Wallace leads Auburn to the No. 4 seed in the NCAAs
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
Special to East County Sports.com
BATON ROUGE, La. (5-11-15) — The race was on and former Valhalla standout CARLEE WALLACE was going to lose. She wasn't going to get away from her teammates, not the ones who wanted to hug and celebrate and share the joy with the freshman catcher.
Photo courtesy of Auburn University Athletics
She wasn't going to escape the excitement, not as she neared second base, or anywhere else, after she delivered the game-winning hit that sent Auburn past Tennessee 6-5 in extra innings to win its first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship Saturday night in Tiger Park.
On a team of home run hitters, Wallace came through with her only hit of the game, a walk-off double, coming in the ninth inning to drive in tournament MVP Emily Carosone.
"As soon as I hit the ball I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this has a chance to get through. It was just surreal,’" Wallace said. "I'm a freshman, and this was my really first big game. But we practice this all the time, every day of the week, and it's just great to see it really happened. This is real. This is so surreal right now. But to be able to celebrate with all my teammates, it's an amazing feeling."
Auburn enjoyed an early lead, but had to score two in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5 to force extra innings.
"Tonight's game was intense. We really just battled through it," said Carosone, who went 4-for-5 Saturday and 6-for-9 in the tournament. "The MVP Award is awesome, but I honestly think any one of these girls on our team could have that award."
Auburn celebrated on the field, picked up its tournament hardware there, then loaded up for a bus ride that would put the Tigers back in Auburn around 8 or 9 Sunday morning. They could rest easy on the way, coming home as champions with a 49-9 record and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament waiting on Sunday night when they'll most likely learn they're a national tournament seed. Auburn will surely host an NCAA Regional next weekend, and, if it advances out of that, likely a Super Regional.
Coach Clint Myers had pointed to such things all season. But on this Saturday night, it was time to celebrate the conference title.
"You saw the jubilation and the excitement when they mobbed Carlee at second base," Myers said. "That's why we do it. That's why we play these games so they can experience something very special."
It was a championship, and a prelude to the NCAAs.
"In the regional, Super Regional and then the World Series, they're going to see everything because it's so uniquely different than anything they've ever experienced," Myers said. "Hopefully, this will get them to really focus on the feeling of being a champion."
Auburn came close to winning the regular-season conference title, finishing a half-game behind champion Florida. There would be no near-misses Saturday night.
Auburn struck early, scoring in the first on a Kasey Cooper RBI groundout, and then adding two more in the second when Jenna Abbott walked with the bases loaded and Carosone drove in another on infield single.
Tennessee scored one in the fourth, then three in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. It was 5-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh. That's when Auburn tied it on a Branndi Melero groundout and a Tennessee error, then won it in the ninth.
Rachel Walters improved her record to 17-3, allowing one run in three-and-two-thirds inning of relief. Rainey Gaffin fell to 14-3.
What's next? Auburn had the long bus ride, a team banquet and an NCAA selection show to watch, all less than 24 hours after winning the tournament. Oh, a few players still have finals to take.
A graduate of Steele Canyon High School, Bauer, a pitcher-first baseman, went 4 for 4 at the plate with three runs. She is batting at a .400 clip and has 10 homers and 38 RBI this season. She has 51 career home runs in 185 games.
Her second inning home run was her second grand slam of the season.
"In that moment, I remember jumping on the dog pile like there was no one else in the world. It was only us celebrating --we were so happy, Gourley recalled. "Then I looked around and saw the stadium full of people, then the TV cameras and remembering everyone back home could see it, too."
When describing the once-in-a-lifetime moments, the other word Gourley often repeated was "surreal," and she also gained the pitching victory in relief with a pair of no-hit innings in Florida's 6-3 victory over conference rival Alabama.
The Florida Gators outlasted Alabama, 6-3, to sweep the best-of-3 series to capture the Women's College World Series. El Capitan alum Delanie Gourley did not allow a hit in two innings of relief, gaining the pitching triumph. (ESPN screen shot)
The University of Florida
hoists the NCAA trophy
after sweeping Alabana to
capture the Women's
College World Series at
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Freshman Delanie Gourley,
an El Capitan High alum,
pitched a pair of no-hit
innings with two strikeouts
to gain the victory.
On Friday, the left-hander achieved a personal milestone.
In the opening game of the NCAA Regional, Gourley tossed
a no-hitter in her first collegiate postseason outing,
leading the Gators past Florida A&M, 8-0. With the
victory she raised her record to 14-1.
Later in the weekend, 5th-seeded Florida would sweep
all of its regional opponents, gaining home field for
next weekend's Super Regional to determine a berth to
the Women's College Eorld Series.
Gourley, a freshman, retired the Rattlers in order
in the first with two strikeouts and a groundout. Kelsey
Stewart tripled to lead off for Florida (46-11), and
came home on a sacrifice fly by Stephanie Tofft. The
center fielder for FAMU (25-28) misplayed Tofft’s
fly ball, allowing the senior to advance to second to
set up a two-run home run by Lauren Haeger that put
the Gators ahead 3-0. After Bailey Castro reached on
a fielder’s choice and Kirsti Merritt singled through
the left side, Taylor Schwarz launched a three-run shot
to left-center that pushed Florida’s lead to 6-0.
Gourley allowed a leadoff walk in the second, but Aubree
Munro caught the runner stealing before the lefty struck
out the next two batters. Stewart singled and then stole
second to begin the home half, then came home with UF’s
seventh run on Tofft’s sac bunt.
The Gators will host the University of Washington in
the Super Regional's best 2-out-of-3 series.
Johnson, a sophomore, needed to go down to the final
weekend of the regular season, yet reached the Aggies
milestone in a season-finale loss at UNLV at Eller
Media Softball Field
The record-breaking strikeout came in the 2nd
inning, when Emily Haslinger struck out swinging
for the second out. The strikeout was Johnson's
218th of the season, passing Mary Lou Ramm who
had 217 in 1980.
Johnson now has 345 career strikeouts in just
two seasons with the Aggies, good for fifth in
the USU record book.
Utah State ends the season 18-37 overall and
6-18 in its first season in the Mountain West
Conference. Johnson completes the season with
a 16-22 record.
A member of the NFCA First Team All-America team
in 2012, Rapoport was just named to her third
All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team after
batting a team-leading .327 this season, including
a 2-for-4, one run, one RBI outing in her final
game against Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction,
Colo.
Heather "Cali"
Beintema, who once played for Grossmont
High, will be inducted into the Rider University
Athletics Hall of Fame. (Rider Broncs courtesy photo)
Despite limited playing time as a non-descript
ballplayer as a teenager, one minor opportunity
to pitch transformed Beintema's life into a career
in softball, leading to next month's induction
into the Athletics Hall of Fame at Rider University
(NCAA Division I).
Beintema, who gained induction in her first year
on the Broncs ballot, is the school's career leader
in victories and strikeouts, becoming the Metro
Atlantic Athletic Conference pitcher of the year
as a sophomore in 2004 after being named the MAAC
Rookie of the Year as a freshman, leading Rider
to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Her family noted years of frustration when club
coaches would rarely play Beintema, leaving her
on the bench except late-inning play during blowouts.
But in one of those seemingly meaningless, run-rule
affairs many summers ago -- unknown to her club
coaches -- she was inserted to pitch while Rider
coach Tricia Carroll looked on.
Impressed, Carroll invited Beintema to Rider,
where she starred for four seasons. She just completed
her seventh season as pitching coach for the Broncs.
Beintema's Hall of Fame induction is slated for
Reunion Weekend on June 6
Her school records include single season and
career strikeout records as well as a tie for
the single season record for wins with 22. As
a frosh, she ranked among the top 21 pitchers
in the nation in both strikeouts and earned run
average, then was named MVP of the MAAC Championships.
Lahitte spun a 4-hit shutout, giving the Toreros (23-21)
their first home victory over the Aztecs since 2005.
The Toreros’ offense wasted no time, jumping all
over Aztecs’ starter Andi Smith. Senior Dana Prelsnik
reached on a bunt after Smith misfired her throw to
first, and two batters later Chloe Kaneko hit a single
up the middle to put runners on first and third. Olivia
Sandusky brought both of them home with a double to
left field to give the Toreros a 2-0 lead.
Charly Swanberg and Kylie Ordos, who were playing in
their last career home game, helped the Toreros tack
on one more in the bottom of the second. After Ordos
doubled to left field, Swanberg knocked her in with
a single through the right side, which ended Smith’s
night.
The seniors continued their offensive barrage in the
bottom of the fourth when Jenny Lahitte hit a leadoff
double to left centerfield. After she was pinch-ran
for by Kylie McNutt, Danielle Mavridis hit an RBI single
through the right side, giving USD a 4-0 lead.
CSUSM's Alex Miler *West Hills
HS)
discusses her award as the Cougars'
Female Student-Athl;ete of the Year. (CSUSM courtesy video)
CSUSM All-America candidate
Alex Miller (CSUSM courtesy photo)
Miller named CSUSM Female Athlete of the Year,
Gunion gains entry to Cougars Hall of Fame
On Thursday (Apr. 24), the Cougars named West Hills High
product ALEX MILLER as the school's Woman Student-Athlete
of the Year. Miller shared the honor with volleyball player
Alyssa Foster.
Meanwhile, Helix High product KAYCEE GUNION, a member
of the women's soccer team from 2008-11, was inducted
into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame.
Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo announced that
50 percent of CSUSM's over 300 student-athletes have
a grade-point average of 3.00 or higher. Included were
nine student-athletes who received the Mangrum Award
for Academic Excellence by having a 4.0 GPA during the
2013 school year. The softball team won the Highest
Team GPA Award for having a cumulative GPA of 3.34.
Gunion addressed the crowd to cap-off the evening,
commenting on the growth of the department and the opportunities
she's been granted due to the fact that she played soccer
at CSUSM.
Prior to Miller, two former winners of the award are
also softball players who hail from East County, BRENNA
SANDBERG (West Hills) and ALYSSA DRONENBURG (Helix).
UPDATE: Two days later, Miller capped the regular season
with a g-ahead grand slam and eight RBI, powering the
Cougars to a doubleheader sweep of the newest school
in Southern California, the University of Antelope Valley.
For the day, Miller went 6-for-8 with three doubles
to go along with her bomb, par of her six RBI in Game
One. It'sd the most RBI by any CSUSM player since Miller
set the school record with seven RBI in a single game.
The Cougars now advance to the A.I.I. Conference tournament,
starting May 1 in Gwinnett, Ga. Despite a 35-5-1 record,
they are the second seed.
Receiving first-team honors are Eagles pitcher RACHEL
STALFORD, the former CIF San Diego Section pitcher of
the year out of Grossmont High, and center fielder TAYLOR
HALLAHAN, an all-East County pick out of West Hills High.
Both are juniors.
Stalford was also named this week's GSAC Pitcher of
the Week, gaining a pair of victories without allowing
a run in triumphs over Arizona Christian and Azusa Pacific.
She now has more than 100 strikeouts this season.
Hallahan led the Lions (30-20) with 65 hits this season,
finishing third on the ballclub with a .371 batting
average.
Christian Brothers University's
Kylie Steagall (School courtesy photo)
Division II Notebook: Steagall's strong frosh season
In a recent doubleheader sweep of Talladega College
(27-13), Steagall gained the pitching win in a complete-game,
5-hit shutout, the clean-up batter also went 3-for-4
with three RBI, including a 2-run double to open the
scoring.
The freshman later added a sacrifice fly for a run
in helping win the second game, too.
For the season, Steagall leads the Lady Bucs with a
.309 batting average, including seven home runs (the
rest of the team has six).
Gentry in RMAC play
SILVER CITY, N.M. — Former Christian High standout
RICKI
GENTRY again ranks among the leaders for Western
New Mexico University (NCAA Division II).
Gentry is batting .331 for the Mustangs, starting all
of the ballclub's 49 games.
In a recent conference victory over Colorado Mines,
Gentry went 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and a run scored.
Jackson State's
Kelsey Townsend,
the former Grossmont College
standout
Townsend, a junior, leads the Tigers pitching
staff in victories, including two of the team's
win in an 8-0 start in conference play to
lead Texas Southern by two full games.
Jackson State opened the season with an
8-23 mark, playing one of the nation's toughest
schedules. But the experiences has carried
over to the fast start in conference play.
If they remain on top, the Tigers will qualify
for the NCAA national playoffs.
On Saturday (Mar. 29), the pair held a homecoming in
front of family and friends, as the Lions played a Golden
State Athletic Conference doubleheader against San Diego
Christian College at Sportsplex USA .
"The team is doing extremely well," said
Stalford, the 2011 CIF San Diego Section Division I
and East County pitcher of the year. "We're known
as a hitting club, but we have seven girls in the bullpen
who can really pitch, too."
Stalford didn't need any assistance, pitching a complete
game in the opener, raising her record to 9-3 following
a 7-2 triumph over the Hawks. The decision should keep
Vanguard among the honorable mention in the NAIA national
rankings.
Stalford is also finding success in the classroom.
The junior is on-track to graduate with a double major
of history and political science.
Meanwhile, Hallahan, the leadoff hitter, batted a combined
3-for-8 in the doubleheader. The center fielder also
recorded a pair of running catches in the gap in the
second game, helping the Lions to a 7-1 lead.
"Everyone on the team practices hard and works
hard," said Hallahan, an accounting major also
set to graduate next spring. "The experience here
with this coaching staff has been fantastic."
Hallahan was an All-East County honoree in 2010.
