THE PREPS : Girls’ Athlete of the Week : She’s Come Out of the Shadows for Valencia

Natasha Dumoski.

It was a name not many people heard last year. Why? Because Dumoski was a pitcher at Valencia High School. The same school where all-everything pitcher Michele Granger, then a senior, was setting numerous national high school records.

Dumoski, then a sophomore, made only one varsity appearance, a 3-2 loss to Western.

Valencia Coach Debbie Fassel brought Dumoski up from the junior varsity because Granger was away visiting the President and the varsity’s backup pitcher was injured.

Though the Tigers lost, it had less to do with Dumoski’s performance than with Valencia’s six errors.

After the Western game, Granger returned to the mound and Dumoski returned to the anonymity of the bench. She couldn’t legally go back to the junior varsity after playing with the varsity, and Granger owned the pitcher’s mound.

So Dumoski waited.

This season, Dumoski is Valencia’s starting pitcher. She has had to pitch her way out of Granger’s shadow and the skepticism that had many coaches picking a Granger-less Valencia to finish fifth or sixth in league play.

But Dumoski said she always believed Valencia could finish first in the Orange League or at least earn a spot in the playoffs.

Her patience and perseverance have paid off. Dumoski, The Times’ athlete of the week, has pitched Valencia (10-12 overall, 5-3 in league play) within a game of first place. Brea-Olinda and Western are tied for first.

Thursday, she pitched Valencia to an 11-inning, 1-0 victory over Savanna to clinch a spot in the Southern Section 4-A playoffs. She struck out 14 and gave up five hits. Last Tuesday, she pitched another five-hitter, this time with 18 strikeouts in a 15-inning, 1-0 defeat of Anaheim.

Dumoski (10-11) has pitched 30 2/3 scoreless innings over the past three games.

With Dumoski on the mound, unranked Valencia has upset such ranked teams as Western, Garden Grove and Canyon. Dumoski, a right-hander, has 158 strikeouts, 28 walks and has allowed only 13 earned runs in 154 innings.

“It was kind of fun to go out and beat teams like Canyon and Garden Grove because it was kind of like ‘Ha ha, you didn’t expect anything,’ ” Dumoski said.

TOP PERFORMERS

Tanya Brix of University won the 1,600 meters (5:09.9) and the 3,200 meters (11.29.6) at the Sea View League track and field meet Friday.

Amy Huett pitched a no-hitter, striking out eight, and drove in the first run of the game in Sunny Hills’ 2-0 victory over Fullerton Tuesday.

Freshman Tammy Lohmann hit a grand slam Tuesday in Katella’s 10-0 Empire League victory over El Dorado.

Natasha Dumoski

Valencia High School

Position: Pitcher

Height, Weight, Class: 5-8 1/2, 145, Junior

Last Week: Dumoski pitched all 26 innings of two extra-inning games, allowing no runs and no walks in a 1-0, 15-inning victory over Anaheim and a 1-0, 11-inning victory over Savanna.

Season: Dumoski is 11-10 with 158 strikeouts, 13 earned runs and 28 walks in 154 innings.