Southern Section Softball : South Hills Girls Upset

The two top girls’ teams in the 3-A division were beaten Friday in the first round of the Southern Section softball playoffs.

No. 1-seeded South Hills (19-2-1) fell to West Covina (15-7), 3-1, as junior shortstop Julie McFadden hit a bases-loaded triple in the fifth inning for the winners. West Covina managed only one more hit off South Hills pitcher Becky Stevens, who had 10 strikeouts. Stevens went into the game with an ERA of 0.12.

West Covina sophomore Susie Hopkins (14-5) went the distance, giving up five hits and walking one. South Hills scored in the bottom of the fifth when Kim Cooper was hit by a pitch, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a two-out single by Liz Dahlberg.

In another upset, Glendale (9-7-1) edged No. 2-seeded HH Wilson (18-2), 1-0.

In other 3-A games, Crescenta Valley (16-4) defeated La Puente (4-11), 6-1, as pitchers Lori Brushette and Heather Lindstrum combined on a 12-strikeout one-hitter. Landa Temple had two singles and a triple, driving in four runs.

Woodbridge (15-3) got by Torrance (13-7) in ten innings, 1-0, as shortstop Jenny Allard knocked in the winning run with a two-out triple.

In 2-A, Norco (15-8) defeated Charter Oak (13-9), 4-3, in 13 innnings. Norco pitcher Michelle Phillips struck out 18, while Charter Oak’s Georgia Verbeck struck out 11.

El Monte (20-1) shut out Notre Dame Academy (8-6), 5-0, as sisters Jodi and Stacey Campbell combined for a two-hitter. Jodi pitched 6 1/2 innings, then gave way to Stacey.