Southern Section Softball : Larsen’s 2-Hitter Leads Marina Over Kennedy

The Kennedy High School softball team had seen this Marina team before--with one notable exception.

When Kennedy and Marina played in the Canyon tournament this season, the Fighting Irish didn’t see Christy Larsen on the mound.

Kennedy won that first meeting easily, but the Irish were beaten just as easily Tuesday, and this game mattered more.

Larsen (12-4) pitched a perfect game through 4 innings, finishing with a two-hitter as Marina took a 5-1 victory from Kennedy at Golden West College in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

It wasn’t coincidence that Larsen didn’t pitch against Kennedy in the early-season tournament, but studied forethought by Susan Calderon, Marina coach.

“In tournaments, I don’t pitch our No. 1 pitcher against 4-A schools,” Calderon said.

Marcia Iverson, Kennedy coach, succinctly stated the difference in the games.

“Christy Larsen wasn’t pitching last time,” Iverson said.

Larsen is the only Marina player who played in the 1984 Southern Section 4-A final between these teams. In that game, which Kennedy won, Larsen caught for her older sister Julie, who last week pitched for Florida State in the softball College World Series.

Marina would have had a good chance even without Larsen’s pitching Tuesday. The Vikings (18-6) took a 4-0 lead on four unearned runs after three innings, taking control of the game before Kennedy (16-12) managed a hit.

Marina scored two runs on one hit in the second inning. Becky Toler, who had walked and gone to third on Jessica Duran’s single, scored on a throwing error by left fielder Stacey Wahlsteen after a fly out. Duran later scored from third on a passed ball by Kris Vucurevic. Marina added two more runs on two hits and two errors in the third.

Marina added an earned run in the fifth, when Kris Kierstead, who had singled, advancing on a passed ball and a ground out, scored from third on a ground out by Mindy Burgess.

Chris Clammer, who pitched the first two innings, took the loss.

Kennedy didn’t manage a hit off Larsen until Lori Graper lined a single into left with two out in the fifth. Graper scored on a double by Stephanie Hill, the next batter. But that was all Larsen allowed. After getting out of the fourth with a groundout and walking the leadoff batter in the fifth, she retired the final six.

In other 4-A second-round games:

Cypress 7, Downey 0--Nicky Luce (18-4) pitched a two-hitter without a walk and struck out 15 to lead the Centurions at Cypress. Valerie Schuture and Tanya Smith each were 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Joanne Broduer drove in one and scored twice to help Cypress (19-8), which will play St. Joseph in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Downey finishes 20-4.

Ocean View 1, Gahr 0--Cindy Schneller (12-8) pitched a two-hitter, struck out six, and hit the game-winning home run to lead the Seahawks at Ocean View. De De Weiman (16-4) also pitched a two-hitter and struck out eight for Gahr (17-4), the second-ranked team in the 4-A. Ocean View (14-11) will play Los Alamitos, the Empire League champion, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Los Alamitos 2, Buena 1--Buena pitcher Tamara Evans (11-4) walked Gerri Glover with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the seventh inning at Los Alamitos. Evans gave up the Griffins’ first run with a bases-loaded walk in the first inning. Nancy Clark (13-4) gave up five hits and struck out four to lead the Griffins (18-7). Buena finishes its season at 18-8.

In 1-A:

Paraclete 12, Connelly 2--Paraclete, third-ranked in 1-A, scored 10 of its 12 runs on errors at Connelly. Santina Delligatta and Jennie Asper each were 2 for 3 with an RBI for Connelly (11-6).