitcher DOMINIQUE DeLUCA whacked an RBI triple in the sixth inning of that game.

In the nightcap, LAUREN HASTINGS was 4-for-4 with RBI to pace the Griffins. Craig was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and two runs, while DeLuca was 3-for-4 with a home run. Both homers cleared a 12-foot fence at the 210-foot marker at Chaffey.

D'YONNA BACA was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles for the Griffins. STEPHANIE ROBERTS and JAN PARKS also picked up three hits apiece for Grossmont, which next faces Citrus College at San Diego City College. Game time is 2 p.m.

PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE

Tue., Apr. 25
Palomar 14, Grossmont 0
San Diego Mesa 2, Imperial Valley 0
Southwestern 3, San Diego City 0

Mon., Apr. 24
Imperial Valley 5, Southwestern 4 (8 inn.)

Sat., Apr. 22
No. 1 Cypress 6, No. 6 Palomar 4 (10 inn.)
No. 4 Mt. San Antonio 8, No. 6 Palomar 3
College of the Desert 9, San Diego City 1

Fri., Apr. 21
Grossmont 6, San Diego Mesa 4
Palomar 8, San Diego City 3

Thurs., Apr. 20
Grossmont 12, Imperial Valley 3
Palomar 13, Southwestern 0
San Diego City 5, San Diego Mesa 3

Wed., Apr. 19
Grossmont 9, San Diego City 7
Palomar 6,. Imperial Valley 1
San Diego Mesa 7, Southwestern 3

Tue., Apr. 18
Southwestern 6-0, Imperial Valley 5-3

Mon.-Tue., Apr. 10-11
San Diego City Tournament
At San Diego Miramar Coll./Hourglass Park
Desert 7, San Diego City 4
San Diego City 11, Barstow 3
Imperial Valley 6, San Diego City 2
Reedley 8, Imperial Valley 0
Imperial Valley 8, East Los Angeles 1
Porterville 9, Imperial Valley 1
Reedley 11, Imperial Valley 2

Sat.-Sun., Apr. 8-9
Santa Barbara Tournament
Saddleback 10, Southwestern 8
Southwestern 8, Santa Barbara 6
L.A. Valley 12, Southwestern 3
Santa Ana 13, Southwestern 0
San Diego Mesa 8, East Los Angeles 3
San Diego Mesa 8, L.A. Valley 2
San Diego Mesa 6, El Camino 1
Santa Barbara 7, San Diego Mesa 5

Sat., Apr. 8
Palomar 1, Long Beach 0
Cypress 6, Palomar 2

Fri., Apr. 7
Grossmont 6, Southwestern 4
San Diego City df. Imperial Valley, score not reported

Thurs., Apr. 6
Palomar 11, San Diego Mesa 2

Wed., Apr. 5
Imperial Valley at Grossmont, ppd., wet grounds (Apr. 20, moved to IVC)
Palomar at Southwestern, ppd., wet grounds
San Diego City at San Diego Mesa, ppd., wet grounds

Tue., Apr. 4
San Diego Mesa 7, Grossmont 1

Sun., Apr. 2
Citrus 13, San Diego City 1
Canyons 6, San Diego City 0

Fri., Mar. 31
Palomar 8, Grossmont 0
San Diego Mesa 5, Imperial Valley 3
San Diego City 5, L.A. Mission 0 (first game; second game, ccd.)

Wed., Mar. 29
San Diego Mesa at Grossmont, ppd., rain (Apr. 4)
Imperial Valley at Southwestern, DH, ppd., rain
Palomar13. San Diego City 0

Mon., Mar. 27
San Diego City 7, Southwestern 1

Sat., Mar. 25
Long Beach 3, Palomar 2 (10 inn.)
Long Beach 9, Grossmont 1

Fri., Mar. 24
San Diego City 9, Grossmont 3
Palomar 8, Imperial Valley 0
Southwestern df. San Diego Mesa, score not reported

Wed., Mar. 22
Grossmont 5, Southwestern 4
Palomar 4, San Diego Mesa 3
Imperial Valley 9, San Diego City 1

Mon., Mar. 20
Orange Coast 8-8, San Diego City 7-0

Fri., Mar. 17
Imperial Valley 7, Grossmont 3
Palomar 16, Southwestern 0
San Diego Mesa 17, San Diego City 6 (corrected result)

Thurs., Mar. 16
Palomar 9, Saddleback 1

Wed., Mar. 15
Palomar 22, Grossmont 1
San Diego City 14, Southwestern 9
Imperial Valley 4, San Diego Mesa 3

Tue., Mar. 14
Palomar 21, Southwestern 0

Fri., Mar. 10
Grossmont at San Diego Mesa (moved to Mar. 6th)
Palomar at San Diego City (moved to Mar. 9th)
Imperial Valley at Southwestern, ppd. (moved to Mar. 29 as doubleheader at noon)

Thurs., Mar. 9
Palomar 21, San Diego City 1

Wed., Mar. 8
Grossmont 4, San Diego City 2
Palomar 6, Imperial Valley 0
San Diego Mesa 7, Southwestern 6

Tue., Mar. 7
Grossmont 1, Imperial Valley 0

Mon., Mar. 6
San Diego Mesa 5, Grossmont 1
San Diego City at L.A. Mission, DH, ppd. (Mar. 31)

Fri., Mar. 3
Grossmont 4, Southwestern 0
San Diego City 7, Imperial Valley 4

Thurs., Mar. 2
Palomar 3, San Diego Mesa 0

Wed., Mar. 1
San Diego Mesa 3, San Diego City 1
Imperial Valley at Grossmont, ppd., rain (Mar. 7th)
Palomar at Southwestern, ppd., rain (Mar. 14)

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