SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Double Play at Home Helps Agoura Prevail

All the momentum seemed to rest with Notre Dame Academy.

The Regals had runners at second and third with one out in the third inning Friday and were threatening to break open a scoreless game and end Agoura’s softball season.

The top-seeded Chargers needed something special to escape the inning unscathed and they got it with an unusual double play in which both outs were recorded at the plate.

Agoura then scored three times in the bottom of the inning before coasting to a 4-0 win in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 1-A Division playoffs at Agoura.

In the semifinals Tuesday, the defending-champion Chargers (23-5) will meet Western Christian, which defeated Azusa, 1-0, Friday.

This is the second consecutive year that Agoura has bounced Notre Dame in the quarterfinals. Agoura beat the Regals, 13-0, last season.

“If we could have taken advantage of that (third-inning) situation, I really think we could have put some pressure on them this time,” Notre Dame Coach Joe Lococo said.

Instead, the Regals (14-8) botched a safety-squeeze attempt when Nancy Culver’s bunt was picked up by Agoura shortstop Jill Hartwig, who threw out Susan Jay at the plate. Catcher Michelle Ray then overthrew second base in an attempt to catch Culver.

But center fielder Leslie North retrieved the ball and rifled a throw to the plate where pitcher Melissa Thatcher tagged out Gloria Fernandez.

“That play might have pumped us up a little, considering just about everyone on our team had a chance to touch the ball,” Agoura Coach Linda Moule said.

Ray led off the third against Fernandez with a triple, and Michelle Bunch hit the next pitch into center for a sacrifice fly. One out later, Agoura strung together four hits to take a 3-0 lead.

That was more then enough for Thatcher (22-5), who finished with a three-hitter.

In another quarterfinal game:

Pacifica 1, Hart 0--Jennifer Surface’s one-out, seventh-inning single scored pinch-runner Carrie Parker from second base to give Pacifica the win in the 4-A Division game.

Hart senior right-hander Kym Weil (26-3) struck out 10 and walked none.

Jamie Dean and Kim Curtiss had the only hits for Hart (27-4).