On this day, the host Hawks gained the last laugh,
rallying from a 6-run deficit to take an 8-7 decision.
SDCC first baseman Hannah Romanski batted 4-for-4 and
drove in four runs, including a 2-run double down the
right field line for the game-winning hit. It was the
lone mistake by Vanguard, who had an open base at first,
yet elected to pitch to the clean-up hitter.
On Tuesday's (Mar. 12), Labshere, a freshman, smacked
two home runs in the second game of a doubleheader, although
the Cavaliers were swept by Atlantic Coast Conference
rival Georgia Tech at Mewborn Field.
In the opener, the Cavaliers scored both of their runs
in the fourth on back-to-back home runs by Murrieta's
junior Heidi Velk and Labshere. It was Velk’s first
home run of her collegiate career, while it was Labshere’s
third of the season.
In Game Two, Labshere led off the 4th inning with a
deep shot to left-center field to give the Cavaliers
a 1-0 lead.
With the losses, UVa fell to 3-18 (1-7 ACC), while
the Yellow Jackets improved to 15-6 (4-4 ACC).
Grabowski batted .389 with a team-high six RBI,
helping the Toreros win their last four games
of the Highlander Classic at UC Riverside.
Grabowski had at least one RBI in all of the
Toreros four wins, including the game winning
RBI in their 3-2 extra inning win over Idaho State
on Sunday.
In Tuesday's doubleheader against Utah State
and UC Riverside, she went 4-7 with four RBI to
help the Toreros win both games.
For the season, Grabowski leads the team in RBI
(11) and is second in runs (seven), total bases
(25), average (.333), slugging percentage (.596),
and on-base percentage (.380). She also clouted
home runs in the team's first three ballgames
this season.
Grabowski and the Toreros will play their next
22 games at home beginning with a Thursday doubleheader
against Weber State.
Koria, a former standout at West Hills High,
led the Rambelles (20-7, 5-1 LSC) to a sweep of
Texas A&M-International and No. 4 Texas Woman's
with an .846 average and .842 on-base percentage.
The junior went 10-for-13 for the week and scored
10 runs with eight RBIs. She was perfect on the
base paths going five-for-five stealing bases.
She also drew three walks and hit two doubles
while slugging 1.000.
Koria is hitting .485 on the season, which is
fourth in the LSC. She is tied with TWU's Bailey
Vrazel with 19 stolen bases on the year. It is
the first LSC Hitter of the Week award for Koria.
Delanie Gourley owns the nation's
best pitching record at 9-0 for the No.1 ranked
Florida Gators. (Courtesy, Univ. of Florida GatorVision)
Collage showing the projectory
of motion
for Delanie Gourley's screwball. (Courtesy, Univ. of Florida GatorVision)
On Sunday (Mar. 9), Gourley, a freshman, ran her national-leading
record to 9-0 after blanking OIe Miss, 2-0, at KSP Stadium.
The lefty allowed three hits over seven innings with
two walks and four strikeouts, tossing her second shutout
of the year.
"I was just really excited and ready to go,"
said Gourley. "I was just preparing myself and
I was like, ‘Hey, it’s my first SEC start.
I’m just going to show them what I have and pitch
how I know how.’”
Gourley retired the Rebels in order in the first two
innings before she allowed two baserunners in the third
on a hit and a walk, yet pitched out of the difficulty.
Head coach Tim Walton was pleased with Gourley's performance.
"She’s faced some good at-bats. She’s
faced some good hitters. I think it’s going to
give her a lot of experience. The main thing we’ve
got to be able to shape her into is the confidence.
She’s got to be able to have the confidence to
go out there and throw her pitches—any location,
any pitch, any spot, any situation."
Florida (24-1, 2-1 SEC) next travel to LSU for its
next SEC action. Watch on GatorVision.
Yanitor collected two hits, then laid down a perfect
suicide bunt which produced the ho-ahead run against
one of the nation's top pitchers, Jaclyn Traina, in
the final ballgame of the Easton Bama Bash.
The victory was McNeese State's first-ever over Alabama.
Yanitor finished with a double, two RBI and a pair
of stolen bases.
In the 2nd inning, the Cowgirls took a 2-0 lead when
Yanitor smacked an RBI double and scored on a passed
ball after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Alabama fell to 12-3, while McNeese State (10-7) added
the Crimson Tide to a list of conquered foes that already
included Texas A&M, Oregon State , UAB, Virginia
Tech and Central Florida .
Yanitor was a first-team all-East County selection
last spring.
The Hawks scored the game-tying run in the bottom
of the 7th inning, then Santana High product KAT
CANCILLER-PETTY rambled to score the game-winning
run during International Tiebreaker play in the
8th en route to a 6-5 decision over Embry-Riddle
University.
SDCC (2-0) then completed the doubleheader sweep
by taking nightcap, 12-5, at Sportsplex USA.
Canciller-Petty was inserted as a pinchrunner
as the placed runner at second base. The Hawks
attempted to bunt her to third, but saw the first
two pitches get fouled off. So leadoff batter
MORGAN WHEELER golfed a sharp ground ball up the
middle, allowing the former Sultans speedster
to race home.
The hit came off hard-luck Embry-Riddle losing
pitcher KEANA NAKATA, a freshman out of Helix,
who tossed the final two innings, but saw both
runs charged against her coming unearned.
In the second game, SDCC center fielder MORHAN
McGEE batted 3-for-3 with three RBI and four runs
scored to help the Hawks post 12 unanswered runs
after quickly falling behind 5-0 in the 1st.
Participating at the Coastal Carolina's Kickin'
Chicken Tournament, Labshere batted 4-for-4 with
an RBI, although the Cavaliers (1-7) dropped a
7-2 decision to Towson. For her effort, Labshere
was the lone UVa player selected to the all-tournament
team.
The freshman infielder is batting clean-up for
Virginia.
It only takes one game for
Gourley
to reach Florida record book Freshman from El Cap registers save
in Gators' 800th all-time victory
Slated to start Saturday (Feb. 8) against Michigan
in the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament, instead
Gourley was called upon to make a piece of Gators
history.
With Florida clinging to a 3-2 lead, Illinois
State loaded the bases with no outs in the 7th
inning, so Gurley was summoned from the bullpen.
The freshman registered three straight outs –
a pair on strikeouts – to garner the save
in a triumph over the Redbirds.
The victory was the 800th in school history.
Florida (3-0), ranked third in the country to
open the season, remains undefeated in the tournament,
which is hosted annually by the University of
South Florida.
On Thursday (Feb. 6), Hutchison smashed a pair of home
runs for North Carolina State, which is participating
in the Kajikawa Classic (hosted by Arizona State) at
the Tempe Sports Complex.
A few hours later against No. 22 Stanford, Hutchison
again started in right field, batting 2-for-2 including
a solo shot in the 2nd to give NC State an early lead.
Labshere success
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The collegiate debut of former
Valhalla High standout MADISON LABSHERE was a solid
one.
Starting at first base for the University of Virginia,
Labshere capped her first day at the NCC Division I
level by slugging a 2-run homer, when the Cavaliers
busted loose for six runs in the 4th inning to expand
a 2-1 advantage to finally down NC-Central, 8-1, at
Cyril Stadium.
Labshere, who also played at second base, drilled her
blast to left field.
Grabowski goes deep, leads USD in hitting
LAS VEGAS .— MARY
GRABOWSKI, the former East County player of the
year out of Christian High, launched a home run to open
the scoring Sunday (Feb. 9), lifting the University
of San Diego to an 8-4 triumph over UNLV, the host to
the annual Sportco Kick Off Classic.
Grabowski's shot landed beyond the barrier in centerfield
in the 2nd inning. The designated player went 2-for-4
against the Rebels, lifting her batting average ort
.455 to lead all Toreros hitters.
Grable gains key hit, run, in debut
BOCA RATON, Fla. (2-87-14) .— KAYTI
GRABLE, the former Grossmont Valley league player
of the year and a three-time All-East County and All-CIF
performer, registered a key hit on the first day of
her collegiate career for Northern Illinois University.
A freshman starting at first base for the Huskies,
Grable singled, then scored on a three-run homer by
teammate Emily Naegele smashed a 3-run homer, the difference
in a 3-2 triumph over Florida Atlantic.
Grable is a second-generatio, multipsort n standout
from Santana High.
Lefty's first win
TAMPA, Fla.— The first starting pitching assignment
for former El Capitan standout DELANIE GOURLEY suddenly
turned from disappointment into her first collegiate
victory.
In an 8-inning thriller, Gourley was forced to pitch
two unexpected innings en route to a complete-game victory.
Her Florida Gators scored four times in the 7th inning,
then posted five
more markers in the 8th to stun Michigan, 9-4, at
the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament.
The lone runs off Gourley were a grand slam by Sierra
Romero in the 3rd. The left-handed pitcher then blanked
the Wolverines over the final six frames for the 3rd-ranked
Gators (3-0).
Rapoport tops RMAC poll
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (2-8-14) .— Former Grossmont
College standout HANNAH RAPOPORT, an NAIA All-America
selection last season, heads the preseason All-Rocky
Mountain Athletic Conference team.
The Colorado Christian pitcher heads the first-team
as the coaches' pick for player of the year. Rapoport
is also the Cougars' all-time leading batter.
Following a 2012 campaign which led to
a Daktronics Second Team All-America berth,
Rapoport was named to this season's All-Rocky
Mountain Athletic Conference first team,
and a pair of second-team All-Region berths
by both Daktronics and the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association.
Rapoport led all Cougars hitters with a
.410 batting average, which included 13
doubles and a home run on the final day
of the regular season.
Carpenter was just named to her third all-conference
team, leading the Cardinals to their third
Mid-American Conference championship while
at the school.
In addition, Carpenter was one of 22 student-athletes
honored on the MAC All-Academic squad. She
owns a 3.27 grade-point average while majoring
in elementary education
In 2013, Carpenter was the MAC leader and
among the NCAA national leaders in doubles,
while ranking among the best in the MAC
in batting (.333) and RBI (39). She also
posted a team best 10-game hitting streak.
A four-year starter for the Cardinals,
Carpenter played in 221 of a possible 226
games over her career, making 220 starts.
A .321 career batter, which is 13th in program
history, Carpenter also ranks second in
program history with 51 career doubles,
third in total hits (228), third in RBI
(150), fourth in runs scored (142) and fourth
in home runs (21).
A historic 1997 photo of Sarah
Dawson (now Kerr)
when she captured Southland Conference pitcher
of the year laurels after leading the Redhawks
to
their lone NCAA Torurnament berth. She was just
honored on the conference's 50th anniversary team
as its first-team pitcher. (ULM courtesy photo)
Kerr, the former Christian High standout, was named
the Southland Conference's all-time pitcher as part
of its 50th anniversary team. Pitching for Northeast
Louisiana University (now Louisiana-Monroe), she established
records which still stand today while powering the Redhawks
to their lone NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997.
"The Southland Conference has a storied softball
history, and our collective success is a big part of
the Conference's 50th anniversary celebration,"
said conference commissioner Tom Burnett. "All
members, past and present, have played a big role in
our competitive and academic achievements."
In her ULM career, Kerr was a four-time all-Southland
choice from 1994-97, and was the 1994 and 1997 Player
of the Year, and earned 1996 and 1997 all-Tournament
honors. She is the Southland and ULM's all-time wins
leader in a season (45) and career (120), and also holds
the circuit's strikeout marks in a season (445) and
career (1,280) among many other marks.
Sarah (Dawson) Kerr
Following her college career, she was the most dominate
pitcher in NPF's debut season for the Orlando Wahoos,
ranking No. 1 in wins (30) and saves (4) and second in
shutouts, complete games, earned run average and opponent's
batting average.
In 2013, Kerr served as an assistant coach at NC-Greensboro,
helping the program amass 38 victories which is the
third highest total in school history. Previously, she
served 10 seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech, qualifying
for a record-tying seven consecutive Western Athletic
Conference tournaments.
Her mother, ROMA DAWSON, was the long-time head coach
at Christian High who guided the Patriots to 10 CIF
championship games, claiming four San Diego Section
championships.
As a player, the second baseman also captured the 1964
ASA national championship earning induction into the
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum's Class of 1993,
which also featured a Rose Bowl champion football team
from the University of Oregon.
The awards were selected by NFCA member coaches in
each of the five regions, and all 133 student-athlete
honorees from across the country are eligible to be
named to the NFCA NAIA All-American Teams, which will
be announced June 4.
Leading the way for the Cougars on the West Region
first team were outfielder KAITLIN McGINLEY, a Valhalla
High alum, and pitcher Cortney Allen.
McGinley hit above .400 for the second straight season,
going 67-for-167 (.401) with 42 stolen bases in 43 attempts.
Her stolen base total was the fourth best in the NAIA,
and her 7 triples ranked third nationally.
Allen finished the year 34-7 with a 1.12 ERA in 249.2
innings pitched, striking out 203 batters. The senior
from Elk Grove, Calif. was second in the NAIA in wins,
was a part of 14 shutouts, and allowed opponents to
just a .196 batting average against.
CSUSM also had three players make the second team All-West
Region. First baseman ALEX MILLER led the Cougars with
a .435 batting average and a team high four homeruns.
However, the slugger from West Hills High also led the
entire NAIA in doubles with 23 — a goal she set
out to achieve at the beginning of the season. Miller
also walked 26 times compared to just 10 strikeouts,
giving her a .507 on base percentage.
Randle, a junior left fielder, led the Bulldogs with
a .373 batting average (.467 in MVC action) and 41 RBI,
the third-highest total in school history.
