San Pedro’s Bats Quieted by Powerful El Camino, 5-0, in City 4-A Title Game

How sad for the San Pedro High softball team that there’s a school in the Valley named El Camino Real.

For the second year in a row, El Camino, the City’s top-seeded 4-A softball team, has prevented the Pirates from winning the City title. Last year the Conquistadores (22-4) eliminated San Pedro (18-5) in the semifinal of the playoffs.

Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, El Camino did it again by defeating San Pedro 5-0 in the 4-A final.

“I was impressed with the way they played,” said San Pedro Coach Tony Dobra of the consistent El Camino players, “but I’m still proud of my girls. I still feel we have a very good team.”

The Pirates knew it would not be an easy game. After all, El Camino is the Valley softball powerhouse that has a dominant force in all-City pitcher Beth Silverman (19-4). The Conquistadores appeared in the playoff finals last year and before that won four consecutive 4-A titles.

“We were not nervous,” said San Pedro shortstop Sharon Oreb, who went hitless in the game. “We came here to play six and a half innings of softball and go home.”

Instead the Pirates played seven solid and somewhat depressing innings. They got only two hits off of Silverman while San Pedro junior pitcher Meagan Moore (10-4) gave up five. Each had five strikeouts.

“There’s no doubt that they have an excellent ballclub,” said San Pedro pitching coach Allan Moore, Meagan’s father, “and they have quality pitching, but it wasn’t overpowering. We weren’t intimidated.”

San Pedro got both hits in the fourth inning when right fielder Alison Gillmore and designated hitter Kim Tedesco singled. The Pirates left both on base, which must have been discouraging because they had committed a crucial mistake in the top of that innning that led to three El Camino runs.

The error came when Moore overthrew the ball to second on a fielder’s choice that put El Camino’s Lisa Huffaker and Alisha Knopf on first and second. Then first baseman Stephanie Freitas threw short to third on another fielder’s choice off Cathy Balint’s bunt. With the bases loaded, Jenny Fleming smacked a two-run double to left that made the score 2-0. Balint scored on Moore’s wild pitch to Andrea Federico.

“They were a solid little team,” said El Camino Coach Neil Ludlow, “but today was just our day. If we were to play them again, they might win it.”

El Camino scored its last two runs in the seventh on two hits. Silverman retired the next three San Pedro batters.

“The No. 1-seeded team beat the No. 2-seeded team,” Dobra said, “so on paper it worked out. But I told Neil that we better make an appointment for next year. Now they know they’ll have to get past us. In the past the playoffs have had all Valley teams. Not anymore.”