Southern Section 2-A : Diablos Fall in 12th to Chino, 4-2

For 10 innings Tuesday, Mission Viejo High School shut out Chino in a Southern Section 2-A softball semifinals.

But the two innings that the Diablos couldn’t hold Chino (24-4) proved costly as the Cowgirls scored twice in the fifth and 12th innings to win, 4-2, at Alicia Park in Mission Viejo.

Dave Long, Chino coach, said before the game he pulled out a stick of gum and the wrapper said, “You Win--Instant Winner.”

“I showed the umpire and told him we didn’t have to play,” Long said. “It felt like an omen.”

It all fell apart for South Coast champion Mission Viejo (16-7) in the 12th. Tied at 2-2, Chino’s Crystal Dykstra hit a double off Diablo pitcher Shannon Yeaton.

Yeaton had struck out Dykstra in the left fielder’s three previous at-bats. Dykstra’s double hit sent Lynette Lucas, who had reached base on an error, to third with no outs. Mitzi Leitzman then grounded to Yeaton, who held the ball, loading the bases.

A wild pitch and a Chris Cota’s sacrifice fly gave the Cowgirls the winning margin.

The Diablos took the lead in the second inning after Amy Powers singled to left field and took second on a wild pitch. Erika Ostergaard followed with a singled to right to score Powers. The 1-0 lead held until Chino scored two runs in the fifth inning on a bases-loaded single by Mary Pinheiro and a sacrifice fly by Lucas.

It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh when Mission Viejo’s Powers and Ostergaard teamed up again. Powers reached second on a throwing error, scored when Ostergaard singled an 0-2 pitch to right field.