She closed the season with hits in 16 of Drake's final
17 ballgames, including an 8-for-8 effort in a series
with Illinois State , which featured two home runs,
a triple, three runs scored and four RBI to sweep the
Redbirds.
Drake (29-20) finished with six honorees, evenly divided
between the first and second teams.
Randle was a three-time All-East County performer,
including a first team berth as a junior in 2009, when
the Cougars captured a second straight league crown.
The host Broncos (8-45, 5-19) were able to take
the season finale, 5-4, as USD (24-29, 9-15) split
the 4-game series.
With her eight strikeouts, Coleman (13-13), who
now has 455 career strikeouts, surpassed Jennifer
Ellenbeck (447 Ks; 2007-10) for first place on
the career strikeout list.
Coleman entered the season as the CIF San Diego
Section career strikeout leader, until surpasses
by El Capitan's DELANIE GOURLEY, who will pitch
for Florida next season.
USD got started right off the bat in game one
by pushing across a pair of runs in the top of
the first on an RBI double by Chloe Kaneko and
an RBI single by Christian High product MARY GRABOWSKI.
The Toreros increased their lead to 3-0 in the
top of the third when Lauren Tomey doubled to
left-center, bringing home former Granite Hills
standout MORGAN JURTZ.
With Coleman in control in the circle, USD's
offense kept adding on. The Toreros plated another
two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI single
down the left field line by Tomey and an RBI double
to right-center by Grabowski.
CSU-San Marcos' Alex Miller
gains All-Academic honors. (CSUSM courtesy photo)
Miller, a junior, is no stranger to athletic success,
having led the Cougars to back-to-back NAIA Final Four
appearances and having been named a 2nd Team NAIA All-American
each of the past two seasons.
Currently, Miller leads the Cougars in batting average
(.429), on-base percentage (.505), and slugging percentage
(.629), as well as runs scored (51), doubles (22), homeruns
(4), and walks (23). She is also 13-for-13 in stolen
base attempts.
She's no slouch in the classroom either, boasting a
3.41 grade point average as a Human Development major
at CSUSM. Miller is currently in Columbus, Ga. for the
NAIA National Championships after leading the Cougars
to three straight wins in the opening round after going
8-for-9 (.888) with three walks and seven RBI.
Miller, a junior shortstop, has been named to the Capital
One Academic All-District Team, it was announced Friday
(May 3) by College Sports Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA). The citation, which covers District 8 (Alaska
, California , Hawaii , Oregon , Washington and Canada),
now qualifies Miller for consideration to the Academic
All-America Team, which will be released May 29.
The CSUSM career leader in doubles (58), Miller has
twice been a first team A.I.I. Conference selection
and has led the Cougars to back-to-back NAIA Final Four
appearances. In addition, she has been awarded second
team NAIA All-American recognition for each of the last
two years.
Currently, Miller leads the No. 5 Cougars in batting
average (.404), on-base percentage (.478), and slugging
percentage (.584), as well as runs scored (47), doubles
(20), homeruns (3), and walks (23). She is also 13-for-13
in stolen base attempts.
Miller also excels in the classroom, boasting a 3.41
grade point average as a human development major at
CSUSM.
McGinley led the 5th-ranked Cougars to a 9-3 record
in April by hitting .460 (17-for-37) at the plate with
three doubles, two triples and 10 stolen bases in 11
games. She also racked up 10 runs and seven RBI on the
month, and went 4-4 against Hope International to help
clinch head coach Dave Williams'700th career victory.
For the season, the speedster is hitting .392 and is
3rd in the NAIA in steals with 39 steals in as many
attempts. She also ranks 6th in the NAIA in triples
with six. On top of that, McGinley has a 13/7 BB/K ratio,
and is a skilled defender with excellent range and a
strong arm in the outfield.
A second-team NAIA All-American in 2012, McGinley was
also named to the A.I.I. All-Conference Team for the
second straight season on Wednesday. The official release
can be found on the San Diego Hall of Champions website.
Other notable Breitbard Award winners from this month
are Major League Baseball players Chris Denorfia (San
Diego Padres) and Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles).
Hunyady, a junior utility player, posted a big week
in six ballgames (five starts), batting a cool .467
(7-for-15), with a double and three RBI for the Hawks.
In three seasons on the West Hills varsity, Hunyady
always batted at least .300, with a best of .354 as
a senior in 2010.
Stalford's first citation came after earninh 3 wins
and a save as Vanguard won all four contests in which
she pitched. The right=handed pitcher earned a save
in her first outing of the week and allowed just one
run in 19 innings of work while striking out 8 batters
Three weeks later for the Lions, Stalford tossed a
complete game shutout against Hope International and
recorded 5 strikeouts on the week. Then she allowed
only 3 hits in the 5-0 win over the Royals. She also
held No. 3-ranked Cal State San Marcos to just 1 run
in 6 innings of a 1-0 loss.
USD's Mary Grabowski
goes yard twice – both
game-winners – over the
weekend at Saint Mary's. (USD courtesy photo)
Grabowski smacks game-winning HRs on consecutive days
On Friday (Mar. 29), USD had just allowed a 5th-inning
run to the Gaels to open the scoring, but Grabowski
answered in the 6th with a 3-run homer to take the
lead in a contest won by the Toreros, 4-1.
One day later, Grabowski
belted a 2-run shot in the 9th inning to make a
winner of USD pither JENNY
LAHITTE (Granite Hills) in a 4-2 triumph over Saint
Mary's on Saturday (Mar. 30). Lahiite was tagged for
a pair fo early runs, then closed with a solid effort,
firing 8.1 innings of shutout ball.
The blasts gave USD (17-18, 2-6) splits in both doubleheaders.
The Toreros return to action on Wed,, Apr. 3, when
they travel across town to play San Diego State at 6 p.m.
CSUSM softball keeps winning, yet drops to No. 2 in
nation
In the association's first coaches' poll of the regular
season, Southland rival Concordia University of Irvine
assumed the top spot, although CSUSM gathered more first-place
votes than the Eagles.
Concordia still collected four more voting points than
the Cougars, 560-556, following its 25-2 start. They
started the season at No. 5; San Marcos drops to No.
2
Rounding out the top five are No. 3 Lee (Tenn.), No.
4 Rogers State (Okla.) and No. 5 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.).
CSUSM hosts three doubleheaders next week, March 26-28,
against Simpson (Calif.), Columbia College (Mo.) and
Hope International, respectively. First pitch for each
contest is 2:00 p.m.
The NAIA top-ranked Cougars (20-3) ran their winning
streak to 11 after blanking both William Jessup, 2-0,
and host Biola, 8-0, at Freedom Field.
In game one, Valhalla alum KAITLIN McGINLEY scored
the first run on a run-scoring single by Olivia Lucatuorto,
who leads the ballclub with her 27th RBI of the season.
McGinley reached base with a 1-out single, then moved
into scoring position with her 20th stolen base in as
many attempts this season.
Miller added an insurance run with an RBI in the 6th,
as Allen tossed a 5-hit shutout.
Against Biola, CSUSM scored five times in the 1st en
route to a run-run victory.
Brogan Hoenisch went 2-for-3 with a bases loaded triple
and tallied four RBI, while Miller added two hits and
two RBI to back Allen (16-1), who leads the natiol in
victories.
The Cougars will put both their 11 game winning streak
and 27-game home winning streak on the line as they
host William Woods (Mo.) Monday at 2 p.m. at the CSUSM
Softball Field.
And former Helix High all-state player CLAUDETTE SMITH
is one of Howard's key performers.
Now using her full name of Claudette Tanabe-Smith,
the starting outfielder is batting a solid .365, but
her power numbers are even more impressive. The former
All-East County standout already has six home runs and
five doubles among her 19 hits lifting her slugging
percentage to a mere .808.
In addition, former West Hills standout MICHERIE KORIA
ranks among the Hawks' leaders, too. The Howard shortstop
has posted 19 stolen bases in 17 starts, and even owns
a home run, her first at a school program since her
freshman year with the Wolf Pack in 2007.
Koria was twice tabbed to the All-East County team,
including a first-team berth as a catcher in 2010, the
same season twin sister FAITH KORIA gained the same
honor playing second base for West Hills.
University of San Diego starting
pitcher Jenny Lahitte (USD courtesy photo)
Lahitte settled in after allowing a 1st-inning run.
After allowing a triple and an RBI single to open the
ballgame, she blanked the Bulldogs on just two additional
hits over seven innings, striking out four.
Meanwhile, the Toreros (2-2) rebounded with RBI singles
by second baseman Danielle Mavridis and center fieler
Dana Prelsnik, who knocked in Christian High alum MARY
GRABOWSKI in te 2nd for what proved to be the winning
run.
The Bulldogs threatened in the 3rd, but Lahitte was
able to strand Fresno State runners on second and third
to end the inning and preserve the lead.
Helping lead the Toros charge is starting center
fielder CATHERINE
BROWN, who has started in all 10 ballgames after
transferring from Concordia. The El Capitan High
grad is batting .289 for Dominguez Hills, including
a 2-for-3 outing against Dixie State.
The Physical Therapy major transferred after
helping Concordia post the best record in school
history.
Also on the Toros roster is Patrick Henry High
product LAUREN
HARPER, one of the team's two starting pitchers.
She's 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA.
Miller's day included a double, a stolen base,
three runs and a trio of RBI by the center fielder
for CSUSM (7-2) in the ballclub's home openers.
Meanwhile, Allen struck out five of the first
six batters she faced en route to retiring all
15 Golden Eagles batters she faced.
The perfect game was the Cougars' first at home
since All-American BRENNA SANDBERG (another West
Hills graduate) defeated Emerson College in March
2011.
Hosting McNesse State, Christian High alum MARY
GRABOWSKI, the 2011 East County player of
the year, starting the campaign with a bang, driving
in USD's first run of the season with an RBI double
to left-center field.
In game two, Santee resident CASSIDY
COLEMAN (Horizon HS) tossed a 5-hit shutout
in a 2-0 triumph. She overcame six walks with
five strikeouts, including one after McNeese State
loaded the bases in the 5th inning.
CSU San Marcos opens campaign ranked No. 1 in NAIA
Included was an impressive 4-hit shutout of Chico State,
an NCAA Division II school, in a 4-0 win. The Cougars
(2-1) also defeated Holly Names, then fell to San Francisco
State.
Among East County players, centerfielder ALEX MILLER
(West Hills) walked to load the bases for NAIA second-team
All-America outfielder KAITLIN McGINLEY, who snapped
the scoreless tie with a 2-run single.
Miller later added a 2-run double in an 8-1 win over
Holy Names.
Meanwhile, Chico State went 0-3 on Day One following
the loss of a pair of seniors in team batting champion
BRITT WRIGHT (Grossmont College, .384) and RACHEL FAILLA
(Santana).
The starting second baseman batted .313 this season,
including .394 during her hot streak to close the
season, as Elliott, the team's leadoff hitter, advanced
to within one game of the Sooner Athletic Conference
Tournament championship round, held at the Hall of Fame
Stadium Complex in Oklahoma City.
Starting in all 52 ballgames this season for OCU (35-17
overall, 14-12 SAC), Elliott ranked among the team's
leaders in almost every offense category, including
first in sacrifices.
Elliott was a three-time member of the All-East County
team, including a first team berth as a senior in 2011.
2012 Season Round-Up of locals at NCAA Division I schools
Brown was one of 10 members of the Harvard class of
2012 were honored at the annual Senior Letterwinners'
Dinner at histroic Murr Center, taking home the Radcliffe
Prize as Harvard's outstanding female athlete.
Meanwhile, Harvard assistant coach CARRI (LETO) MARTIN,
who starred at Valhalla and Northwestern before becoming
a National Pro Fastpitch All-Star second baseman, delivered
a baby girl last week, reports her father NICK LETO,
for whom the Norsemen diamond is named after (along
with his wife).
LOUISIANA TECH:MELANIE
GOFF (Mira Mesa/Grossmont College) was named first
team All-Western Athletic Conference, making 44 starts
between shortstop, third base and pitcher.
The junior batted .409 – the second-ever Lady Techster
to bat over .400 – with 47 hits in 115 at bats,
including 14 doubles, one triple and two home runs.
Goff also set a WAC Tournament single game record by
scoring five times in a 17-7 win over Fresno State .
In her Division I pitching debut against nationally
ranked Michigan , Goff allowed only one hit and no runs
in 3.0 innings of action.
For her efforts, Goff was voted the Louisiana Sports
Writers Association State Co-Newcomer of the Year by
a panel of media and sports publicists after earning
a first team all-state citation at the utility position
by LSWA.
For her efforts, Goff was voted the Louisiana Sports
Writers Association State Co-Newcomer of the Year by
a panel of media and sports publicists after earning
a first team all-state citation at the utility position
by LSWA.
The Lady Techsters are coached by former Christian
High standout SARAH DAWSON, who later became National
Pro Fastpitch MVP.
WISC.-GREEN BAY:AMANDA
OMAHEN (Granite Hills) led the Fighting Phoenix
(23-27) in home runs, RBI and runs scored to cap her
senior year. Included was a 5-RBI outing against St.
Peter's on Mar. 14, then a 4-for-4 game with a pair
of homers against Butler on Apr. 14. For the season,
Omahen batted .285 in 43 starts, as the ballclub overcame
a 1-8 start to nearly finish at .500.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE:AMANDA
GRABLE (Santana) started in all 60 games at third
base for the Bison (38-22), advancing to the NCAA Tucson
regional, where they defeated Hawai'i (featuring former
Mountain Empire standout KELLY MAJAM ), and fell to
Notre Dame and the host Arizona Wildcats.
