San Diego Section Softball : Madison Defeats Castle Park in a Battle of the Bizarre, 8-1

The San Diego Section softball playoff game between Castle Park and Madison high schools on Tuesday was one strange affair.

Madison pitcher Lisa Glassford threw two consecutive illegal pitches, resulting in a Castle Park run. Two Warhawk players batted out of order for the first three innings, and Madison scored two runs before the Trojans caught on to the fact. Castle Park relief pitcher Theri Iuli was called by the umpires for wearing an incomplete uniform, because she was wearing only one stirrup.

About the only thing that went according to form was the final result: top-seeded Madison 8, Castle Park 1.

Yet, even that didn’t entirely follow the script. Madison (20-1), the Eastern League champion seeking to regain the San Diego Section 3-A championship it won in 1981, ’82 and ‘83, was expected to rout visiting Castle Park (12-11), the Metro-Mesa League runner-up.

Instead, the Trojans scored a run in the top of the first inning, courtesy of an infield single by Stacy Ahrenstein, a wild pitch and those two illegal pitches, and led until the bottom of the third. The outcome was still in doubt until the fifth, when the Warhawks scored three runs to take a 5-1 lead.

Glassford, a junior right-hander, allowed five hits, struck out nine and walked four while improving her record to 13-1. She also batted in the cleanup spot and went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs.

Glassford said she wasn’t concerned after Castle Park took its early lead.

“Our offense always starts going after we see the other team’s pitcher once or twice,” she said. “We hadn’t played against this team before, so it took us a while.”

Added Madison Coach Phil Hampton, “We’ve come back a lot this year in big games. Sooner or later, we get to the pitcher. I don’t think any pitcher in the county can go a whole game against us (without giving up several runs).”

Madison’s next opponent is fourth-seeded Bonita Vista, which beat Grossmont, 2-0, on Tuesday.

Down 1-0 early, Madison tied the score in the second. Glassford led off with a sharp single to left field, took second on a fielder’s choice and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Laura Inzunza.

Cyndy Pais put the Warhawks ahead in the third. She reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Cathy Taylor, stole third and dashed home when catcher Ahrenstein’s throw bounced into left field.

Madison put the game out of reach with five straight singles in the bottom of the fifth. Glassford’s grounder up the middle scored Cathy Taylor and Beth Taylor. Glassford came home on Steffani Everett’s line drive to left.

In other 3-A playoff games:

Bonita Vista 2, Grossmont 0--Dawn Gerhart pitched a no-hitter, striking out three and walking one, as the fourth-seeded Barons (16-10) beat the visiting Foothillers (17-7). The Barons scored their runs in the sixth, on an run-scoring single by Terri Turner and a sacrifice fly by Linda Wertham.

Mount Miguel 4, Vista 2--Carrie Gilmore of the second-seeded Matadors (14-8) hit a home run to break a 1-1 tie with the visiting Panthers (17-8) in the fourth inning. Mount Miguel added two more runs in the fifth when Katie Joyce and Ragan Burns scored on a single by Stefanie Olow.

Patrick Henry 2, Orange Glen 0--Senior Gaelyn Nutter pitched a six-hit shutout as visiting Patrick Henry (17-4) beat third-seeded Orange Glen (21-5). Nutter outdueled freshman Cami Allen (20-5), who set a section record this spring with her 20 wins.

In the 2-A playoffs:

Hilltop 11, San Pasqual 0--Sue-Ellen Stallard pitched a one-hitter and the top-seeded Lancers (19-6) had a big day at the plate against the visiting Eagles (13-11). Stallard (13-4), who has five one-hitters this season, had a no-hitter until she allowed an infield single in the seventh.

University 3, Christian 0--Lisa Ziomkowski of second-seeded University (17-6) limited the visiting Patriots (14-10) to two hits. Chrisse Deely drove in two runs for the Dons with her bases-loaded single in the first, while Carolyn Walker accounted for the third run with a homer in the sixth.

San Marcos 3, Chula Vista 2 (9 innings)--Janine Cranney scored the winning run on an infield error in the bottom of the ninth inning as the third-seeded Knights (18-5) outlasted the visiting Spartans (15-8). Celeste Hook (16-4) pitched a six-hitter for San Marcos.

Crawford 3, Clairemont 0--Gena Crise pitched a four-hitter and the fourth-seeded Colts (17-3) scored three runs in the fifth inning to beat the Chieftains (13-9) at Crawford. Paulann Bayles drove in Crawford’s first two runs with a bases-loaded double.