Softball: Crenshaw’s loss could help Williams add to homer record

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

It was a matchup I was secretly hoping would materialize: San Pedro’s Taylor Petty, the City Section’s all-time winningest pitcher, against Crenshaw slugger Alia Williams, who has hit a state-record 18 home runs this spring.

Any chance of seeing that scenario ended when Crenshaw lost to Palisades in the first round of the City Section playoffs, but in a weird sort of way the result might actually allow Williams to add to her record homer total because her season still isn’t over.

By losing, Crenshaw dropped to the Invitational bracket where the Cougars stand a much better chance of advancing to the finals--potentially giving Williams four more games to swing away.

Williams went three for three against Palisades, raising her batting average to .746 and, according to Crenshaw Coach Frank Price Jr., at least one of her hits might have been a home run except for one small detail: Palisades’ field has no outfield fences.

‘Her first hit was a line drive way over everybody but it rolled off the field of play and was ruled a ground-rule double,’ Price said. ‘Alia was rounding second and their outfielder was still chasing after it when it went out of bounds so she definitely would’ve scored.’

Williams will have her first chance to improve on her record Thursday when the 17th-seeded Cougars host No. 32 King-Drew.

-- Steve Galluzzo