Softball: North Torrance finally tops Torrance and wins Division V title

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With opposing runners on second and third and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Torrance elected to pitch to sophomore Sammy Alvillar instead of intentionally walking her to load the bases, in which case Olivia Alvarez, who hit a home run in the third inning, would have come to bat. It didn’t matter.

Alvillar smacked a ground ball to second base and North Torrance’s Alexis Vernon, who was on third, beat the throw to home to give the third-seeded Saxons a 2-1 victory in the Southern Section-Toyota Division V championship game Saturday at Barber Park in Irvine.

Top-seeded Torrance had previously defeated North Torrance by scores of 3-0 and 3-2 in Bay League play.

The other big play in this game was that controversial call in the third inning that allowed Alvarez to continue her at-bat, and she hit a home run.

-- Jaime Cardenas