Southern Section Softball Playoffs : Sunny Hills Takes On Kennedy in Drive to Win Another Title

Early in the softball season, it looked as though the defending Southern Section 3-A champion, Sunny Hills High School, might not even make it to the playoffs.

The Lancers, who had lost five players from their championship team to graduation, appeared to be dealt a fatal blow when pitcher Ruby Flores was sidelined with a knee injury.

Flores last season shared 1987 3-A player of the year honors with Valencia’s Michele Granger and gave up just four hits in five playoff games. But she had arthroscopic surgery on her left knee in March after pitching only two games this season.

Any hopes of her comeback were dashed when Flores came down with chicken pox a few weeks after her surgery. Without Flores, Sunny Hills lost nine games in a row before entering Freeway League play.

But junior pitcher Amy Huett has given the Lancers new life. After an early struggle, she has improved her record to 13-9, has struck out 208 batters and has an earned-run average of 0.72. Huett got on track in league play, and Sunny Hills went on to win the league. The Lancers defeated Rubidoux, 4-0, in the first round of the playoffs.

Today, Sunny Hills (15-14) plays top-seeded Kennedy (21-5) at Kennedy at 3 p.m. Kennedy defeated Saddleback, 2-0, in the first round behind pitcher Cheryl Longeway’s two-hitter.

In other 3-A second-round games:

Buena Park (14-13), coming off the first round’s biggest upset--a 2-1 victory over third-seeded Crescenta Valley--will play host to Culver City. Western, led by Ivy Pinkerton, who pitched a perfect game against Garden Grove, will travel to play Hawthorne (14-2). Valencia, also coming off a perfect game pitched by Granger, will travel to play Bellflower (16-7). La Quinta, which defeated Tustin, 4-2, will play host to Diamond Bar (21-3).

In 2-A second-round games:

Top-seeded Woodbridge travels to Canyon Country to play Canyon. The Warriors (20-6) defeated Montebello, 7-0, in the first round when Tiffany Boyd threw her eighth no-hitter of the season, missing a perfect game by one walk. Laguna Hills, which defeated Pomona Catholic, 4-1, travels to play Saugus (13-9). Mission Viejo, which beat Alemany, 2-0, plays host to Palm Springs (20-4).