SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : 2-A : Boyd Loses Record Bid, but Woodbridge Wins

Somehow, Tiffany Boyd had to feel the day was anti-climatic. She had just struck out 14 batters, scored one of the runs that moved her team into the finals, but missed tying the record for consecutive no-hitters by the tiniest of margins.

Woodbridge defeated La Serna, 4-0, in the Southern Section 2-A softball semifinals at La Mirada High School, but Boyd, needing just one more no-hitter to tie Monica Messmer’s 1983 record of five straight, missed her chance when the official scorekeeper credited La Serna’s Shelly Drain with reaching first on a base hit rather than a throwing error.

Boyd wound up with a one-hitter.

Woodbridge Coach Sue Hall said shortstop Lisa Wehren’s throw, which pulled Charisse Kiino off first, should have been ruled an error.

“It was really shaky,” Hall said. “It was a pretty close play to miss a record by. I would have given Tiffany the benefit of the doubt.”

Boyd, though, shrugged off the near miss of the record.

“What’s important is that we got there (the finals),” she said.

Woodbridge opened a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Mary Dugard scored on Wehren’s sacrifice fly to left. Dugard, who was pinch-running for Nicole Griebe, who had singled, moved to second on Kim Johnson’s sacrifice and to third on Sue Berg’s single.

In the fourth, Boyd, who reached base on a fielder’s choice, scored from first on Shannon Patton’s single. Kiino then received an RBI when her pop fly to center allowed Patton to score.

In the seventh, Spring drove in Jamie Stone, who had walked, for the final run.

Boyd (15-6) will be pitching again Friday when the Warriors (18-6) meet Laguna Hills, with which they shared the Pacific Coast League title, in the 6 p.m. final at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.