Grable batted .269, and was among the team leaders
in almost every offensive category, including first
home runs (9) in walks. The ballclub qualified for the
NCAA Tournament after capturing the Horizon League tournament
title for the fourth consecutive season.
COASTAL CAROLINA: JAZMIN
DAIGLE (Steele Canyon), a junior third baseman for
the Chanticleer’s (school record 44-20), batted
.269 in 46 starts this season, finishing second in stolen
bases.
Balough blossoms in Tennessee, named NAIA All-America
Balough, a senior, won 25 games against just three
losses, with an earned run average of 1.26. She also
received the same honor from CoSIDA, a national group
of college athletics public relations representatives.
Balough helped the Lady Flames gain a berth in the
NAIA Tournament, then was solid in her lone appearance
at the event, working a five-inning complete game, allowing
no runs on just two hits, while striking out four and
walking none.
Over her four-year career at Lee, Balough has pitched
in 110 games, 80 of those as a starter. She has accumulated
a 66-22 record and an ERA of 2.09. Her .750 winning
percentage is tops in Lee program history (minimum 50
decisions), while her career ERA is fourth best in Lee
history.
Earlier this season, Balough was named Southern States
Athletic Conference (SSAC) All-Conference, plus was
honored in the classroom as a member of the SSAC All-Academic
team.
Carpenter batted .335 in the regular season, ranking
among the team leaders in almost every major offensive
category. She started in all 55 Ball State ballgames
this year, yet did not commit an error on defense.
She also led the team in stolen bases, while her one
home run was a grand slam. Her 58 total hits rank 10th
in the conference.
Ball State teammate Jennifer Gilbert became just the
fifth player in Cardinals history to earn MAC Player
of the Year,
The Cardinals, the regular season MAC champions, enter
Thursday's opening of the conference tournament as the
top seeds, facing either No. 4 Ohio, No. 5 Western Michigan
or No. 8 Toledo after receiving a first-round bye.
Rapoport, CCU, place second at RMAC Waiting begins for NCAA Division II bid
Rapoport, the center fielder and leadoff batter, went
2-for-4 in the opener, yet CCU was drubbed by Neb.-Kearney,
7-0. However, Colorado Christian rebounded to whip the
host Orediggers (6-4), Regis (13-3), a rematch with
Neb.-Kearney (5-0), and Colorado Mesa (6-1) to reach
the championship round.
Rapoport's best outing was a 2-for-3 effort against
Regis, which featured a run and two RBI, including a
sacrifice fly.
In Saturday's (Apr. 28) final of the double-elimination
event, CCU defeated the Skyhawks, 4-3, to gain a playback
final, but Fort Lewis still gained the automatic entry
to next week's NCAA Division II regional in Sioux Falls,
S.D.
Colorado Christian, a first-year program, will wait
until Monday's announcement for at-large berths to the
regional, which will include a total of eight teams
from the RMAC and the Northern Sun Conference.
Rapoport, the leadoff batter, led all RMAC hitters
with a .482 batting average – also the fourth-best
nationally among NCAA Division II schools. The sophomore
pitcher/outfielder also ranked among the national leaders
in hits and runs scored.
She clinched the batting title by going 6-for-8 over
the weekend in a doubleheader split with Colorado-Colorado
Springs.
"What else can I say about Hannah? She was on
fire again today to wrap up the conference batting title,"
said Cougars head coach Daven Bond.
Colorado Christian also received the No. 4 seed to
the RMAC Championships, meeting Neb.-Kearney in Thursday's
first-round pairing. The tournament will be held at
Regis University in Denver.
However, when the catcher's throw to first base sailed
toward what seemed like Canada, Adame was almost caught
by surprise.
“I was in shock,” Adame recalled after reaching
second base. “As soon as I’d seen (head coach
Kristen Fleury) waving me around, I was like, ‘OK,
this is what you want? Alright.’”
Adame not only scored the game-tying run, her Blue
Hawks went on to an
8-3 victory over Black Hills State in Monday's (Apr.
9) game at Gress Softball Complex. It was the team's
sixth consecutive victory.
Following a slow start, Adame is enjoying her senior
season in the Dakotas . Dickinson State (19-15) is a
perfect 4-0 and in first place in the Dakota Athletic
Conference. Her big weekend raised her batting average
over .300.
Against Valley City State (N.D.), Adame drove in two
runs in the first game of a doubleheader, then belted
a 2-run homer in a 2-for-3 performance, with two runs
and a career-high three RBI, in the second contest.
After just two collegiate homers entering the season,
Adame now has four bombs this season. She is also just
12 hits shy of 200 in her career with the Blue Hawks.
Rapoport, a pitcher/outfielder, had a monster week
at the plate, going 15-for-22 (.681) with fire runs
and five RBI, lifting Colorado Christian University
to within one full game of first place Fort Lewis (Colo.)
in the RMAC standings after a 4-game sweep of Colorado
State-Pueblo as she posted multiple hits in each contest.
She also pitched a shutout against Regis College of
Denver.
For the season, Rapoport is batting .696 this season,
ranking among the NCAA Division II national leaders.
The pair helped guide the Cardinals to a 3-1 record
at last weekend's Miami Invitational as BSU out-hit
its opponents .304 to .212, while posting a 1.62 team
ERA compared to an 8.12 mark for opposing pitchers.
"Amanda and Audrey played key roles in our success
at the Miami Invitational," said Ball State head
coach Craig Nicholson. "Amanda had a great weekend
and came through with some big hits for us. Audrey turned
in a dominating performance versus Dayton and really
set the tone for how we competed the rest of the weekend."
Carpenter, who earns MAC Player of the Week honors
for the second time in her career, led the Ball State
offense with a .467 batting average over the four games
at the Miami Invitational. She finished the tournament
7-for-15, with three multi-base hits including a pair
of home runs.
Her two long balls, both coming versus Loyola, moved
her into a tie for fourth all-time in program history
with 14 career home runs. Carpenter's home run in the
second game versus the Ramblers drove in what proved
to be the game-winning run.
Carpenter scored six runs in the four games to climb
from sixth to fourth in program history with 96 career
runs scored. She also finished the tournament with five
RBI to raise her career total to 92 which ranks fifth
in program history.
Hallahan, Stalford capture East County alumni battle
Hallahan, the leading hitter for the Lions this season,
recorded her hit off the Braves' ASHLEY RENALDI, the
former Grossmont High pitcher who is the career strikeout
leader for Ottawa.
In the second game of the teams' doubleheader, another
former Grossmont standout, RACHEL STALFORD, pitched
a complete game in a 2-1 verdict to complete the sweep.
Stalford, the 2011 East County pitcher of the year
for the CIF Division I champion Foothillers, also drove
in the winning run with a triple when Vanguard (22-15)
scored twice in the bottom of the 5th to offset a 1st-inning
run by Ottawa (11-14).
Grossmont High coach Jerry Lerud
witnessed two alums,
Vanguard's Rachel Stalford (GHS '11) and Ottawa's
Ashley
Renaldi (GHS '08), pitch against each other last
Saturday.
"It made a happy coach very proud to see
how well these two are doing," said Lerud.
"It's the first time in my 17 years to have
two players from GHS throwing against each other." (Grossmont High courtesy photos)
Vanguard's Rachel Stalford
Ottawa's Ashley Renaldi
Braves softball visits The OC Former Foothillers collide in Saturday doubleheader
Included will be a Saturday (Mar. 24) doubleheader
against Vanguard University, which features another
former Foothiller in RACHEL
STALFORD, plus West Hills grad TAYLOR
HALLAHAN.
Playing in the Midwest, Renaldi sometimes gets lost
among East County alumni, but Ottawa coaches know about
her value.
In three seasons with the Braves, Renaldi ranks among
the best in batting averaging (.373), and is second
in career pitching victories.
Last season, despite missing half of the season due
to injury, she still gained a second team berth on the
All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference team for the
third consecutive season.
Meanwhile, Hallahan is the top hitter for Vanguard
with a .358
batting average, along with 13 stolen bases in as
many attempts. Stalford is second on the Lions with
a .346 avg, and is also their top pitcher with
an 8-3 record and a 1.04 ERA.
Mar. 20: USD pitcher Jenny Lahitte
earned
her second PCSC pitcher of the week citation. (Photo by Suzy
Lahitte)
The Cougars (28-2) garnered 11 of 20 first-place votes,
gaining its first-ever appearance as the nation's top-ranked
program, placing among the national leaders in both
pitching (1.04 ERA) and offense (201 runs scored).
Three of the top four hitters for CSUSM hail from East
County. The batting average leader is ALYSSA DRONENBERG
(Helix), with a .476, with her 8 homers boosting her
slugging percentage to .991. Meanwhile, ALEX MILLER
(West Hills) is 1-2 in opposite categories. Her batting
average is a solid .407, but with a team-best 13 doubles,
her slugging percentage is an even 1.000.
In addition, KAITLIN McGINLEY (Valhalla) is tied for
fourth with a .360 mark and is 22-for-22 in stolen base
attempts.
Elsewhere in the NAIA rankings, Concordia (Ore.), featuring
former Christian High standout ALLI GUNTER, is among
the honorable mention. Gunter, a sophomore, is battng
.371 while leading her ballclub in runs scored.
Rapoport, a sophomore who starts in centerfield, went
2-for-5 with an RBI and scored twice in the second game
for CCU (15-12,11-3 RMAC).
On Mar. 4, Gentry, a freshman, won her first decision
of the season by defeating Colo.-Colorado Springs. Since
then, Western (11-20, 6-12 RMAC) has dropped 10 in a row.
The ballclubs are slated to play another doubleheader
(weather pending) on Sunday.
Failla, Wright, aid Chico State explosion
Failla, an All-East County performer when leading the
Sultans to the San Diego CIF Division III crown in 2008,
started her senior with the Wildcats in style, smashing
a pair of home runs against the Lady Jacks, moving within
a bomb for third place on the school's career list.
For the season, Failla, a four-year starter at first
base, is batting .395.
Also on the Chico State roster is former Grossmont
College standout BRITT
WRIGHT, who bats leadoff and plays in right field.
Wright is batting at a .410 clip, ranking second on
the ballclub in stolen bases and third in total hits
despite missing five contests.
On Thursday (Feb. 23), the Cougars will meet the best
team in the nation in an exhibition ballgame, facing
the USSSA Pride, defending champions of Women's Pro
Fastpitch.
The Pride (30-9 last summer) feature several former
Olympians and NCAA All-Americans, including gold medalist
and NCAA career ERA leader Cat Osterman, as well as
4-time NCAA All American and Olympic gold medalist Jessica
Mendoza.
The Cougars will also have to face reigning NPL batting
champion Natasha Watley, who hit .459 last year at the
plate. Dueling against CSUSM on the mound will be Danielle
Lawrie, a two-time NCAA Player of the Year award winner.
The contest will take place at Yankee Stadium of the
Big League Dreams Sports Park, starting at 8 p.m. CSU
San Marcos is 11-2 this season.
Following a close 6-5 loss to No. 9 Tennessee, the
Aztecs bounced back to take down No. 23 Georgia Tech,
3-2, as Klopp drove in all three runs for SDSU (3-2).
Klopp's first at-bat against the Yellow Jackets was
a deep, 2 -run homer to also bring home Hayley Miles
(double), giving the Steele Canyon High product her
school-record 18th of her career. She eclipsed the career
record formerly held by four-year players Megan McDonald
(2005-08) and Erryn Gutjahr (1996-99).
By the way, Klopp is just five games into her second
season with the Aztecs.
Georgia Tech, which earlier defeated No. 8 Arizona,
eventually tied the ballgame. However, Klopp delivered
the game-winning hit in the 6th inning, bombing a double
to score freshman Kayla Jordan (Bonita Vista).
The Aztecs conclude the tournament against No. 11 Oregon
on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MT.
Another season, another Dronenburg bomb Helix alum's 40th career HR is game-winner
in Cal State San Marcos' season opener
Dronenburg, the former Helix High standout, belted a game-winning,
2-run homer Saturday (Feb. 4), leading the Coyotes to
a 3-2 verdict over Cal State Dominquez Hills at the Bank
of the West Tournament.
Her 3rd-inning blast snapped a 1-1 deadlock for the first
baseman's 40th career homer.
Later in the day, CS San Marcos (3-0) also defeated tournament
host Cal State Stanislaus, 5-3, and San Francisco State,
7-3, to complete a sweep of NCAA Division II programs.
The Coyotes are ranked second nationally in the NAIA.
For the day, Dronenburg batted 3-for-9 at Pedretti FIeld.
She is the three-time reigning offensive player of the
year among NAIA independent programs.
CS San Marcos also features two other East County products
in sophomores ALEX
"High Life" MILLER (West Hills), a second-team
All-America selection last spring, and center fielder
KAITLIN
McGINLEY (Valhalla).
Scott, a freshman catcher for Harvard, initially earned
a second-team, All-Ivy League berth, then out-voted
the senior catcher from Penn to gain the regional award.
The honor also included an automatic berth for consideration
to the All-America team.
Scott ranked seventh among all Ivy players with a .421
batting average, leading all conference catchers in
slugging (.877), home runs, doubles, RBI and total bases.
On defense, the left-handed catcher also led all conference
backstops in fielding percentage (.993), put outs, assists,
fewest errors and fewest stolen bases allowed.
Along with capturing the
school's fifth Ivy League championship, and with
it an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Championship,
the Crimson set a record with their 36th victory of
the season. All of this occurred after Scott stepped
on campus and took over as starting catcher as a freshman.
