FREEWAY LEAGUE SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Sunny Hills Wins in 10th, Spoils Buena Park Party

Buena Park was in a mood to celebrate Thursday, but Sunny Hills spoiled that plan with a 3-1 upset victory in a Freeway League softball game.

Freshman pitcher Bernie Francuberta singled in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning, and with the victory over Buena Park--eighth-ranked in the Orange County Softball Coaches’ Poll--helped give unranked Sunny Hills sole possession of second place in the league. Buena Park is 16-3-1 and 8-2 in the league; Sunny Hills 12-12 and 7-3.

Buena Park, under first-year Coach Brenda Sapp, had clinched its first title since 1976 with a victory over Fullerton Tuesday. And that prompted some carry-over celebration Thursday.

The Coyotes had league champion banners pinned up all over, green and white crepe ribbons adorning the dugout and green, black and white balloons tied to the bench. They also had a cake and a six-foot sandwich waiting for them after the game, not to mention a prom coming up Friday night.

But Sunny Hills took a little of the fun out of the festivities with the victory.

“We were not overconfident,” Sunny Hills Coach Ed Copelin said. “They might have been. I want to thank them for it, if they were.”

Buena Park played the first five innings without left fielder Tammy Bertrand, who was out for disciplinary reasons. Sunny Hills benched Kelly Ward for three innings, also for disciplinary reasons.

When Bertrand did get to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, she reached on an error that allowed catcher Kari Escobedo, who also had reached on an error, to score, tying the game at 1-1 and forcing extra innings. Sunny Hills had scored in the fourth after Stacy Thurber reached base on an error and, two outs later, Mendi Goldsmith singled her in.

Sunny Hills collected eight hits off Shannon Akau (15-3), five more than she had given up in any game all season. Sunny Hills also got 11 runners on, leaving three of them on third base. Buena Park managed only three hits, seven runners and--aside from the one run--managed to get only one other player in scoring position. Buena Park also committed five errors to Sunny Hills’ three.

In the decisive 10th inning, Sunny Hills got two hits and Buena Park committed two errors.

Again it was Thurber who would cross the plate with the eventual winning run. She hit a two-out single, went to second after Shannan Brown reached on an error, then came home after Francuberta dropped a single into left center. Brown also scored on an error.

“I have no idea what pitch it was,” said Francuberta. “I just swung at it. At least I made contact. I thought she might catch it because it was kind of a pop fly.”

Sapp did not think the loss would hamper Buena Park in the playoffs.

“With these girls, I think once the prom is out of the way it will be back to work, back to ABC on Monday,” she said.

In other league games:

Troy 2, Sonora 1--Kenwyn Richards had a two-run double in the fifth inning to give the host Warriors (2-8, 2-12) the victory.

La Habra 4, Fullerton 1--Visiting Fullerton (11-13, 4-6) committed four errors, which led to three runs.