E-mail
Print
Saturday, May 31, 2008
SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
Valencia 3, Simi Valley 0
When Valencia won its first softball championship a year ago, it had a dominant pitcher named Jordan Taylor and was the top-ranked team in the nation.
On Saturday, Valencia went back-to-back by beating the top-ranked team in the nation.
Behind the pitching of Jessica Spigner and ample production from the bottom of the batting order, third-seeded Valencia beat top-seeded Simi Valley, 3-0, to win the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship at Barber Park.
Simi Valley (30-1), the 1993 champion, was trying to become the section's first unbeaten, untied team since Ocean View went 32-0 in 1985.
The Pioneers assumed the No. 1 position nationally on Friday in the StudentSports.com ranking. Valencia (29-5-1), ranked No. 14, was last year's national No. 1 wire-to-wire behind Taylor, the Times player of the year.
"When the game was over, we had a great season," said Simi Valley Coach Russ Michael. "You can't take that away from us."
Valencia, in its third final in four years, lost only once last season, in a game Taylor did not pitch. With this victory, it is only the third section team to repeat as a large school champion.
Spigner, a Tennessee-bound third baseman forced into pitching duty this season because of Taylor's graduation to Michigan, was splendid. She allowed four hits, only one through the first five innings. With only three strikeouts, the Viking defense was outstanding and didn't commit an error.
"We worked our whole year for this moment," said Spigner (29-5), who singled and walked three times. Her courtesy runner also scored. "There were a lot of doubters this year, thinking we were no competition, and we used that as motivation. We worked every day to get on top, and we made it. I couldn't be more proud of my team."
Valencia had runners in scoring position in each of the six innings it batted. It left 10 runners on base.
The bottom four batters in the order were collectively five for 11. The No. 8 hitter, Shannon Fitzgerald, scored two runs, in the second and fourth innings, and No. 9 hitter Alyssa Garza was two-for-two with an RBI in the first and a sacrifice bunt in the fourth-inning rally. Freshman Bethany Kemp, the No. 6 batter, had an RBI double in the fifth inning.
"They came up big, they stepped up and did a great job," said Valencia Coach Donna Lee, who also got an RBI single from leadoff batter Madison Shipman.
Valencia had eight of its 10 hits against sophomore starter Amanda Oliveto (13-1), who was charged with all three runs in 4 2/3 innings and hit as hard as she has been all season.
Michael said he thought championship experience was the difference, and Lee agreed.
"The girls felt no pressure at all," she said, referring to the many big games that it played not only this year, but in the past. "It's easy coming in as an underdog. When you're the person that's supposed to win, it's a lot tougher."
--Martin Henderson
SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
Valencia 3, Simi Valley 0
When Valencia won its first softball championship a year ago, it had a dominant pitcher named Jordan Taylor and was the top-ranked team in the nation.
On Saturday, Valencia went back-to-back by beating the top-ranked team in the nation.
Behind the pitching of Jessica Spigner and ample production from the bottom of the batting order, third-seeded Valencia beat top-seeded Simi Valley, 3-0, to win the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship at Barber Park.
Simi Valley (30-1), the 1993 champion, was trying to become the section's first unbeaten, untied team since Ocean View went 32-0 in 1985.
The Pioneers assumed the No. 1 position nationally on Friday in the StudentSports.com ranking. Valencia (29-5-1), ranked No. 14, was last year's national No. 1 wire-to-wire behind Taylor, the Times player of the year.
"When the game was over, we had a great season," said Simi Valley Coach Russ Michael. "You can't take that away from us."
Valencia, in its third final in four years, lost only once last season, in a game Taylor did not pitch. With this victory, it is only the third section team to repeat as a large school champion.
Spigner, a Tennessee-bound third baseman forced into pitching duty this season because of Taylor's graduation to Michigan, was splendid. She allowed four hits, only one through the first five innings. With only three strikeouts, the Viking defense was outstanding and didn't commit an error.
"We worked our whole year for this moment," said Spigner (29-5), who singled and walked three times. Her courtesy runner also scored. "There were a lot of doubters this year, thinking we were no competition, and we used that as motivation. We worked every day to get on top, and we made it. I couldn't be more proud of my team."
Valencia had runners in scoring position in each of the six innings it batted. It left 10 runners on base.
The bottom four batters in the order were collectively five for 11. The No. 8 hitter, Shannon Fitzgerald, scored two runs, in the second and fourth innings, and No. 9 hitter Alyssa Garza was two-for-two with an RBI in the first and a sacrifice bunt in the fourth-inning rally. Freshman Bethany Kemp, the No. 6 batter, had an RBI double in the fifth inning.
"They came up big, they stepped up and did a great job," said Valencia Coach Donna Lee, who also got an RBI single from leadoff batter Madison Shipman.
Valencia had eight of its 10 hits against sophomore starter Amanda Oliveto (13-1), who was charged with all three runs in 4 2/3 innings and hit as hard as she has been all season.
Michael said he thought championship experience was the difference, and Lee agreed.
"The girls felt no pressure at all," she said, referring to the many big games that it played not only this year, but in the past. "It's easy coming in as an underdog. When you're the person that's supposed to win, it's a lot tougher."
--Martin Henderson
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Save more than