1990 ALL-COUNTY SOFTBALL TEAM : Lauby’s Rise Lifts El Toro Pitcher to the Top

Batters knew it was coming.

As they waited, they told themselves: “Don’t swing at the rise. Don’t swing at the rise.”

But they swung.

Batters from Don Lugo High School chased Paige Lauby’s rise ball 12 times for strikeouts in the Southern Section 3-A championship game Saturday. Lauby and El Toro went on to win, 1-0, in eight innings.

Lauby, The Times’ athlete of the year in softball, shared time with pitchers Marta Bickert and Jennifer Jourdan until late in the season, when her rise helped her rise to dominance in the pitching order. El Toro Coach Jim Daugherty relied on her exclusively down the stretch.

Lauby responded by throwing eight consecutive shutouts, including five playoff victories--over University, Trabuco Hills, Palmdale, Saddleback and Don Lugo.

She shut out all of her playoff opponents.

Lauby struck out all comers, regardless of their skill at the plate. Not an easy task, considering Trabuco Hills has all-county shortstop and .526 hitter Linda Lunceford, and Saddleback has all-county first baseman Priscilla Sarmiento, who hit .409. Lauby faced both players in the playoffs.

Lauby finished the season 16-2. In 143 innings, she allowed an earned run, struck out 262 and walked 28.

She also had a batting average of .266.

Her performance against Don Lugo was even more impressive considering it was an off night, Daugherty said.

“She didn’t have the pop on the ball she usually has,” he said.

Against Lauby, Don Lugo made better contact than most, but to no avail. “I think they know it’s coming,” Lauby said of her rise. “But they haven’t been able to stop swinging at it.”

Once batters do become comfortable with staying off the rise, Lauby has another pitch in store for them. “It’s a little curve,” Daugherty said. “The batters think it’s the rise, so they stay off it, but it comes in and stays down.”

Lauby, Bickert and Jordan all contributed to El Toro’s South Coast League title. But it was Lauby who was voted the league’s co-most valuable player along with Irvine pitcher Jennifer Brundage.

Bickert and Jordan will be back next year. Lauby will pitch for the University of North Carolina.

“It will really be difficult to replace her,” Daugherty said. “This year has been really unique. I just marvel at what she has done.”

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PAIGE LAUBY

Pitcher, El Toro

IP W-L SO BB ERA 143 16-2 262 28 0.05

PITCHER

CHERYL LONGEWAY

Kennedy

Longeway, a left-handed junior, pitched Kennedy to the semifinals of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs. Longeway, a three-year varsity starter, was voted to all-tournament teams at the Woodbridge and Cypress high school softball tournaments. She had 14 shutouts, four no-hitters and a perfect game.

1990 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 191 1/3 20-4 192 34 0.18

PITCHER

RAE RICE

Fountain Valley

Rice, a junior, was voted the most valuable pitcher in the Sunset League this season. The right-hander led Fountain Valley to the semifinals of the Southern Section 5-A playoffs, losing to Newbury Park, 1-0. She makes her third appearance on the all-Sunset League team in as many years. Rice hit .259 with nine RBIs and eight runs scored.

1990 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 155 18-3 246 12 0.23

PITCHER

STEPHANIE SMITH

Garden Grove

Smith led Orange County in strikeouts with 323 this season. She had 19 shutouts and five no-hitters. Smith, who will play for New Mexico State in the fall, set school single-season records for earned-run average (0.09) and strikeouts and career records for hits (112) and runs scored (70). Smith had a team-leading 33 hits this season.

1990 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 226 1/3 25-5 323 36 0.09

CATCHER

CHRISTA YORKE

Marina

Yorke was all-Sunset League each of the four years and the league’s most valuable player last season. She scored the winning run in the 5-A title game and led the team in average, runs scored and triples (five) this season. She scored 27 runs, had six RBIs and tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 11.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 96 29 1 6 .302

FIRST BASE

PRISCILLA SARMIENTO

Saddleback

Sarmiento helped Saddleback advance to the semifinals of the 3-A playoffs. The Roadrunners had never advanced that far in school history. Sarmiento’s power at the plate had a lot to do with Saddleback’s success. The senior all-league selection led her team in home runs (six), triples (five), doubles (three), and RBIs (25).