Scott led all Ivy catchers on both offense and defense.
Along with a near-perfect .993 fielding percentage,
she finished seventh among all Ivy batters with a .421
average, tying for second place in home runs (8), doubles
(8) and slugging percentage (.877).
Scott also drove in a pair of runs during the final
game of the Ivy Championship Series, a 4-0 triumph over
Cornell, to sweep the best-of-3 series.
The NCAA Tournament selection show will take place
this Sunday (May 15).
Balough, a senior for Lee University , hit an even
.400 entering the SSAC conference tournament, leading
the team with 10 home runs and 44 runs batted in.
The Lady Flames had three players named to the All-Division
Team, including junior BRITTANY
BALOUGH.
Both sisters also were SSAC All-Academic performers,
with Brittany also gaining a national NAIA scholar-athlete
berth.
But where do you stay if you're a club rowing program
without the funding of a regular varsity outfit?
For the 22 members of the Gauchos rowing team, you
stay at the Kasden residence in La Mesa.
"I heard it was pretty wild, with people sleeping
everywhere," said Foothillers softball coach JERRY
LERUD. "I guess they were filling every nook and
cranny at her parents' house."
However, after posting a time of 7:04.60 to win by
more than six seconds over the closest competitor in
the race, no one was complaining. Meanwhile, Kasden,
an All-East County second team centerfielder last season,
competed in the Novice 'B' final, finishing second to
USD.
Over 25 innings of work, Taynton struck out 23 batters
in leading the Matadors to three victories. Taynton
allowed just two earned runs in a 10-5 triumph over
Scottsdale , and a pair of unearned runs in a 4-2 decision
over Paradise Valley among her victories.
As a senior for the Vaqueros in 2010, Taynton posted
a solid 5-2 record and 1.33 earned-run average while
pitching behind freshman standout DELANIE GOURLEY. Included
were 56 strikeouts in only 42 innings. Taynton also
batted .276 and ranked second on the ballclub in triples.
Wright, Grossmont College's All-Pacific Coast Conference
standout last season, started her Wildcats career by
collecting six hits, three stolen bases and a pair of
RBI on the first day of the season-opening Best of the
West Invitational on Feb. 5.
Through seven contests for Chico State (5-2), Wright,
the leadoff-hitting right fielder, leads all Wildcats
with a .476 batting average and five stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Failla came through big following a 3-week
break due to the weather, posting the best effort of
her collegiate career in Sunday's (Feb. 27) California
Collegiate Athletic Association opening doubleheader
against Cal State Stanislaus.
Failla, the Wildcats first baseman out of Santana High,
went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored
in a 17-7 verdict. The four hits were a career best,
raising her average to .286.
Although February has yet to turn into March, Cal State
San Marcos already announced its athletes
of the month for the year's shortest month, with
West Hills High product ALEX
MILLER among the honorees.
The freshman second baseman hit .513 for the month
of February, starting in all 13 of her team’s games.
Miller leads the squad with 20 hits, 18 RBI, 14 runs
scored and 8 doubles.
Most recently, Miller blasted two home runs –
including a grand slam – as part of a 7 RBI performance
in the team’s home opener in a doubleheader sweep
of Mayville State, 10-0 and 17-1.
Weekly Honors
PORTLAND, Ore. (2-25-11) — Former Christian High
standout ALLISON
GUNTER, a freshman at Concordia (Ore.), was named
the Cascade Collegiate Conference pitcher of the year
for the period ending Feb. 20.
Gunter, an All-East County selection last season, led
the Cavaliers go 4-0 at the Northwest Cup in Clackamas,
Ore., over the weekend.
On Saturday, Gunter came on in relief in two games
and notched wins in both outings. In nine innings of
work, Gunter allowed seven hits, no earned runs, walked
two and struck out nine.
She also was 8 of 14 (.571) at the plate, scoring a
team-high six runs and was 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts
during the tourney.
Golden Griffins in Oklahoma
ALVA, Okla. (2-25-11) — The 4-year college career
for former Granite Hills High and Grossmont College
standout KYLEE
WILSON was triumphant.
Wilson, now the starting catcher for Northwestern Oklahoma
State, saw her Rangers sweep a season-opening doubleheader
from Tabor College ( Kan. ) on Monday (Feb. 21). The
next day, during a Sooner Athletic Conference opening
twinbill against nationally-ranked Oklahoma Christian,
the junior added a double.
Meanwhile, KATIE
THOMAS, WIlson's former Griffins teammate, is the
starting Rangers third baseman. In the opener against
Tabor, Thomas (Santana) batted 2-for-2 and scored twice
in an 8-0 victory.
Out of the gate, Thomas leads the Rangers with a .500
average, with including doubles on three of her four
hits for a .876 slugging percentage.
Other Notes: Former Santana standout SHAE
BASS, the 2006 and 2007 East County pitcher of the
year, is reported to have left Michigan State and is
now living with her mother in Montana... In Finnish,
the month February is called helmikuu, meaning
"month of the pearl." When snow melts on tree
branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again,
they are like pearls of ice.
San Diego State freshman Lorena
Klopp. (Courtesy, SDSU media relations)
Klopp, a two-time All-CIF state selection with the
Cougars, slugged a home run and drove in five runs,
plus gained a pitching triumph, helping the Aztecs to
a pair of victories Saturday (Feb. 12) in the season-opening
Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at UCLA.
The Aztecs (3-0), who are receiving votes in both the
USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls, run-ruled
Utah State, 10-1, in five innings in the first game,
then downed Central Florida, 5-1, in the nightcap.
In the opener against the Aggies (0-3), Klopp wrapped
up a six-run, second inning for SDSU with a two-run
homer over the center field fence. It was the second
consecutive game that Klopp homered, also going deep
in Friday's season debut triumph over North Dakota State.
Klopp (1-0) earned the win for the Aztecs, allowing
one run on three hits and two walks over four innings.
She struck out two Utah State batters.
In the second game, SDSU spotted the Knights a 1st-inning
score, and then scored five unanswered runs. State loaded
the bases with one out in the 3rd, then Klopp cleared
them with a double to left field. She now has 6 RBI
in her first three collegiate outings.
SDSU wraps up tournament play with games Sunday (Feb.
13) against Utah State (11:30 a.m.) and the host, top-ranked
and defending national champion UCLA Bruins (2 p.m.).
Also special in Silver City Meanwhile, former Christian High standout RICKI
GENTRY opened her collegiate career by being named Western
New Mexico University's student-athlete of the week
for the period ending Feb. 13.
Gentry registered an on-base percentage of .500 during
the Mustangs' appearance at the Desert Stinger Classic
in Las Vegas. Included was a 3-for-3 outing against
Lewis University, then Gentry belted home runs against
Western Oregon and St. Edward's.
For the season, Gentry, the designated player, leads
Western New Mexico (2-9) with a .450 batting average.
Sandberg, a West Hills High product, was joined by
Cougars infielders ALYSSA
DRONENBURG (Helix) and ALEX
MILLER (West Hills) on the all-tournament team.
Dronenburg, one of the NAIA's top hitters last season,
is off to a .563 start, with a home run and 9 RBI. Meanwhile,
Miller is batting .471, with a pair of doubles and 5
RBI.
Cal State San Marcos (5-1) can make a dent in the national
rankings this week, traveling to Hawai'i to meet reigning
NCAA Division II national champion Hawai'i Pacific on
Wednesday (Feb. 9), followed by contests with BYU Hawai'i
and Chaminade. All three are scheduled as doubleheaders.
Gaining second-team berths are Lee (Tenn.) infielder
DANIELLE BALOUGH (Santana) and Cal
State San Marcos pitcher BRENNA SANDBERG (West Hills),
while Dordt (Iowa) first baseman SARAH SEYMOUR (Christian)
received an honorable mention citation.
Balough powered Lee to a remarkable 57-5 overall record,
as the school advanced to within a game of the NAIA
Elite Eight at the national finals. She batted .410
with 11 homers and 59 RBI for one of the most proficient
offenses in NAIA history (403-121 advantage in runs;
.351 team batting average).
Meanwhile, Johana Gomez, Balough's teammate for the
Lady Flames, edged Sandberg for national pitcher of
the year accolades. Gomez posted a 30-1 record while
also batting .516 for Lee.
Sandberg pitched the Cougars to its first NAIA regional
championship, also gaining a berth to the nationals.
Just like Lee, CSUSM fell one game short of the Elite
Eight after also posting a 2-1 record in pool play.
The junior pitcher led the NAIA in victories (38) and
innings pitched (328 1/3) this season to become the
first All-American in the Cougars' four-year history.
Sandberg went 38-12 with a 1.26 ERA and 318 strikeouts
this season, tossing consecutive no-hitters in the team's
first two postseason contests.
Seymour, a member of the 2007 All-East County team,
led the Defenders with a .411 batting average. She led
the ballclub in nearly every offensive category, including
school records for home runs (9) and slugging percentage
(.768), to go along with 6 triples, 46 hits and 35 RBI
(second-most in school history).
Over the final 8 games of the year (including 4 conference
tournament games), Seymour batted an even .500 (11-for-22)
for Dordt.
For her efforts, Seymour was also tabbed the Great Plains
Athletic Conference player of the year.
Lindow, a 3-year starter, helped UTM post a solid 47-11
record this season before falling in the OVC championship
game to Jacksonville State .
During the tournament awards ceremony, Lindow and two
of her teammates were named to the OVC All-Tournament
Team. It was Lindow's second such citation. She was
also named to the regular-season All-OVC select as a
first-team honoree, leading in conference in number
of runners picked-off or caught attempting to steal.
Lindow batted a solid .287 this season, ranking among
the UTM leaders in home runs (8) and RBI (39). Included
was a .375 mark during the team's 11-game winning streak
in March, then .333 over another 11-game stretch to
complete the regular season.
For her UTM career, Lindow ranks in the school Top
10 in RBI.
She is majoring in forensic geology.
The 2009 East County
Sports
Co-Players of the Year gain similar
freshman awards in college.
Daigle also gained a second-team berth on the
All-Big South team after ranking fourth in the
Big South (tops among first-year players) with
a .371 batting average.
Daigle ranks fourth in the Big South (tops among
first-year players) with a .371 batting average.
Hitting in the third spot for the Chanticleers,
the rookie leads her team in several offensive
categories, including batting average, hits (59),
doubles (9), RBI (28) and total bases (89).
Daigle registered a 14-game hitting streak during
the season, hitting .420 during the span. She
also tallied 16 multiple-hit games and seven multi-RBI
performances during her freshman campaign, including
a grand slam in her first collegiate game against
USC Upstate.
Coastal Carolina will host the 2010 Big South
Championship as the 6th seed against No. 3 Winthrop.
Carpenter ranks second on the Cardinals with
six home runs, and owns the team's fifth-highest
batting average with a .305 mark.
She is ranked No. 2 in the conference with 39
runs scored and 40 RBI. In conference play alone,
Carpenter is batting at a .324 clip and is tied
for first on the team with four home runs. Additionally,
she ranks in the top-five in the MAC in three
categories – runs scored, RBI and total bases.
At Santana, Carpenter established school and
East County records for doubles in a season.
Panthers slugger Jayme
Jarvis (Chapman Univ. photo by David Rubene)
Anything but a lemon Jarvis tabbed NCAA D-3 All-West Region
The sophomore designated player earned first
team honors in voting by the coaches panel, and
was the lone Panthers fastpitch player represented
among the region’s best.
Jarvis had a breakthrough year in 2010 –
her first as an everyday player – batting
.282 and tying for the team lead with four home
runs. She ranked third on the team with a .487
slugging percentage and finished with four doubles
and 14 RBI in 28 starts for Chapman (16-20).
The slugger recorded a team-best 8-game hitting
streak from March 10-22, during which she batted
.450 (9-for-20) and raised her season average
from .182 to .355.
On May 1, Jarvis blasted Chapman’s first
home run at its new home field at El Camino Real
Park – a two-run shot to left-center field
in a win over University of Dallas.
The Panthers’ pair of 9-1 victories over
Dallas placed an exclamation point on an equally
festive day where Chapman and the City of Orange
celebrated the official grand re-opening of El
Camino Real Park, followed by a ceremony for five
Panthers seniors playing in the final games of
their careers.
Jarvis is the first Chapman softball player to
earn All-Region honors since a trio of Panthers
were named to the team in 2008.
Jarvis was a two-time All-East County left fielder
for Steele Canyon, gaining first team honors as
a senior in 2008, and second team honors as a
junior in 2007.
Danielle (top) and Britti
Balough, the
sisters for Lee Univ
women's softball. (Lee U. photos)
Lee enters the week ranked second nationally
in the NAIA with a school record-tying 55 victories
in its stellar 55-4 record. Included is a mark
of 30-2 for the championship in the Southern States
Athletic Conference, then the school swept to
the title in conference
tournament with a 10-2 decision over Shorter
College in the finale.
With the crown, Lee gains the conference automatic
bid to the NAIA National Championship, set for
May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala.
Danielle owns a .419 batting average, including
10 homers and 57 RBI, ranking second among the
Lady Flames in each category.
Britty is also the No. 2 pitcher for Lee, yet
possesses a 15-2 record and a 1.82 earned-run
average.
The school enters
nationals riding a 12-game winning streak.
Lee will meet Notre Dame of Ohio in its pool-play
opener on May 20, then battle Savannah Arts (Ga.)
(May 21), followed by Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.)
(May 22), which set a record with 68 home runs
this season.
