High School Softball : Madison Picks Off Patrick Henry Again, 5-0

Steve Miner, Madison High School’s softball coach, put in a new pickoff play Tuesday at practice, and on Wednesday, his team needed to use it. Talk about good timing.

Patrick Henry, trailing, 3-0, in the third inning, had loaded the bases with two out when Miner put the play on. Center fielder Jennifer Booker charged in to cover second base as pitcher Debbie Corbett delivered a pitch out of the strike zone to cleanup hitter Sue Hawke. Catcher Christy Serritella fired a throw to Booker, who tagged out a surprised Nikki McGahey to end the inning.

With Patrick Henry’s best threat squelched, Madison went on to a 5-0 victory and improved its record to 17-1 overall and 2-0 in the City Eastern League. Corbett pitched a 3-hitter and struck out 13 to improve her record to 9-1. She has allowed just 2 earned runs in 64 innings for an earned-run average of 0.22. Talk about good pitching.

“But this wasn’t one of my better games pitching,” Corbett said.

At the plate, Corbett came through with a two-run home run in the first inning to get the Warhawks started. In the second, Madison added to its lead on June Andrews’ suicide squeeze. Booker, who had singled and stolen two bases to reach third, scored on the play. Another run scored on an error, and the fifth run was scored on Serritella’s two-out triple in the fourth. Talk about a diversified offense.

“We can hit the ball,” Miner said.

Madison can do quite a bit more. The Warhawks, with six players who are in their third year of varsity play, have been rolling all season and figure to be one of the top contenders for the San Diego Section’s 3-A championship.

Madison won 11 in a row to start the season before it lost to Patrick Henry, 6-5, one month ago in a second-round game of the Orange Glen tournament. Since then, the Warhawks have won six consecutive and beaten Patrick Henry (9-3, 1-1) three times.

“I don’t know if we’re the best team in the county, but it’s going to take a good effort by somebody to beat us,” Miner said. “We’ve got experience, depth and talent.”

Talk about a tough combination to beat.