PREP SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Foothill Errors Costly in 2-0 Loss to Kennedy

Foothill High School Coach Joe Gonzalez was pleased with his team’s performance even though the unranked Knights lost, 2-0, to Kennedy in the semifinals of the Woodbridge Easter softball tournament Tuesday at Harvard Park.

“We started this tournament and ended up one of the final four,” Gonzalez said. “And the rest of the teams were ranked teams. We’re trying to build a program here, and we have a chance to come in third.”

The Knights (11-7) advanced further than El Toro--ranked No. 8 in the Orange County Softball Coaches’ poll--and ninth-ranked Fountain Valley. But Tuesday, second-ranked Kennedy proved too much.

The Fighting Irish, coached by 1980 Foothill alumnus Sue Hall, had three first-inning singles and took advantage of three errors in the inning to score the only two runs of the game.

Kennedy pitcher Cheryl Longeway (10-1-1) pitched a three-hitter and struck out six. Longeway has 99 strikeouts in 12 games.

“We handled the bat pretty well against a good pitcher, so I felt really good about that,” Gonzalez said.

His daughter, Leeann Gonzalez (5-5) did not fare quite as well on the mound. She pitched a six-hitter with three strikeouts.

Kennedy (14-1-1) plays sixth-ranked Irvine in the championship game Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Hall, who thought Kennedy would continue to score easily after the first inning, said she was impressed with her alma mater.

“This is one of the better Foothill teams I’ve seen in a long time.”

In other tournament games:

Irvine 2, Upland 0 (10 innings)--Jennifer Brundage allowed six hits and had 13 strikeouts for Irvine (16-2). Alleaha Pulson had an RBI single and Carie Caudill had an RBI double in the 10th for Irvine.

Dana Hills 6, Artesia 0--Janae Deffenbaugh tripled and scored two runs, one in a five-run fifth inning, to lead the Dolphins in the seventh-place semifinal. She pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts.

Fountain Valley 4, El Dorado 1 (8 innings)--Kristen Santa Cruz tripled and drove in two runs in the the top of eighth to break a 1-1 tie for Fountain Valley (12-4).

In the Angelus League:

Mater Dei 1, St. Paul 0--Jennifer Clark (10-0) allowed two hits and struck out four and Theresa Conway scored on Amy Moeller’s sacrifice fly in the first inning for visiting Mater Dei (15-2, 4-0 in league).