Peck Pitches El Camino Real to City 4-A Softball Crown

Chrissy Peck of El Camino Real High can breathe a sigh of relief now that the Conquistadores have captured their sixth City Section 4-A Division softball title in the past seven years.

In fact, the entire El Camino Real team can breathe easier after beating San Pedro, 1-0, on Wednesday at Cal State Northridge.

“I was so nervous after the first pitch,” El Camino Real Coach Neils Ludlow said. “I must have walked a hundred miles.”

At least Ludlow’s nerves waited until game time to kick in.

“I couldn’t even sleep last night,” said senior shortstop Lisa Huffaker, who has signed a national letter of intent to play softball for Cal State Northridge. “I was getting up every hour.”

The Conquistadores scored the only run in the first inning when leadoff batter Cathy Balint walked, moved to third on a Peck sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice, then scored when Jenny Fleming blooped a single to right.

“I didn’t think it would be the only run,” Balint said. “When I got to second I had a feeling I was going to score.”

Added Fleming: “I just got in there and dug in and hit the first pitch.”

Peck was another El Camino Real player who really dug in.

The junior right-hander hurled a one-hitter, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter, but she received little defensive support. The Conquistadores (23-2) committed six errors--five in the first four innings.

With two out in the first, San Pedro’s Allison Gillmore and Ronnie Krill reached second and third on consecutive errors before Peck got Kathy Eldridge to fly out.

Chellee Bennett was safe at first in the second when Peck tried to field a grounder barehanded. Bennett went to second on a fielder’s choice and the Pirates put runners at the corners when Fleming lost control of Peck’s third strike to Kristie Alvarado.

But San Pedro’s threat ended when Alvarado was called out for leaving first base before Peck released a pitch to Jstone Vines.

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on Krill’s clean single to center, an error and a fielder’s choice, but the next two batters lined out and grounded out.

“I was trying to relax myself and get ground balls,” Peck (22-2) said. “I knew we would get ourselves out of it.”

The championship was El Camino Real’s fourth under fifth-year coach Ludlow, who was happy with the win but not with his team’s fielding.

“The kids made some nice plays when they had to,” he said. “(But) I don’t think we made six errors in our last four games (before Wednesday).”

Besides Fleming, Peck and Heidi Crocker singled to account for El Camino Real’s hits. San Pedro starter Meagan Moore (18-5) also walked a pair and struck out one in going the distance.

“The emotion was there, the preparation, the time,” Ludlow said. “It’s just an emotional drain, an emotional high.

“Just a great way to cap off the season.”

El Camino Real will lose just four players from the championship team.

The win was the Conquistadores’ third over San Pedro (20-6) in a playoff game in as many years.

Last year, El Camino Real defeated the Pirates, 5-0, in the championship game, and the Conquistadores won, 1-0, in the semifinals in 1987.

Sylmar beat El Camino Real, 13-4, in the title game in 1987.