SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : South Torrance’s 1-0 Playoff Victory Is First in 33 Years

A strong wind helped cause an error on a routine fly ball, allowing South Torrance High to score a 1-0 victory over visiting Capistrano Valley on Thursday in the first round of the Southern Section 3-A Division softball playoffs.

With South’s Angela Bean on second base, shortstop Gillian Boxx hit a lazy fly ball into right field that looked to be the final out of the sixth inning. But the ball sailed away from Capistrano Valley’s Shelly Smith and popped out of her glove. Bean scored and Smith was charged with an error.

Throughout the game, a strong breeze blew from the west across South’s diamond. South right fielder Tammy Hertica also made an error on a windblown fly ball, but the mistake didn’t cost the Spartans.

“Right field can be a killer in this ballpark,” South Coach Larry Lent said. “It didn’t hurt us any today, but it hurt them, and that was the difference in the game.”

It also gave South its first playoff victory in softball in 33 years. The Spartans (18-3) tied West Torrance for the Ocean League championship, but went into the playoffs as the league’s No. 2 entry after losing a coin flip with West.

Capistrano Valley, the fourth-place team from the South Coast League, entered the playoffs as an at-large team and finished 15-11.

For three innings, Capistrano Valley freshman starter Daniela Hugelshofer kept South off-balance. She allowed only one hit before giving way to senior Jennifer Smith (10-10), who struck out four in three innings.

Jennifer Smith gave up only one hit, an infield chopper between the pitcher and first base by Bean in the sixth. Bean advanced to second on Monica Emmrich’s ground out, then Boxx, South’s best hitter at .529, hit the fly ball that won the game.

South senior Julie DeJaifre (6-1) allowed only Hugelshofer’s base hit down the first-base line in the fourth. DeJaifre, who missed six weeks of the season with a broken bone in her left foot, struck out two.

South will play either Bellflower (22-6) or Covina (14-5) in the second round Tuesday.