Softball : Monte Vista, Bishop’s, Grossmont Win Titles

Monte Vista felt confident going into Saturday’s San Diego Section 3-A softball championship game, and with good reason. The Monarchs had been defeated only once this season and are led by one of the top pitchers in the county.

But in the fifth inning of a scoreless game, Coach Charlie Costello said he and his team began to feel the pressure. And it wasn’t until the top of the 10th that Monte Vista scored to defeat Mt. Miguel, 1-0, for the title.

Grossmont edged USDHS, 2-1, for the 2-A title, and Bishop’s defeated Mountain Empire, 1-0, in 1-A.

“They stuck with it,” Costello said. “They’ve been under pressure all year being undefeated, being No. 1 and not wanting to lose.” The Monarchs, who finished 25-1, suffered their only loss to El Capitan in the final regular-season game.

The Monarchs loaded the bases in the ninth, and although they did not score, Costello said that was when they felt they would win.

“Once the bases were loaded, we knew,” said leadoff hitter Kristy Howard. “It’s contagious once the momentum gets going.”

In the 10th, Lisa Wall singled. After Jeanine Williams’ flyout, Lynn Darnell bunted Wall to third. After Kristy Howard grounded out, sister Kelly drove in Wall with the winning run. Kelly Howard finished three for five.

“(Mt. Miguel) was flying high after we had the bases loaded and didn’t score, but we came back and held them,” Costello said. “The run came at the most convenient time, two runners on and two outs.”

Only once this season had Monte Vista gone into extra innings. Pitcher Suzy Lawrence (19-1), who struck out seven, said she didn’t even realize how many innings the game had lasted when it was over.

“I was trying to concentrate. I just wanted our team to score,” Lawrence said. “When I was a sophomore, I pitched 19 innings, so I was thinking how I handled it back then. I started getting a little tired, but I overcame it.”

Mt. Miguel pitcher Burna Cloyd used a strong wind to her advantage, frustrating Monte Vista batters and earning praise from Costello.

“That’s where Burna was tough,” Costello said. “She was setting the ball outside, and I kept telling the team that, but those seasoned veterans, you can’t change them.”

In the 2-A final, Brenna Hancock (22-4) not only led Grossmont to its first section title, she broke the section record for career victories with 59. Castle Park’s Dawn Wood had tied the old record of 58 earlier this season.

“I’m happy that I’ll be remembered for a record that now someone else has to break,” Hancock said.

With one out in the first, Shannon Sexton hit a triple, followed up by an RBI single by Heather Farris to give USDHS (15-8) its only run.

“We did battle with them and got hits off of Brenna, which not many people thought we would,” USDHS Coach Margaret Mauro said. “I think we surprised a lot of people getting as far as we did in the playoffs.”

Freshman Jolie Oliver scored both of Grossmont’s runs. In the second, Michelle Messer hit an RBI single, and in the fourth, Heather Reynolds scored Oliver with a double.