SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : La Habra Shuts Down Foothill, 4-0 : Highlanders Blend Defense, Pitching, Youth in Victory

La Habra High School played nearly flawless defense and freshman shortstop Cathy Turner had two hits, a run batted in and scored two runs in a 4-0 victory over Foothill in the first round of the Southern Section 3-A softball playoffs Friday at La Habra.

La Habra pitcher Laura Corson limited Foothill to a single by Kerry Lodgard in the third inning. La Habra had four hits and only one error.

Turner went two for three, with a triple and a single. She came into the game leading her team in RBIs with 12 and second in runs scored with 11. Corson entered the game with 14 runs.

Turner scored twice; Corson had a single and scored once.

“They make contact plus they are speed burners,” La Habra Coach Donn Brown said of Turner and Corson.

Turner hit a riseball from Foothill pitcher Kathy Shortall deep to left-center with two outs in the first inning. Clean-up hitter Crystal Streavel drove home Turner with a single to left to give La Habra a 1-0 lead.

“Today was amazing,” Turner said. “When I got up there (in the first inning), it was just perfect, and I hit it. I was surprised at how far it went. I’ve never hit it that far.”

The Highlanders had two steals, both in a three-run sixth inning.

Corson led off with a single to center and scored on Turner’s single. Turner took second on the throw home, which was cut off by Shortall.

Turner advanced to third when Streavel reached first on an error. Streavel stole second, and Julie Miller grounded to shortstop Shannon Ebert. Ebert threw home in time to get Turner, but Turner knocked the ball loose from catcher Melissa Wielandt to make it 3-0. Streavel advanced to third on the play. Miller then stole second.

Streavel scored on a wild pitch to end the scoring.

Foothill’s only threat came in the fifth when Corson (13-7) put two runners on with a walk and an error with two outs. But Lodgard grounded out to third to end the inning.

“Their defense took it away, no question,” said Foothill Coach Dave Ascher, whose team finished 17-11. “Their pitcher is a good pitcher, and their shortstop didn’t hurt (them) at all.”

La Habra (16-7) plays Brea-Olinda, a 4-2 winner over Eisenhower, in the second round Wednesday.

Corson struck out six and walked two. Shortall (7-4) struck out nine and walked two.