3-A SOFTBALL : Disputed Infield Singles Help El Toro Defeat Don Lugo in Eight Innings

Depending on which coach you talked to, either an umpire’s poor judgment on the basepaths or Jaime Smith’s speed on the basepaths gave El Toro High School the Southern Section 3-A softball title Saturday night--an eight-inning, 1-0 decision over Don Lugo.

Smith beat out a two-out bouncer to shortstop Michelle Macias, enabling Corrie Yauney to score from third base with the game’s only run.

Don Lugo Coach Ray Sheffield argued with the first base umpire twice in the bottom of the eighth inning, after Kymm Maniscalco and Karie Yoshioka were both ruled safe on close plays.

Maniscalco, after getting the first of three infield singles in the eighth, was forced at second on Yauney’s grounder to short. Yoshioka then beat out a grounder to shortstop with Yauney going all the way to third while first baseman Kelli Opatkiewicz was looking at the umpire in shock. Smith’s decisive hit followed.

Sheffield said after the game that Maniscalco was out by a full step and that several bad calls by the umpires in the last inning won the game for El Toro (29-1).

“There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that she (Maniscalco) was out at first and that’s no way to win a CIF,” Sheffield said. “When it comes to a game like this, the umpires are supposed to be top notch . . .whatever happens the girls should win it or lose it, not the umpires.”

“We got some bad calls during the game just like they did,” El Toro Coach Jim Dougherty said. “But nobody’s faster on the field than Jaime Smith.”

Paige Lauby (16-2) struck out 12 and shut down the Conquistadors (28-2) with runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings.

“They were good with the inside pitch (they were hitting it) and that’s my best,” Lauby said. “So I tried to keep it outside. That’s where I got a lot of my strikeouts.”

Both teams created and lost opportunities in unusual ways throughout the game.

In the top of the second inning, a fly ball to left by Don Lugo’s Erin Walsh dropped in for a double when Yoshioka lost it in the sun.

In the bottom half of the inning, a line drive by Lauby to the sun field--left--was ruled a double when it was dropped by Jennifer McNatt.

In the top of the third inning, Don Lugo, with Kristin Matulik on second base, Michelle Macias on first and Opatkiewicz at bat, attempted a double steal. El Toro catcher Maegan Juggert, attempting to catch Matulik at third, hit the batter Opatkiewicz in the head with the throw. Matulik upon reaching third, saw Juggert hesitate as the ball rolled to the backstop, and attempted to score. Juggert recovered the ball and easily tagged Matulik.