Meanwhile, Point Loma Nazarene (28-14) qualified
for its 10th appearance at nationals, while Cal
State San Marcos (38-14) is making its debut in
just its fourth season of competiiton.
Shorter and Point Loma Nazarene were placed in
the same pool along with Ottawa (Kan.) and Mid-America
Nazarene (Kan ). CSU San Marcos plays in a pool
with Union (Ky.), Mount Mercy (Iowa) and William
Carey (Miss.).
Dickinson St. (N.D.) sophomore
outfielder Vanessa
Adame (Steele Canyon HS), shown bunting against
Black Hills State, has been one of the many Blue
Hawks softball players to show improvement during
the team’s 18-game win streak. The Blue Hawks,
who won their fifth consecutive Dakota Athletic
Conference title last Sunday (May 9), open the
DAC Tournament on Saturday in Valley City, N.D. (Photo by Dustin Monke, The Dickinson Press)
Escalante, a senior who split time between catcher
and designated player, was voted by the coaches to the
second team for the third time in her four seasons with
the Tigers. She also landed berths following her freshman
and sophomore seasons.
She batted .333 this season, leading Oxy in totals
hits (22), slugging percentage (.485 in SCIAC play)
and total bases (32), including four doubles and a pair
of home runs.
Occidental concluded the season with an 8-24 overall
record, 5-19 in SCIAC games.
Sandberg, Dronenburg lead CSU San Marcos to NAIA nationals Sandberg, 2 no-hitters; Dronenburg, .500 avg.
in regional
The victory, the first regional championship in school
history, gives the 5th-ranked Cougars (38-14) an automatic
berth to the NAIA National Championships, slated to
open May 20 in Decatur, Ala.
The Clan (38-14) came out of the challengers bracket
and beat CSUSM, 5-4, to force a playback final. But
Sandberg dominated, striking out six and allowing just
five singles to the team from British Columbia.
During the tournament, Sandberg carried a stretch of
15 consecutive innings without allowing a basehit, tossing
back-to-back no-hitters against Ohio Dominican and tournament
host Houston-Victoria earlier in the double-elimination
event.
Sandberg owns an NAIA-best record of 36-10.
Meanwhile, Dronenburg fueled a 5-run rally in the 1st
inning with a hit. In the 4th, Dronenburg tripled and
scored, then the sophomore singled and register her
third run in the 6th.
In four tournament contests, Dronenburg led all hitters
by batting .500 (5-for-10) and was walked four times.
Owens, who plays in the outfield for the Sea Lions
(26-12), was the only freshman named to the All-Golden
State Athletic Conference softball team. The listing
of 18 players was voted on by GSAC coaches.
Owens leads all PNLU batters with a .347 batting
average – the 9th-best in GSAC – starting
in every contest for the Sea Lions this season.
The left-handed hitter (Owens is a righty when pitching)
also leads the conference in stolen bases with 24,
five more than second-standing AMANDA
OMAHEN (Granite Hills), an Alpine resident who
is the leading hitter (.326 average) for Vanguard
University.
The Coyotes (35-13) are led by pitcher BRENNA SANDBERG
(West Hills) and power-hitter ALYSSA DRONENBURG
(Helix).
Sandberg owns a 33-10 record and a 1.30 ERA, with
her win total leading all of NAIA national softball.
Among the junior right-hander's recent victories
was a 7-4 verdict over top-ranked Cal Lutheran last
Wednesday (Apr. 21) in Riverside.
Dronenburg owns a club-best .440 batting average
and an even more impressive .888 slugging percentage,
placing her 10th in the nation. Nearly half of the
sophomores hits go for extra bases, including 16
home runs, plus 48 RBI.
One of her homers came in back-to-back fashion with
teammate Ciera Ashman (Patrick Henry HS) in the
win over Cal Baptist.
The Coyotes earned a first-round bye in the regional,
meeting the winner between Ohio Dominican and Brithish
Columbia. on Thurs., May 6. The other half of the
draw features 2nd-seed Simon Fraser (B.C.), plus
LSU-Alexandria and host UHV.
The event winner will gain an automatic berth to
the NAIA Women's World Series, slated for May 20-26
in Decatur, Ala., although San Marcos seems a lock
for an at-large berth.
Over the weekend, the Blue Hawks (24-9, 15-3
DAC) took four games from visiting Mayville State
(N.D.). The ballclub now shares first place with
Minot State (15-3) and Jamestown College (12-2)
heading into the final week of the regular season.
Adame, the starting centerfielder who has batted
9th most of the season, took advantage of her
promotion to the top of the batting order. The
sophomore extended her hitting streak to nine
consecutive games by going 6-for-13 with a pair
of doubles and four RBI over the weekend, and
is now batting an impressive .571 (16-for-28)
during her hot streak, raising her season average
to a club-leading .402 following a 1-for-10 slow
start to the season.
Also on the Dickinson State roster is Grossmont
College product CHARNEL ZETSCH, who is red-shirting
this season.
Mountain Empire High product KELLY
MAJAM, the starting centerfielder, aided the
effort by batting 2-for-3 with three runs scored
and an RBI as the leadoff batter for first-place
Hawai'i (39-11, 17-0 Western Athletic Conference).
Majam, a red-shirt freshman, is now batting .403
this season, leading all NCAA Division I batters
with 25 home runs. When Majam hit her 24th homer
back on Apr. 17 against Louisiana Tech (coached
by former Women's Pro fastpitch MVP and Christian
High product SARAH
DAWSON), it broke the WAC single-season record.
Sat.,
May 1 UNLV at
SDSU, 1 pm
Televised on
Cox Ch. 320
PROVO, Utah (4-26-10) — Former Steele Canyon High
standout SAMANTHA
BEASLEY struck out 11 BYU batters Friday (Apr. 23),
lifting San Diego State to a 9-4 Mountain West Conference
victory over the host Cougars.
With the effort, Beasley's career-long 9th consecutive
victory, the junior set an Aztecs record for strikeouts
in a single season with 277, two more than Christina
Ross (2008). Beasley has now won 17 of her last 18 decisions
for SDSU (27-11, 5-1 MWC).
In the same contest, SDSU senior Brittany Knudsen homered
and drove in a career-high five runs, while becoming
the all-time school leader in doubles.
Former Helix High standout TERESE DIAZ established
a school record with 16 strikeouts, throwing a no-hitter
at St. Bonaventure in a 7-0 victory.
Diaz, a sophomore, smashed the old Bulls strikeout
mark, which was just 12 since the school gained NCAA
Division I status for the 2000 season, in tossing her
first shutout of the season (third career).
In addition to her pitching, Diaz is tied for the club
lead in home runs, and tied for second in triples in
just 74 at bats.
The 2009 Player of the Year in the Pacific Coast Conference,
Lovelady again paced Northwestern's Rangers to a road
doubleheader split with Rogers State (Okla.).
In game one, Lovelady batted 2-for-6 in an 11-inning
loss, but bounced back in the second contest by going
2-for-4 with two runs and a pair of RBI in a 4-1 triumph.
The big blow was a 2-run homer to left field in the
3rd inning, raising her season batting average to .440
with seven homers.
A week earlier, Lovelady helped the Rangers mount a
6-game winning streak, capped by a personal-record performance
against Oklahoma Baptist on Apr. 14.
In the doubleheader sweep, Lovelady batted 3-for-4
with a double and two runs scored in each contest. The
first game included four RBI, as the centerfielder finished
with six RBI on the day.
Lovelady played her high school ball at Mount Miguel
and Grossmont high schools, gaining team MVP honors
with the Foothillers as a senior in 2003, gaining a
pair of All-East County second team berths,
The Lady Flames (36-3) are currently riding a 22-game
winning streak, aided by starters DANIELLE and BRITTY
BALOUGH of Santana High.
The Flames lead the Southern States Athletic Conference
by 4.5 games following Tuesday's (Apr. 6) doubleheader
road sweep at Brenau University (Gainesville, Ga.),
raising their conference mark to 19-1.
Brittany Balough (11-1) threw the complete game shutout,
giving up just four hits and two walks, needing just
56 pitches to complete the game. She also earned a save
in the first game.
Meanwhile, Danielle Balough posted a pair of RBI singles.
The second baseman raised her batting average to .393,
ranking second on the ballclub with 6 home runs.
Elsewhere, Cal State San Marcos (27-9) jumped seven
spots to No. 16 in this week's poll.
Helix High alum ALYSSA DRONENBURG slugged a grand slam
in the opener, while West Hills High product BRENNA
SANDBERG struck out 14 over both contests, allowing
just one earned run, as CSU San Marcos swept the twinbill,
8-1 and 2-1.
Dronenburg batted 2-for-4 including the slam, with
four RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
Sandberg tossed a 2-hitter and a 5-hitter, running
her record to 22-6 for the Cougars (23-9). Simpson fell
to 25-12.
Notes — In Conway, S.C., former Steele
Canyon standout JAZMIN DAIGLE batted 3-for-3 against
St. John's, including a home run and three RBI, leading
Coastal Carolina to a 15-2 victory. The Chanticleers,
which went 2-2 at their own Coastal Softball Tournament,
enter Big South Conference play with a 16-17 record.
Ball State Cardinals freshman
outfielder Amanda Carpenter
(on left in group photo) during a break in the
tournament. (Courtesy, Ball State University)
The starting freshman outfielder for the Cardinals
capped a big week by being named the Mid-America Conference
player of the week for the period ending Mar. 14. It
was the left-hander's first career citation for her
playing during a two-week, spring break roadtrip to
Clearwater, Fla.
Carpenter led the Cardinals by scoring in every game
and recording six runs, six RBI and a slugging percentage
of .824 during the Under Armour Invitational, hosted
by the University of South Florida. She was also 2-for-2
in stolen bases and posted a .412 batting average in
17 at bats.
Her best day of the week was March 13 when the Cardinals
faced Temple and Stony Brook. Against Temple, the rookie
had two hits, including one triple, and a pair of runs
scored. Her accuracy held against Stony Brook, going
a perfect 3-for-3 including her second home run of the
season, raising her batting average to .327 through
19 appearances.
Ball State (15-5) posted a perfect 5-0 record, with
the middle win giving Cards coach Craig Nicholson his
100th career victory.
Beasley Named MWC Pitcher of the Week Wins third conference award of the season
Courtesy, SDSU Media Relations
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (3-12-10) — San Diego State
junior SAMANTHA BEASLEY (Steele Canyon HS) has been
named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week,
the league announced Thursday (Mar. 11). It is the third
weekly award for the righthander and the seventh of
her career. MORE
The following week, Beasley topped former Helix High
standout pitcher TERESE DIAZ, as the Aztecs (13-8) won
their fifth straight victory after topping
the University of Buffalo, 5-0, Wedesday (Mar. 10)
at the SDSU Softball Stadium.
Chico State Wildcats sophomore
first baseman Rachel Failla. (Courtesy, Chico State University)
Failla batted .364 over the weekend, collecting a pair
of extra base hits – including her first home run
of the year – and drove in four runs in Chico State
's four-game series against Cal State Monterey Bay.
For her efforts, Failla is the first Chico State softball
player this spring to be honored
as Wildcat of the Week.
In Friday’s (Feb. 19) doubleheader opener against
the Otters, Failla went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including
a run-scoring single and a two-run homer over the left
field fence. In the second game, she got Chico State
on the board with an RBI double, then singled to prolong
a 4-run seventh inning as the ’Cats beat Monterey
Bay, 5-1, to avoid a series sweep.
Failla’s .333 batting average leads all Chico
State batters, and she also tops the team’s stat
sheet in extra base hits (4), RBI (8) and slugging percentage
(.556), tied for the team lead in doubles (3) and home
runs (1), and is second in hits (9) and on-base percentage
(.424).
Entering Saturday's (Feb. 20) ballgame against top-ranked
Cal Baptist at the Southern California Smash tournament,
Dronenburg, the starting Cal State San Marcos first
baseman, was batting an even .500 following a 2-for-2
outing earlier in the day against Holy Names. The sophomore
also walked twice, including once with the bases loaded.
In the second game, undefeated Cal Baptist (15-0) held
Dronenburg in check (0-for-3) to "only" lower
her average to .455, but the Lancers again pitched around
the slugger, also yielding another bases loaded walk.
Still, the RBI gives her 15 for the season, which should
also rank among the nation's best. Dronenburg still
sports an amazing 1.061 slugging percentage, while being
walked in 10 times in 45 plate appearances.
San Marcos, ranked 20th in the NAIA last week, is off
until next Saturday (Feb. 27) when they travel to Point
Loma Nazarene. To attend the game, slated for the Navy
Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) Field,
located on the San Diego Bay side of the Point Loma
peninsula, you must apply for security clearance by
Monday HERE.
Bear it all — The senior year at Cal for
former Santana High standout TAYLOR
KELLY has opened strongly.
After dropping their opener to Texas A&M, the 11th-ranked
Golden Bears have won six straight ballgames at the
Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., with Kelly sporting
a .333 batting average. Included was a 3-for-3, three
RBI performance against Illinois-Chicago on Friday (Feb.
19), which featured a 2-run homer.
Sam Beasley (SDSU photo)
Fastpitch Notebook: Beasley named MWC's best Fast starts for Daigle, Failla
Beasley, a 2009 all-MWC performer, registered four of
the Aztecs' five victories to open the season at the
Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., last week, each against
ballclubs receiving votes in both major national polls.
Over 22 1/3 innings, she struck out 32 batters while
posting a 0.31 earned-run average.
Included was three inning of hitless relief with six
strikouts to stop Creighton in Thursday's opener, then
a pair of Friday victories over NCAA Tournament teams
Purdue and Kentucky.
