Smith’s Good as Gold on the Diamond

Perfect games still are a gem in softball, and Stephanie Smith of Garden Grove High School has started quite a jewel collection.

Smith, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, pitched her second perfect game in six days Thursday, allowing only seven hits in five games.

She pitched a perfect game in a 1-0 victory over Gahr in the opening round of the Canyon tournament March 10 and had another in an 11-0 victory over Westminster in the Cypress tournament Thursday.

Because of the mercy rule, Smith faced only 15 batters Thursday, striking out 10. With that few batters, Smith breezed past the first 12 without realizing she was on to something.

“I realized in the last inning,” Smith said. “It was weird. . . . I heard their third base coach say, ‘We need a baserunner’ and I thought, ‘Oh yeah, they haven’t had anybody on.’ ”

Smith also pitched two-hitters on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and a one-hitter Saturday.

Garden Grove Coach Paula Cervantes lets Smith decide how she will pitch to most batters. “Usually I let the pitcher and catcher work it out,” Cervantes said. “I might suggest something if I know a batter’s tendencies. I just tell her I don’t want any walks.”

Friday, the dreaded base on balls resulted in an unearned run and a loss for Smith. Smith walked a Cypress batter who stole second. The catcher’s throw went into center field, where it was misplayed, allowing the run to score.

But the next day, it was back to business as usual, when Smith struck out 10 in a one-hit victory over Woodbridge.

TOP PERFORMERS

Kerin Dull of Mission Viejo struck out eight, did not allow a hit and did not walk a batter, but was deprived of a perfect game when her team made three errors in the Laguna Hills tournament on Tuesday.

Jenae Deffendaugh pitched a no-hitter to lead Dana Hills to a 10-0 victory over Costa Mesa in the Cypress tournament.

Lisa Fager of Mission Viejo leaped 39 feet 9 1/2 inches (wind-aided) to win the triple jump at the Katella Relays Saturday. Ocean View’s Debbie Orr set the county record of 39-8 1/4 in 1986. Fager, a senior, also won the high jump at 5-2.

Teresa Flaherty pitched a no-hitter and struck out seven to lead Magnolia to an 8-0 nonleague victory over Troy Tuesday.

Janet Miyahana of Marina pitched a no-hitter and struck out 12 in a 4-0 victory over Tustin in the Laguna Hills tournament on Thursday.

Shareen Patton pitched a no-hitter to lead University to a 1-0 victory over San Clemente Tuesday in a game that was stopped after five innings because of darkness.

Beth Queypo of Western pitched a no-hitter and struck out 14 in a 2-1 nonleague loss to Hawthorne Wednesday.

Jennifer Surface, a sophomore, struck out 12 in a perfect game to lead Pacifica to a 6-0 victory over Loara Tuesday in the Laguna Hills tournament.

Stephanie Smith

Garden Grove High School

* Position: Pitcher

* Height, Weight, Class: 5-6, 140, Senior

* Last Week: Smith pitched her second perfect game in six days Thursday and had a 4-1 record for the week without allowing an earned run. Smith struck out 54 and walked three in 33 innings.

* Season: Smith is 6-2 but has not allowed an earned run. She has struck out 73, walked nine and hit one batter in 49 innings.