Southern Section Softball : Quartararo Comes Through Again, 3-2

Jill Quartararo’s hitting this season has been less than spectacular. Actually it’s been downright anemic. The Woodbridge High School right fielder has only a .145 average.

However, Quartararo has been getting key hits lately. She did it again Wednesday, with a single to score Kelly Causey. The run broke a tie and gave the Warriors a 3-2 second-round win over Brea-Olinda in a Southern Section 3-A playoff game at Woodbridge.

Woodbridge (17-3) will play Glendale on Friday in the quarterfinals. Brea ends its season with a 14-10 record.

“You’ve heard of Mr. October, well she’s our Miss May,” Warrior Coach Blake Schoonover said. “She hasn’t been getting a lot of hits, but she’s been getting the key hits for us the last three games.”

Schoonover mentioned that partial blame for Quartararo’s low average is that as the No. 2 hitter in the lineup she’s asked to bunt a lot.

“I firmly believe in using the bunt to score,” Schoonover said. “That’s what softball is all about. She does it as well as anyone on the team. I wouldn’t trade her ability to bunt for a better hitter.”

Quartararo bunted herself on base in the first inning. With runners on second and third, catcher Leslie Payton singled to drive in both runners.

Brea scored runs in the second and third to go ahead 2-1.

Causey led off the fifth by being hit by a pitch. She moved to second on a sacrifice by winning pitcher Patty Russell. Quartararo then followed with her game-winning hit.

“This team is a little more balanced than last year’s,” Schoonover said. Last season, the Wariors got to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Diamond Bar.

“We relied on pitching a lot last season,” Schoonover said. “This year we have to hit and play good defense to win.”

In other 3-A action:

La Quinta 5, Artesia 2--The Aztecs were outhit at Artesia but took advantage of three Pioneer errors to advance to the quarterfinals against West Covina. After tying the score in the sixth, La Quinta (21-6) got three runs in the seventh. Two runs came on first baseman Yvonne Cloyd’s fourth home run of the season.

But Cloyd’s homer was not the winning hit. That was winning pitcher Casey Tacason’s sacrifice fly earlier in the seventh. It scored third baseman Diane Sponsler, who had led off the inning with a walk. Tacason (12-4) struck out five and walked one.

In the first inning, the second error by the Artesia second baseman, allowed catcher Kathy Foranyic to score. The Pioneers scored twice in the third to move ahead, 2-1. In the sixth, a walk, error and sacrifice put runners on second and third for La Quinta. Stephanie Messner doubled to left to score one run.

Sonora 1, Mayfair 0 (12 innings)--Adrienne Sampson’s bases-loaded single in the 12th inning gave the Raiders the win at home. Winning pitcher Lisa Johnson struck out 17 and had a no-hitter until the 11th. Losing pitcher Lisa Longaker also struck out 17. She allowed five hits.

Sonora catcher Jennifer Simpkins led off the 12th with a single. Third baseman Tracey Allen was then hit with a pitch. After a sacrifice had moved the runners to second and third, Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sampson followed with her game-winning hit.

Garden Grove 3, Arcadia 0--Pitcher Leslie Osterman (22-7) struck out 10 and got her second consecutive shutout in the playoffs. The junior allowed Arcadia two hits. Only one Apache got to second base.

First baseman Kathy Lorenz had a two-run single in the third inning. The Argonauts added another run in the fifth inning.

Sunny Hills 10, Fontana 0--The Lancers had an easy time, winning at Fontana. Winning pitcher Ruby Flores (11-3-2) struck out 12 in five innings. Her sister Nora came in to pitch in the sixth and finished the game.

The Lancers were already leading, 3-0, when they scored five runs in the fifth inning. Marnie Weber (3 for 3) had a two-run single in that inning. Sunny Hills had 11 hits in the game. Third baseman Gina Lopiccolo and catcher Michelle Trosko each went 3 for 4.

In 2-A action:

Mission Viejo 7, Royal Oak 1--Second baseman Shereene Loth had only one hit, but she had four RBIs to lead the Diablos to a second round win at home. Mission Viejo (14-4) will play Chaminade High of Canoga Park in the quarterfinals Friday.

Loth had grounded out in the third to force in the Diablos’ second run. Amy Powers followed with a two-run single to put Mission Viejo up, 4-1.

With the bases loaded in the fifth Loth lined a ball past the Roman left fielder and was on her way home when umpires ruled she had shed her helmet on purpose and called her out. The three runs in front of her counted.