Beasley wrapped up her stellar weekend on Saturday against
Oregon, scattering three runs (one earned) on five hits
and one walk over eight innings. She struck out 11 batters
in SDSU’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory in eight
innings.
San Diego State, which is once again receiving votes
in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball
national polls, are featured in an ESPN.com article
HERE.
A slammin' debut — Coastal Carolina freshman
JAZMIN
DAIGLE opened her collegiate career just about as
good as one could. In the Chanticleers' opener at the
Palmetto State Showdown in Columbia, S.C., Daigle
belted a grand slam in a 2-for-3 outing to help
down UNC-Upstate, 6-1.
The slam snapped a 1-1 tie, as Coastal Carolina eventually
won in five innings due to snow.
Down 1-0, CCU tied the game on a hit batter to force
in a run. Daigle then cleared the bases with her jack
over the right-center field wall.
Chico and the women — The revamped Chico
State women's fastpitch team, which suffered tremendous
termoil earlier in the decade, including a brief suspension
of the program, is off to its best start since 1985
after sweeping
a doubleheader over the weekend from host UC San
Diego, 2-0 and 7-6.
The combination of Jenna Wermer and RACHEL
FAILLA (Santana) fueled the offense in the nightcap.
With two outs in the 3rd inning, Wemers smacked a 2-run
single, followed by an RBI single by Failla for a 3-0
lead. An inning later, Wermes and Failla again struck
for consecutive run-scoring basehits.
Failla, the starting first baseman, is third among
Chico State batters with a .313 batting average through
six contests.
Last season, the Wildcats went 0-5 against UCSD, which
bounced back to sweep Sunday's doubleheader in La Jolla.
A second attempt — Plans for a victorious
coaching debut for first-year Christian Brothers University
skipper KIMMI
HAYDEN (Valhalla) went ruined when the Lady Buccaneers'
home opener was snowed out. Things slipped another notch
when CBU then dropped a doubleheader on the road to
Central Baptist (Ark.), 6-5 and 5-0, to start the season
Monday (Feb. 16) in Conway, Ark.
Christian Brothers will make-up its home opener later
today (Wed., Feb. 18) against Union (Tenn.).
UPDATE: MEMPHIS — Christian Brothers University
sophomore shortstop Alana Kramer belted a pair of two-run
homers in the second game of Thursday (Feb. 18) afternoon's
home-opening doubleheader against Union, helping the
Lady Bucs win the second game, 5-4, after a 2-0 loss
in the opener. The victory was the
first career triumph for first-year head coach KIMMI
HAYDEN.
Dronenburg's blasts, Sandberg's arm, propel CSU San
Marcos in '10 openers
CSUSM, behind Dronenburg's blasts, captured the opener,
6-1. Former West Hills standout BRENNA SANDBERG, a junior,
then captured her second pitching victory of the day
with a 4-3 decision in 8 innings in the debut of new
Cougars coach Dave Williams, the former long-time skipper
at Point Loma Nazarene.
Dronenburg smacked a 2-run homer down the left field
line in the 1st to take a 2-1 lead, then went to right-center
with a blast in the 3rd for a 6-1 advantage. The sophomore
first baseball went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Meanwhile,
Sandberg survived a 1st-inning home run to allow just
a pair of singles the rest of the way.
In game two, Sandberg again got through a shaky opening
inning, as San Marcos rallied with a run in the 6th
and two in the 7th to forge the international tie-breaker.
Included was a sacrifice fly for a run in the 6th by
Ciera Ashman (Patrick Henry).
The winning run was set up when Dronenburg was walked
for a third time, this one intentional, followed by
an RBI single by senior second baseman Erica Coelho
(Clairemont).
The Cougars returns to their new, on-campus diamond
on Friday (Feb. 5), hosting Southern Oregon in a 1 p.m.
doubleheader.
Notebook — For those interested in attending
Point Loma Nazarene home games this season, be aware,
you must give 10 days notice.
With the closure of the Sea Lions' old field (which
was reclaimed by City of San Diego Parks & Recreation
Dept.), the school could only find a nearby home field
at the U.S. Navy's Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command
(NMAWC) Field, located on the San Diego Bay side of
the Point Loma peninsula.
According to the PLNU website, "We need the names
of every person that will be attending a game at the
field, along with the make, model and license plate
number of every vehicle that will be entering the base.
In addition, we will need to know the event(s) and date(s)
you will be attending. That information must be turned
in 10 days prior to each attended event. All visitors
must pass through a manned check point; please make
sure to bring identification. Teams: It is very important
to not only send us the information for the vehicles
that your team will be arriving in, but your parents
and fans must have their autos on the list as well.
Please help us communicate this necessity with Navy
security, to help avoid problems on game day."
The Sea Lions feature a host of East County talent,
including JESSIE OWENS (Christian/Santana) and ALYC
KALAMAHA (Grossmont College) for head coach Cheryl Schaefer,
who was recently inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, Owens' older sister, former San Diego State
standout MELISSA OWENS, is in her first season as an
assistant coach at Southwestern College.
Balough, a sophomore, hit .405 for the NAIA 16th-ranked
Lady Flames this past year, socking three home runs
and 16 doubles. She also scored 31 times and recorded
48 RBI, earning an All-Southern States Athletic Conference
berth to lift Lee (39-14 overall) to a second-place
finish in the SSAC Tournament.
Her sister, freshman BRITTANY BALOUGH, posted an 11-7
pitching record for the Lady Flames.
One week after graduating from the University of Memphis,
where her career prematurely ended due to injury, Hayden,
21, has been named head coach at crosstown Christian Brothers
University. Buccaneers athletics director Joe Nadicksbernd
made the announcement.
After Hayden's injury, the Tigers were kind enough
to keep the school's multi-record holder on scholarship.
Meanwhile, while still attending classes, Hayden was
picked up by CBU as an assistant coach, helping the
young Division I program equal its school record for
most victories in a season.
"The players on this year's team really like Kimmi,"
Nadicksbernd said. "I believe she is a perfect
fit to be our new coach. She is extremely organized
and is excited about this opportunity to coach college
softball."
The San Diego native was a three-year starter at catcher
for Memphis before suffering a career-ending shoulder
injury. She graduated magna cum laude from the Sports
Management program at Memphis, and she is enrolled in
its graduate program,
Hayden replaces Donna Crone, who was CBU's head coach
for 10 years before being promoted to Assistant Athletics
Director / Compliance Coordinator.
Rising from the ashes
As the door to her playing career was closing, Hayden
worked hard to close the process.
"Overcoming surgery may have been one of the hardest
things I have had to endure in my career," Hayden
recalled. "After my first shoulder surgery, I never
thought I was going to be able to throw a ball again.
I did my physical therapy in San Diego, but at that
point, I was really just trying to get my range of motion
back."
"Once I got back to Memphis, as usual the doctor
and the training staff at the University of Memphis
took very good care of me and got me ready for my sophomore
season."
However, the problems in her shoulder continued to
mount.
"I struggled at the beginning of my sophomore
season, especially with my throwing because I basically
had to learn how to throw again," she added. "But
I worked very hard on it and ended up having a great
season."
"But in my junior year, I dove for a ball, and
I remember feeling something pop and had the most excruciating
pain."
The anchor that tacked her labrum to the bone pulled
out from her first surgery. A clean-up operation during
the ensuing summer saw the doctor clean up the labrum,
rotator cuff and re-tack the labrum back into place.
"However, my left shoulder was popping out of
socket and because of the wear and tear from catching,
a minor injury from my sophomore year, and over-compensating
from two shoulder surgeries."
Soon, everyday activities were nearly impossible because
of her left shoulder. The decision for a third surgery
just six months later was "heart-breaking."
"That's when I received the sad news that my playing
days were most likely over," pointed out Hayden.
"This was news I had not expected and I became
an even bigger fan of the training room, hoping I could
continue playing if I worked hard enough."
"I spent a lot of my collegiate career in there,
and I love the staff. The head athletic trainer, Amos
Mansfield, was great to me; Amos and his training staff
and Dr. Phillips took great care of me while at Memphis,
and they still do. However, I came to accept the fact
that my softball playing days were over."
Following 17 years excelling in softball, the chapter
closed quickly.
"Believe me, leaving softball was one of the most
heart-wrenching decisions I have made because I love
the sport so much. But I truly believe in the saying
that when one door closes, another one opens, and so
I began a new phase of my life without sports."
"Or so I thought."
The fork in the road
One of the requirements for Hayden to graduate was to
complete nine credit hours in an approved internship.
A friend happened to be long-time friends with Crone,
the head coach at Christian Brothers University, and
offered to call Donna to find out if she had anything
open for an internship.
"I met with coach Crone, who was not only the
softball coach, but also the Senior Women’s Administrator
and Compliance Officer. She was in need of an assistant
to help with compliance paperwork with my background,
she thought I could be of assistance to her department."
Hayden registered for the 3-hour internship class and
after weeks of working on compliance paperwork, Crone
then asked if Hayden would be interested in doing the
strength and conditioning coach with the softball team
for the balnce of the fall term to fulfill the remaining
required hours for the internship.
"She didn’t need to ask me twice – this
would be a way for me to still be involved in the sport,"
added Hayden, who jumped at the opportunity. "This
for me was an opportunity of a lifetime; I was going
into my second semester of my senior year and had the
opportunity to coach a collegiate softball team in the
same city I was attending college."
"This was not just an internship for me; this
was the start of a new career path with my playing days
over. Coaching was the next best thing."
As fate would have it, toward the end of the season,
Crone received a grant from NCAA to become the Assistant
Athletic Director for CBU, and she suggested for Hayden
apply for the head coaching position.
"I knew at that point that because I was only
21, my age would be a factor with this position, but
being given the opportunity to at least compete for
the job was a huge honor in itself."
"I thought it would be a long shot on actually
obtaining the position."
On May 19th, much to her surprise, Hayden was announced
as the head coach.
"I am so appreciative of the opportunity Joe Nadicksbernd
and Coach Crone have given me, and I am looking forward
to a long career with this wonderful university."
I love the atmosphere at CBU; my players, the Athletic
Department, the students, and staff at this gorgeous
campus have all made me feel so welcome. I think this
is a great place for student-athletes and I am so proud
to be a part of this institution and athletic program."
It was the first honor for the junior first baseman, who
was honored along with the rest of the all-star squad
as a dinner prior to the Horizon League Tournament.
Medrud, who has seen the most extended playing time of
her career this season, batted a team-best .358 (24 for
67) with three doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs in
Horizon League play to earn first-team honors.
Loyola's lone selection to the first team, Medrud has
been on a tear in the last 12 games, batting .410 (16
for 39) with 10 RBIs. In that 12-game stretch, she has
hit safely in 11 contests.
Medrud's second HR lifts Loyola
Medrud batted 3-for-4 and scored all three Loyola runs,
giving the Ramblers (20-12, 8-2 Horizon) their 20th
victory of the season, just two short of their season
total for 2008 with 18 contests remaining.
Medrud walloped her third home run of the season over
the fence in right center in the 4th, extending the
Ramblers' lead to 2-0. The host Vikings struck back
immediately in the bottom half of the inning however,
tying the contest on Amanda Houchin's two-run homer.
Neither team was able to generate much offense the
rest of the way until Medrud stepped to the plate with
one out in the top of the ninth and deposited Amanda
Macneko's offering over the left field fence for the
game-winner.
Medrud, a first baseman, is batting .250 this year,
ranking among the leaders in every power category, including
homers, RBI and slugging percentage.
Loyola advanced to within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland State,
with Illinois-Chicago (7-1) the leader in a close Horizon
pennant chase by percentage points.
Vanessa Adame
Kyrstin Gemar
Game Action Photos HERE (Slideshow by Lenny Gemar)
Ranked third in the nation entering the 32-team, double-elimination
event, the Blue Hawks' season ended one game short of
the championship, finishing third after falling to St.
Gregory, 3-1, in the challenger bracket final.
St. Gregory, the 7th seed, received 10 more strikeouts
from Sharon Bell to gain a title-round berth on Wednesday
against top-rated Cal Baptist. Bell now has 78 strikeouts
at the event, a new NAIA Tournament record.
Dickinson State went 6-2 at nationals, finishing the
season with a 42-5 overall mark.
One of the victories at nationals featured a victory
over Missouri Valley College, avenging an earlier loss
on Mar. 20. Sara Jane Webster struck out 12, backed
by a 2-run homer by Gemar.
Adame, who anchored the Blue Hawks outfield in center,
batted .393 this season, ranking among the conference
leaders with 53 basehits. Included were four triples
and nine stolen bases.
Gemar ranked among the leaders in both average and
power hitting. She batted .516 with seven home runs
and 32 RBI, posting a stellar .952 slugging percentage.
Dickinson State (36-3) is ranked third nationally in
the NAIA, downing Minot State, 9-0, to capture its fourth
consecutive DAC Tournament crown.
Adame, Gemar, gain big win for No. 5 Dickinson State
In the final game in a 4-game series sweep of visiting
Mayville State (N.D.), the Blue Hawks received a game-tying
basehit by Adame in the bottom of the 7th inning. Gemar
later recorded the game-winner in the 9th with a pinch-hit
basehit in a 9-8 triumph to complete the sweep.
“Kyrstin is a big stick in our lineup and we’re
going to count on her for a lot of things,” said
head coach Guy Fridley. “We’re just fortunate
enough to have somebody like her to call upon to come
off the bench and get a big hit.”
