Softball: Port of L.A. repeats as Small School champ

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Freshman Nicolle Miranda pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts and drove in two runs to lead San Pedro Port of Los Angeles past Wilmington Harbor Teacher Prep in the Los Angeles City Section Small School Division final at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Brianna Grayson tripled to drive in Kelsea Short and Miranda’s bloop single scored Grayson to give the top-seeded Polar Bears a 2-0 lead. They tacked on four more an inning later when Adriana Vargas scored on a throwing error, Sarah Maldonado scored on a single by Short, Miranda brought home Short with a sacrifice fly and Allison Bayer hit an RBI triple.

Harbor Teacher Prep (12-14) was trying to avenge a pair of lopsided losses in Crosstown League play. Stacy Lepe broke up Miranda’s no-hitter with a one-out single in the top of the seventh inning.

Port of Los Angeles (20-7) blanked Northridge Academy 2-0 to win its first City Small School title last year and outscored its three playoff opponents 20-0 this season.

-- Steve Galluzzo