San Pedro Edged Again in City Softball Final

For three years, the San Pedro High softball team has improved steadily and must now be considered a member of the City’s softball elite.

But the Pirates just can’t seem to beat El Camino Real, which Wednesday claimed another City 4-A title, its sixth in seven years, with a 1-0 victory over San Pedro before a packed house at Cal State Northridge.

The Pirates have won 49 games under third-year Coach Tony Dobra and twice made it into the City 4-A championship game only to lose to El Camino Real. Last year, the Conquistadores beat San Pedro, 5-0, in the title game also at Cal State Northridge.

Before Wednesday’s game, Dobra expressed optimism, claiming the Pirates were better prepared and more experienced this time around. But the Conquistadores scored in the first inning and made it stand despite committing six errors.

“We’ve got to get that monkey off our backs,” said Dobra, whose squad also bowed out of the 1987 semifinals when it lost, 1-0, to El Camino Real. “Geez, we at least have to score a run against them one of these times. This is getting frustrating.”

Also frustrated was Pirates pitcher Megan Moore who lost despite a three-hit performance. San Pedro stranded eight runners and did not take advantage of the El Camino Real errors.

“I’m getting kind of used to losing one-run games,” said Moore, who walked two and struck out one. “It happens in softball all the time. I think I’ve been playing so long I just don’t get my hopes up.”

The first inning, in Dobra’s words, was “textbook softball” as El Camino Real scored the only run.

Cathy Balint worked Moore for a walk, advanced on pitcher Chrissy Peck’s sacrifice bunt and went to third on a ground out. Moore battled Lisa Huffaker on several pitches, finally inducing her to ground out.

But catcher Jenny Fleming singled sharply to center to score Balint.

Ironically, Fleming knocked in El Camino Real’s first three runs in last year’s championship victory over San Pedro.

“She’s really a good athlete. She did the same thing to us last year,” said Moore, who finished the season with an 18-5 mark. “I’m always a little tight in the beginning of the game, but she’s just a good hitter and hit a good pitch.”

San Pedro had several chances but stranded seven runners in the first four innings.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Alison Gillmore and Ronnie Krill reached on errors. Kathy Eldridge popped out to end the inning.

The Pirates threatened again in the second when Chellee Bennett, fooled by Peck’s change-up, sent a spinning squibber toward the mound that the Conquistadores pitcher couldn’t handle. Two outs later, Kristie Alvarado reached base when Fleming dropped a called-third strike.

J’stone Vines next laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate, but the first base umpire immediately signaled Alvarado out, arguing that the Pirate right fielder had left first base too soon.

Krill led off the fourth with San Pedro’s first hit of the game and promptly stole second. One out later, Bennett reached on an error. Debbie Elgin grounded to the pitcher, Peck fielded it cleanly but threw too late to third and the Pirates had the bases loaded with one out.

Renee Gaxiola lined hard to Peck for the second out and Alvarado grounded to short.

“I’m not the kind of coach who looks at a couple of plays that went against us and say ‘Oh, it’s just not our day,’ ” Dobra said. “We’ve had a lot of close games this year and we’ve handled it. It was just a matter of us not getting the timely hits.”

San Pedro would not threaten again, although Eldridge reached second on an error and a fielder’s choice in the sixth. Peck retired 11 of the last 12 and the final five batters of the game.

“Chrissy was just outstanding,” said El Camino Real Coach Neils Ludlow. “She averages around 11 strikeouts a game and she had only three today, so it wasn’t really her type of game, but she got the outs when we needed them.”