SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : Brea-Olinda Holds On, Defeats La Habra

Despite yielding nine hits, five of them during a seventh-inning rally, Brea-Olinda High School held on to defeat La Habra, 6-5, Wednesday in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A softball playoffs at Tamarack Park.

The Wildcats (18-6) will take on Buena Park, a 1-0 winner over Santa Monica Wednesday, in Friday’s quarterfinal round.

Brea-Olinda was led by third baseman Natalie Stevens, who went two for three with two triples, two RBIs and two runs.

“All year long someone has picked us up,” Brea-Olinda Coach Sharen Caperton said, “and this game it was Natalie.”

La Habra (16-8) scored twice in the first inning. Sara Mallett led off with a single to left-center and took second when pitcher Laura Corson (13-8) grounded out. Cathy Turner singled to left, driving in Mallett. Turner took second on the throw home.

Crystal Streavel reached on an error and Turner advanced to third. Julie Miller drove her in with a single to left.

Brea-Olinda came roaring back with consecutive three-run innings. The Wildcats collected six hits and the Highlanders committed three errors over the two innings.

Robyn Desborough led off the Brea-Olinda first with a walk. Two outs later, Stevens lined a triple to the gap between right and center fields.

Designated hitter Allison Bickel chopped a Corson change-up over third base for a run-scoring single to tie the score at 2-2.

Sherry Fulbright singled to center. Bickel beat center fielder Marija Kristich’s throw to third and Fulbright took second on the play.

Bickel scored when La Habra second baseman Mallett fumbled Joy Stephens’ short hopper. Aimee McDaniel grounded out to end the inning.

In the second, Desborough had a one-out single to center and advanced to second on Kristich’s fielding error. Desborough stole third while pitcher Kelly Cook (17-5) struck out for the second out.

Tricia Barr grounded up the middle to score Desborough.

Stevens followed with her second triple of the game, sending the ball over the right fielder’s head to drive in Barr.

Bickel then hit a one-hopper to right that right fielder Heather DuBarry, who was playing shallow, bobbled for an error. Stevens scored to give Brea-Olinda a 6-2 lead before Fulbright flied out to end the inning.

“Those first few hits, they really rifled it at us, and that just took the wind right out of our sails,” La Habra Coach Donn Brown said.

Though La Habra was shaken early, the Highlanders regrouped in the seventh.

Kim Dornik singled. With one out, relief pitcher Rachel Phillips reached on a walk. DuBarry then singled to load the bases before Mallett’s single drove in Dornik.

Corson singled to score Phillips, and Turner followed with a single to bring La Habra within a run at 6-5.

Streavel flied to Desborough in shallow center and Miller grounded to second to end the game.

Caperton said her team has had a penchant for playing games down to the wire all season.

“I call them the cardiac kids,” she said. “And it is very obvious why from that seventh inning.” In other 4-A softball games:

Garden Grove 2, Crescenta Valley 1--Stephanie Smith (19-8) pitched a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts and Garden Grove (21-9) collected nine hits in its victory at Crescenta Valley (20-4). Smith also had two hits and an RBI, as did catcher Becky Eggers. Michelle Cocin and Celeste Gordon also had a pair of hits each for Garden Grove, which will play Diamond Bar in a quarterfinal game on Friday.

Kennedy 9, Millikan 0--Cheryl Longeway (19-3) pitched a two-hitter and struck out seven to lead Kennedy (22-4) past Millikan at El Dorado Park. Kennedy scored three runs in the second inning, added three more in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. Kennedy senior center fielder Suzie Berdis went two for four with two RBIs, a run scored and two stolen bases. Stefanie Hill was one for three with three RBIs, a run and a stolen base. Danielle McLeod was one for two with two runs and a pair of stolen bases. Kennedy had seven stolen bases.

Sunny Hills 5, Glendale 2--Kelly Ward went two for four with a triple and two runs and Mendi Goldsmith had an RBI triple to lead Sunny Hills (20-6) at Glendale (17-7). Stacy Thurber and Erin McKenney each had one hit, scored a run and had an RBI for the Lancers. Senior pitcher Amy Huett (11-3) picked up the victory, striking out three, in her second game back from oral surgery, which had kept her out for two weeks.