Covina Stops Mission Viejo on Three Hits

Mission Viejo High School entered Saturday’s Southern Section 3-A softball championship game hoping to pull off one more surprise.

But the unseeded Diablos--an at-large team--ran out of luck against second-seeded and undefeated Covina.

Covina’s Mary Letourneau (24-0-1) pitched a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts to lead the Colts to a 2-0 victory at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

“I thought we played really well, we just didn’t generate any offense,” Diablo Coach Jeff Cunningham said. “She did a lot of things we expected, only she did them better.”

Amy Bond, one of three Diablos to reach base, said: “She had nice rise and nice drop, and she threw them both when we were expecting the opposite.”

Letourneau, who came into the game with an 0.12 earned-run average, recorded her 17th shutout of the season.

Covina got to Mission Viejo starting pitcher Erin Fitzgerald (12-5) for four hits and the two runs, and reliever Kerin Dull for three hits. The Diablos played outstanding defense to keep the score as close as it was.

Dull, a sophomore, replaced Fitzgerald to start the third after the starter aggravated a back injury while warming up before the inning.

“I hurt it before the (second round) of the La Mirada game,” said Fitzgerald.

“In the second inning, I started to have pain in my lower left side and it spread. (By the third), it shot all the way across my back. It just really hurt.’

Covina scored its runs in the second inning. After Bond made a diving catch on a line drive to center field by Letourneau, Lea Hollister and April Ruedaflores singled.

Cassy Hollister then a hit ground ball to shortstop. Jennifer Ward tried to force Hollister at third but her throw tailed over the third baseman’s head. Lea Hollister scored on the error and Ruedaflores took third.

Fitzgerald then struck out Dawn Sawyer but Hollister stole second. r Cindy Escobedo hit a single up the middle to score Ruedaflores to make it 2-0 before Sherrie Ward flied out to end the inning.

“She was hurting in the first and second innings,” Cunningham said of Fitzgerald. “I think if I had known, I might have made the (pitching) change then.”

Mission Viejo’s best scoring opportunity also came in the second. Designated hitter Michelle Daugherty singled to right field and was sacrificed to second by Tamar deFries but she could get no farther.

In the sixth with one away, Letourneau reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced on Lea Hollister’s ground out. Ruedaflores then hit a bloop single to center field. Bond charged the hit, wound up and let go with a throw to the plate that arrived before Letourneau even had a chance to slide. Catcher deFries tagged her out to prevent the run.

“The girls have done a great job,” said Cunningham. “They have nothing to be ashamed of.”

The farthest the Diablos (18-11) had advanced previously was to the semifinals five years ago, he said.