Softball Team Falls to St. Joseph : Playoff Loss Doesn’t Get Leuzinger Down

The Leuzinger High School softball team didn’t win the CIF 1-A title on Saturday, but the Olympians were still jumping and screaming joyfully after their 2-1 loss to St. Joseph High (23-8) of Santa Maria.

“Are you kidding?” said Leuzinger Coach Sharon Curto. “This was a very exciting way to finish the season. This was like being in the World Series!”

Leuzinger (20-7) has been in the playoffs seven times during Curto’s eight years there, but the Olympians never have made it to the finals. Last year they were eliminated by St. Joseph--which won the 1-A title--in the second round of the playoffs.

“They were really great,” said St. Joseph Coach Ernie Baldiviez. “They really deserved to be where they were. As you saw today, they sure didn’t get there by luck.”

Leuzinger got six hits off St. Joseph ace Julie Rome, the Los Padres League most valuable player. The junior right-hander, who has earned four no-hitters this season, allowed no hits in the semifinal playoff game against La Reina last week and was expected to do the same on Saturday.

“She is a very great pitcher,” said Leuzinger right fielder Adrianna Iberra, who scored the Olympians’ only run. “She was pitching that riseball, and it was tough to hit.”

In the sixth inning, Iberra, a junior, smacked a double to right field with one out. She went to third on a passed ball and scored on Rome’s wild pitch to Leuzinger catcher Alissa Willard.

Willard hit a double to left center, with two outs. She was left on base after sophomore left fielder Wendy Carrico struck out.

The Knights scored their first run in the fourth inning when Leuzinger pitcher Candy Carrico (19-7) gave up three hits. Shortstop Mindy Mawhinney lead off with double deep to left field. Mawhinney got to third on a wild pitch and scored on Julie Grennan’s sacrifice fly to left field.

In the sixth inning, Grennan hit a double, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a fielder’s choice. St. Joseph third baseman Raquel Fleming hit the ball past Carrico, who touched it with her glove. Leuzinger second baseman Gina Dicrocco got the rolling ball and made the play at first.

“This is my last high school game,” Carrico, a senior and the Pioneer League’s MVP, said before the game. “So I’m going to try everything. I am scared and nervous, but I’m just trying to not think about it.”

It was hard to tell that Carrico, who has earned 10 shutouts this season and leads the Olympians in batting, had pre-game jitters. She struck out 10 batters and gave up six hits.

Willard hit two doubles and sophomore right fielder Lucy Najera had two singles.

“We scored,” said Iberra, “we hit, we pitched well. We did everything we could, and we still lost. They were just a very strong team.”