The Preps : SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : SOFTBALL : 3-A : Mission Viejo Continues to Surprise With 2-0 Victory Over Montclair

If the glass slipper fits any team in the Southern Section 3-A softball playoffs, it is the Cinderella squad at Mission Viejo High School.

The Diablos continued their successful postseason by defeating Montclair, 2-0, Thursday in a quarterfinal game at Montclair.

Mission Viejo (17-10) will play Ramona in the semifinals Tuesday.

The Diablos, who finished fourth in the South Coast League, earned an at-large berth to the tournament, and knocked off top-seeded La Mirada in the second round before beating Montclair with five hits and a stellar defense.

In the fourth inning, Mission Viejo’s Renee Pina hit a slap-bunt to second for a single and took second on a throwing error by second baseman Rose Antillon. Pina took third on Amy Bond’s sacrifice and scored when Monica Vargas (16-3) threw a wild pitch halfway up the backstop.

Michele Daugherty and Tamar deFries singled with two outs, but were left stranded when Kerin Dull grounded out to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the inning, Montclair first baseman Carri Fredericks singled to left. Elizabeth Muller reached on an error and Fredericks took second before Michelle Govea flied out.

Vicky Molinar then hit a one-hop single to center fielder Bond, and Montclair Coach Landon Moore waved Fredericks home.

But Bond charged the ball, fielded it cleanly and rifled a strike to catcher deFries, who was waiting at the plate with the ball when Fredericks arrived to end the inning and Montclair’s best chance.

“My next batter was not that strong so we had to take a chance, “ Moore said.

“It had to be a perfect throw, and it was. It was a one-hopper, right there. They came up with all the plays today.”

Said Mission Viejo Coach Jeff Cunningham: “She’s got a great arm. I hate to say it but it was a great play. But for Amy, that is almost routine. “

Montclair (23-5) attempted to rally in the sixth with the help of Diablo pitcher Erin Fitzgerald (11-4), who walked one batter and hit another with one out.

Fitzgerald struck out Muller, but Govea singled to left to load the bases.

Fitzgerald, who missed the last half of league play with a severly bruised pitching hand that required a cast, got Molinar to pop to short to end the inning.

Mission Viejo added an insurance run in the seventh when deFries singled and advanced on Dull’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Jennifer Ward’s single to center.

In other 3-A quarterfinal games:

Ramona 2, San Clemente 1--San Clemente (13-13) scored one on Wendy Stewart’s RBI single and had runners on second and third with no outs, but Ramona (22-7) relief pitcher Angel Jaramillo retired the inning on a strikeout and two popups to end the threat. Jaramillo struck out 10 and walked only one.

Saugus 1, Irvine 0 (14 innings)--Cathy Lewis pitched a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts for Saugus (20-7) at Irvine. Jennifer Brundage (17-8) pitched a six-hitter and struck out 15 for Irvine (20-8). Brandy Rico scored after back-to-back errors in the 14th inning for Saugus.