Softball: A year later, Mission Viejo is solo happy

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You have to feel sooo good for Mission Viejo, especially pitcher Michelle Tait.

A year ago in the first round of the Southern Section-Toyota playoffs, the Diablos were the fourth-seeded team in Division II, and Tait gave up a lead-off home run to Anaheim Canyon’s Megan Bush and lost, 1-0.

But on Friday in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, Bush was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was Tait who hit a solo home run in the third, and teammate Tory Speer who hit solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings in a 3-0 victory over Palos Verdes.

Tait also pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10. Mission Viejo (23-6-1) moves on to one of the outstanding matchups of the second round in any division when it plays Ayala (20-10-1) on Tuesday at a site to be determined.

Ayala, of course, is the squad that beat La Palma Kennedy (27-3) and Corona Santiago (24-3) on consecutive days earlier this season. Those teams are currently ranked 4-5 in the state rankings. The Bulldogs have come back to earth in recent weeks. They lost three of their last seven games -- to three different teams -- heading into the playoffs.

Ayala beat Fontana, 1-0, in eight innings Friday as shortstop Nani St. Germain doubled and then scored on Amy Ricciardi’s single.

-- Martin Henderson