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 66 27 6 25 .409

INFIELDER

TAMMY LOHMANN

Katella

With Lohmann anchoring the defense from shortstop, Katella made the playoffs for the first time in more than 10 years, losing to fourth-ranked Mater Dei in extra innings. Lohmann, a sophomore, led the Knights in hitting (.362), triples (four), home runs (three), RBIs (14) and runs scored (14). She had a fielding percentage of .926.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 72 23 3 14 .362

INFIELDER

LINDA LUNCEFORD

Trabuco Hills

Lunceford was the Pacific Coast League’s most valuable player in soccer and softball. Lunceford also pitched and was an all-league selection four years. She had team highs in batting average (.526), stolen bases (35), runs scored (33) and home runs (three). She will play for Cal State Long Beach this fall.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 95 50 3 15 .526

INFIELDER

JANET MIYAHARA

Marina

After transfering from Fountain Valley, Miyahara combined with pitcher Willa Parchen to lead Marina to a 1-0 victory over Newbury Park in the 5-A title game. Miyahara, a junior, was 16-1 with a 0.13 ERA, 135 strikeouts and 10 shutouts. She led her team in RBIs (18) and doubles (six).

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 91 18 0 18 .198

OUTFIELD

LANA JIMENEZ

Kennedy

The only freshman on this year’s all-county team, Jimenez played like a veteran in leading her team in batting average (.340) and runs scored (21) as the leadoff hitter. In center field she had a fielding average of .971. Coach Sue Hall called Jiminez the best freshman she has seen in her five years of coaching.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 97 33 0 7 .340

OUTFIELD

KRISSY KYRIAZIS

Canyon

Kyriazis, a senior, played center field and third base, but plans to play in the outfield at UC Santa Barbara. She is a three-time all-Century League selection and this year’s most valuable player, scoring a team-high 31 runs. Kyriazis is Canyon’s career leader in batting average at .326.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 91 39 3 18 .428

OUTFIELD

SENETHA THOMAS

Canyon

“Fearsome” is as mild a term as Coach Lance Eddy can think of to describe Thomas, a junior left fielder. “She just explodes on the ball at the plate,” said Eddy. Thomas had two doubles, three triples and five homers. She set a single-season school record for RBIs this season with 25 and committed only one error in the field this year.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 85 29 5 25 .341

UTILITY

MARLA PICKARD

Ocean View

The Ohio State coaches knew a good thing when they saw it, signing Pickard early. She earned most valuable player honors in the Sunset League. Pickard, a three-year starter, played shortstop and pitched for Ocean View and made the all-tournament teams at Woodbridge and Downey. She also played volleyball.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 63 29 5 26 .486

DESIGNATED HITTER

JENNIFER BRUNDAGE

Irvine

Brundage, The Times’ athlete of the year in softball last season, pitched Irvine to second place in the South Coast League. Brundage, a junior, was the team’s designated hitter late in the season, when she had to rest her pitching arm. She had a 21-3 record with a 0.24 ERA and 216 strikeouts. She hit a team-high .421 and scored 20 runs.

1990 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 95 40 5 21 .421

FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM PITCHERS Paige Lauby El Toro Shannon Akau Buena Park Cheryl Longeway Kennedy Desi Abrego Saddleback Rae Rice Fountain Valley Jennifer Clark Mater Dei Stephanie Smith Garden Grove Shannon Ellis Tustin CATCHERS Christa Yorke Marina Shannon Dolan Fountain Valley FIRST BASEMEN P. Sarmiento Saddleback A. Presutti Marina INFIELDERS Tammy Lohmann Katella Michelle Cash Garden Grove Linda Lunceford Trabuco Hills J. Deffenbaugh Dana Hills Janet Miyahara Marina Wendy Stewart San Clemente OUTFIELDERS Lana Jimenez Kennedy Tammy Beer Buena Park Krissy Kyriazis Canyon Theresa Conway Mater Dei Senetha Thomas Canyon Robyn Yorke Marina UTILITY Marla Packard Ocean View S. Pouelson Ocean View DESIGNATED HITTERS Jennifer Brundage Irvine Tracy Rice Mater Dei

Player of the year: Paige Lauby, El Toro