Softball: Blue tops Red in South Bay all-star game

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Mika Cruz (Wilmington Banning) doubled, tripled, and scored three times to lead the Blue squad to a 7-2 victory over the Red team in the 16th South Bay Athletic Club softball all-star game at Recreation Park in El Segundo Thursday. The area’s senior stars were divided into two teams based on an attempt to balance the squads rather than by geography.

Cruz doubled and scored the first Blue run in the fourth, then had an RBI triple in the seventh inning of the nine-inning contest to give the Blue team a 4-1 lead. Asi Poni (Carson) went three for three and Stephanie Hughes (Mira Costa) was two for three, including a two-run double in the eighth. Taylor Petty (San Pedro) pitched the first four innings, giving up two hits and striking out eight, to earn the win. Rocky Wright (Redondo) was also effective, conceding only one unearned run over her three innings.

Leading the way for the Red squad was starting pitcher Jessica Moon (Torrance), who struck out seven over three shutout innings. The pitching of Moon and Destine Lauvai (Carson) allowed the Red team to keep it close; they trailed only 2-1 before the Blue team tallied twice in the seventh and three more times in the eighth against Kelly Class (Palos Verdes).

-- Eric Maddy