Meanwhile, Adame batted 5-for-6 with three RBI in the
contest. Both former East County players also went 2-for-3
in the first game of the Mar. 29 doubleheader, a 13-0
victory, as Blue Hawks pitcher Sara Jane Webster tossed
a no-hitter.
Dickinson State sports a record 17-3 this season (4-0
DAC), including a 2-0 victory over Cal State San Marcos
at the Tucson Invitational on Mar. 21.
The coaches voted Escalante, a junior catcher, to the
All-SCIAC second team.
Escalante started all 37 games for Oxy this season
and finished with an overall .286 batting average. She
hit at a .266 clip during conference action, handling
every pitch from the Tigers pitching staff over the
entire season.
Occidental (14-23) tied for the most wins in a season
since 2000.
At Grossmont, Escalante made the 2006 All-East County
second team.
The Skyhawks, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, became
the first OVC team to come through the challenger's (loser's)
bracket to take the crown, winning three games on the
final day, including a victory over Southeast Missouri
in the playback final held last Saturday (May 9).
UTM (35-21) advances to the NCAA Regional in Louisville,
meeting No. 9 seed Arizona, an 8-time national champion.
The other two teams in the regional include Purdue and
the host Cardinals, with the double-elimination event
slated for May 15-17 at Louisville 's Ulmer Stadium.
Lindow caught every pitch throughout the Ohio Valley
event, which started on a down note with a 1-0 loss
to Tennessee Tech. However, UTM captured its next five
ballgames with victories over Moorehead State (5-0),
Jacksonville State (2-0), an avenge win over T-Tech
) 4-2), then a finals sweep of Southwest Missouri (3-2
and 4-1).
Lindow, a junior majoring in forensic geology, batted
a solid .556 over the first three contests of the tournament.
Teammate Savannah Roberts then took over, hitting a
pair of homer in the finale. The event MVP was Skyhawks
pitcher Kara Harper.
For the season, Lindow is batting a solid .273, leading
the team to a late-season 7-1 run to qualify for the
playoffs, topping the ballclub in RBI during the stretch.
Lindow was a 4-year starter at Santana, helping the
Sultans to the 2004 CIF Division III championship. She
was a three-time All-East County selection, twice on
the first team (2003, 2006).
Peterson, the Pioneers' first baseman, ranked among
the conference's leading hitters all season with a .312
average. She also shared pitchin duties, posting a 9-11
record with 136 strikeouts over 134 innings.
Peterson, a senior, shared the award with Valerie Brionez
of Cal-Pac champ Holy Names University.
Peterson struck out 23 batters in four games, helping
the Pioneers move into third place in its final season
in the Cal Pac (NAIA); the school joins the NCAA Division II
California Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2009-10.
During the week, Peterson recorded hits and RBI in
all six contests, batting a solid .529 (9-for-17). Her
hitting streak reached nine games before finally ending
on Apr. 10 against Bethany.
For the season, Peterson owns a 9-9 record with a 2.30
earned-run average. She is also the runaway CSU East
Bay leader in batting with a .348 average; the next
closest Pioneer is at .282. Not too bad for a player
who never played varsity softball in high school; Peterson
attended Helix High.
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (5-2-09) — Former Grossmont College
standout ASHLEY
MOTTOLA pitched a complete-game shutout for Belhaven
College, propelling the Blazers into the championship
round of the NAIA Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament
on Apr. 25.
Mottola, who posted a 13-7 record this season, finished
with a 6-hitter in defeating Spring Hill College, 4-0.
It was her second shutout of the season.
Belhaven went on to avenge an opening-round loss to
University of Mobile, 4-2, but then fell in the tournament
final, 12-2, to 5th-ranked William Carey University
(40-6). Nevertheless, Belhaven finished the season with
the most victories in school history with a 36-19 overall
record.
Mottola, a junior from Dulzura who prepped at Santana
High, recorded 70 strikeouts in 127 innings.
The Crusaders rebounded to take the second game, 2-1.
Prior to the doubleheader, the teams completed a Febraury
contest suspended by rain, with PLNU winning, 5-4, in
8 innings.
Dronrnburg scored in the 3rd, hustling home from second
base on a 2-out line single by Elizabeth Bush. Point Loma
Nazarene got even on an Alexandra Wilkinson homer in the
5th, but when the Sea Lions were unable to cash in their
runner from second base during the international tie-breaker,
the Coyotes did on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Nelson then
another basehit by Bush.
West Hills High product BRENNA SANDBERG pitched 5 1/3
innings of 4-hit ball, but reliever Ciera Ashman finally
collected the victory.
For the contest, Dronenberg went 2-for-4. In game two,
the designated hitter gained an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
She leads all San Marcos batters with a .349 batting average,
with team-highs of 8 homers and 31 RBI.
San Marcos is now 27-20 for the season.
CSU San Marcos receives East County boost
Dronenburg, who was also a first-team All-San Diego
CIF selection by the media last season, registered two
strong games at the event last weekend (Mar. 20-21).
Against Trinity Christian, whe posted a perfect 4-for-4
with four RBI at the plate, including a walkoff, 3-run
triple to invoke the run rule in an 8-0 triumph. She
later went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in a 15-6 pasting
of Mayville State.
Meanwhile, in a second game with Trinity Christian,
Sandberg, a sophomore, tossed a 2-hit shutout in a complete-game
effort. She struck out 7 without issuing a walk, as
the Cougars extended their winning streak to five straight
games.
Cal State San Marcos (20-14 overall) plays Friday (Mar.
27) at USD in a 4 p.m. doubleheader, then host Vanguard
in a Saturday (Mar. 28) twinbill starting at noon.
Diaz Update - TERESE DIAZ, the former Helix
High standout, currently ranks 5th in the nation in
strikeouts among NCAA Division I freshmen. Overall,
the University of Buffalo pitcher is tied for 22nd at
9.3 strikeouts per every 7 innings (thru games of Mar.
22) according to the most recent NCAA statistical update.
Coming up with the bases loaded, Seymour lined
a basehit to center for the go-ahead run, but
when the ball was misplayed, another runner came
home for a 6-4 advantage.
The Defenders (13-17), which opened the season
with a 6-17 mark, have now won seven straight
contests thanks to Seymour – the school's
longest win streak since 2002. It's also a nice
turnaround for a program which went 6-31 prior
to Seymour 's arrival. During the winning streak,
Seymour is batting a cool .600 (15-for-25) with
7 runs and 9 RBI.
Seymour, a sophomore first baseman, leads the
ballclub with a .361 batting average. The left-handed
hitter also paces the team in home runs, triples
and total bases, and is second in doubles and
RBI.
Dordt currently is in 5th place in the 13-team
Great Plains Athletic Conference (NAIA), just
two full games behind front-running Morningside
College (Iowa).
At Christian, Seymour was a 2-time team MVP,
earning a 2007 first-team All-East County berth
after batting .378 as a senior.
Failla, a freshman first baseman for the Wildcats,
batted a team-leading 368 (7-for-19) at the event,
posting victories over Northwest Nazarene, Saint
Martin's, Central Washington, Western Washington
and Western Oregon. The Wildcats (16-29) fell
to nationally-ranked Grand Canyon in the final
tournament ballgame.
For the season, Failla has started in 41 of 45
games as one of seven freshmen playing for Chico
State. She owns a current batting average of .258,
leading the team in home runs and in fielding
percentage.
Shorter, ranked 12th, leads Lee's 19th-ranked
Flames (23-9) by one game entering the doubleheader,
with both ballclubs riding hot streaks.
Danielle (left) and Britty
Balough (Lee University photos)
Shorter (27-9) recently established an NAIA narional
record by going 45 consecutive innings without
allowing a run. However, Lee has kept pace, winning
15-of-17 ballgames – including an 11-game
win streak – to overcome an 8-7 start to
the season.
Danielle Balough is batting a solid .387 to rank
third on the ballclub, starting in 28 of the Flames'
32 outings. She rates second in total hits and
doubles.
Meanwhile, Britty Balough, a freshman and the
heir-apparent to starting pitcher Johana Gomez
of Venezuela, is keeping up with her veteran teammate.
Balough leads Lee in innings pitched, owning a
7-4 record and a 2.87 ERA, including eight complete
games.
And when not pitching, she has contributed with
the bat, to. Included was Thursday's (Apr. 9)
doubleheader sweep at Brewton-Parker College Mount
Vernon, Ga.). In the second game, Balough registered
a pair of basehits worth three RBI, while also
scoring twice.
Samantha Beasley (SDSU photos)
Beasley tabbed MWC pitcher of the week Sophomore earns third honor of the season
While baseball's STEPHEN STRASBURG is a leading candidate
as the nation's top player with a long list of national
and conference player of the week honors, Aztecs softball
pitcher SAMANTHA
BEASLEY is quickly catching up.
Beasley, a sophomore out of Steele Canyon HS, earned
her third Mountain West Conference pitcher of the week
citation. A righthander, Beasley went 2-0 in two appearances
with a 0.50 ERA over 14 innings. She struck out 23 and
allowed just two walks for an impressive 11.5 strikeout-to-walk
ratio. Beasley gave up seven hits, five of them singles,
and one run, allowing her opponents to hit .140.
On Wednesday (Apr. 8) at USD, Beasley tossed a 2-hit
shutout, striking out 10 batters. Both Toreros hits
were singles, with no runner advancing past second base.
Against UNLV in the MWC opener on Saturday, Beasley
had 13 strikeouts – the second-most in her career
– and walked none over seven innings. She allowed
five hits, three of them to Marissa Nichols, and one
run. Beasley got out of a major jam in the 5th inning
with two runners in scoring position and one out by
getting a popout and a strikeout on a 12-pitch at-bat.
On the season, Beasley is 12-9 with a 1.91 ERA over
139 innings, and leads the MWC in innings pitched, strikeouts
(174), saves (4) and appearances (29, tied-first). She
is striking out 8.76 batters per seven innings in 2009,
the most in school history. With at least 14 games to
go in the season, Beasley also ranks fourth in saves
and opponents average (.196), sixth in strikeouts and
tied for seventh in solo shutouts (since 1999) (5).
The Aztecs (25-13, 2-0 MWC) are receiving votes in
both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN.com/USA Softball
polls. SDSU had won seven straight games, and 20 of
their last 25 contests.
Buffalo's Terese Diaz
BUFFALO, N.Y. (3-17-09) – Former Helix High standout
TERESE
DIAZ made her opening week in college a successful
one. The Bulls freshman was a Mid-American Conference
honorable mention selection for pitcher of the week
honors after posting a 2-0 mark at the K-Club Classic
at Kennesaw State.
The frosh right-hander picked up complete-game wins
over Drexel and Memphis, striking out 19 in 16 innings
of work. At the plate, she batted .286 and knocked in
a pair of runs.
Memphis' Kimmie Hayden
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The playing career for former
Valhalla High standout KIMMIE
HAYDEN may be over, but not her softball career.
After leading the Tigers in batting (a .311 average
– third-highest in school history) as a junior
for the Tigers in 2008, surgeries on both shoulders
ended her stint as a 3-year starting catcher.
However, while Memphis was kind enough to keep her
on scholarship for her senior year – afterall,
she set more than a dozen school records in three seasons
with the Tigers – Hayden is now serving as an assistant
coach at crosstown Christian Brothers University, an
NCAA Division II program. The Lady Bucs are off to a
10-6 start, the school's best this decade.
Seattle's Jodie Schmehr
LOS ANGELES – Former Valhalla High standout JODIE
SCHMEHR helped advance Seattle University to the title
game of last week's Marriott L.A. Westside Classic at
Loyola Marymount's Smith Field.
Schmehr, the RedHawks' starting second baseman as a
freshman, helped straighten Seattle's ship following
a 2-6 start by winning a season-high 3 straight ballgames
at the event. Included was a 2-game sweep of Utah Valley,
as Schmehr scored three runs in the series, then she
turned a key double play in the 6th inning during a
victory over St. Mary's.
Although Seattle lost to host Loyola Marymount in the
finale, the freshman still collected two of the Hawks'
six hits.
Seattle will join St. Mary's and Loyola Marymount in
the new Pacific Coast Softball Conference in 2010.
Cal's Taylor Kelly
HONOLULU – Former Santana High standout TAYLOR
KELLY is helping Cal remain in the NCAA national
rankings. The Golden Bears (21-4) are ranked 9th nationally
after sweeping all four games at the Chevron Spring
Fling Tournament, hosted by the University of Hawai'i
on Mar. 11-14.
Serving as the starting shortstop, Kelly has started
every game but one, posting a solid .264 batting average.
Included was one of three 1st-inning home runs slugged
by the Bears against Wisconsin at the tournament, her
second of the season. Cal also defeated Memphis, St.
John's and the host Rainbow Wahine.
Baggett, a freshman first baseman, batted a cool .714
in tournament victories over William Wood University,
9-5, and Rogers State, 4-3 in 8 innings. In the second
game, the Vikings avenged a season-opening loss to the
Hillcats in a battle of the two remaining undefeated teams
in the tournament, as Baggett
homered, then drove in the game-winning run in extra
innings.
Baggett started the week with a power surge in a non-conference
contest, pumping out a pair of home runs and accounting
for all of her team's RBI in a 4-0 pasting of Ottawa University.
For the week, Baggett's hot hitting (7-for-10, 8 RBI,
1.700 slugging pct.) has lifted Missouri Valley's Vikings
(7-5) to 5 straight victories after starting 2-5 out of
the gate.
At West Hills, Baggett finished third among East County
batters with a .457 average as a senior in 2008, gaining
a first-team berth on the All-East County team.
