PREP ROUNDUP : Garden Grove Gets Slap-Happy in Softball Victory

Call it slapstick softball.

Not because there was anything particularly funny about the way visiting Garden Grove defeated Kennedy, 3-0, Tuesday at La Palma, but because of the way Argonaut Coach Paula Cervantes wanted her batters to swing against hard-throwing Cheryl Longeway.

“When you go against a good pitcher like Cheryl, I like them (Garden Grove batters) to slap hit,” Cervantes said.

The tactic worked for the eighth-ranked Argonauts (12-5, 7-0 in league), who handed top-ranked Kennedy (15-2, 6-1) only its second loss of the season in assuming sole possession of first place in the Garden Grove League.

But it took Garden Grove six innings to get to Longeway (14-2), who will pitch for Cal State Fullerton next season.

Longeway and Argonaut right-hander Kim Taylor, who improved to 11-5 with the complete-game performance, breezed through five innings until Garden Grove broke through in the top of the sixth.

The Argonauts, who had not been able to get a ball out of the infield off the Kennedy left-hander used three slap singles and two Fighting Irish errors to score three runs in the inning.

Garden Grove left fielder Tina Verellen got things started with a leadoff single to center. Stephanie Mareina then reached on a two-base error when Kennedy first baseman Renee Gragnano threw Mareina’s bunt into right field.

Verellen, however, was tagged out in a rundown while trying to reach third on the play. Argonaut leadoff hitter Michelle Cash then knocked in Mareina with a bloop single down the right-field line and second baseman Kelly White followed with a line single to left, putting runners at first and second with one out.

Longeway got first baseman Brandy Corona on a tapper to first base, but then Kennedy second baseman Wendy Dawson booted Cari White’s grounder, scoring Cash and Kelly White.

Longeway struck out eight and did not give up a walk. Taylor had five strikeouts and walked three.

In other Garden Grove League softball:

Rancho Alamitos 5, Pacifica 4 (8 innings)--Jamie Almoradi hit a two-out, bases-empty home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for Rancho Alamitos (8-9, 5-2).

La Quinta 9, Los Amigos 0--Lisa Flannery hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and Jennifer Boston hit a three-run homer in the fifth for host La Quinta (4-9, 3-4).

In Angelus League softball:

Mater Dei 3, Santa Margarita 1--Marie O’Beck singled with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and Amy Godwin pitched a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts for visiting Mater Dei (11-4, 2-0).

In Century League softball:

Foothill 6, Santa Ana Valley 0--Junior right-hander Leeann Gonzalez (10-2) pitched a no-hitter, her third of the year, struck out eight and walked three for visiting Foothill (13-2, 3-0).

In Empire League softball:

Los Alamitos 3, Cypress 0 (12 innings)--Carolyn Dolan (7-3) pitched her third no-hitter and had 18 strikeouts for Los Alamitos (10-5, 2-1). Esperanza 2, El Dorado 1--Christy Wilson had an RBI triple and scored on a hit by Jessica Franck in the first inning for host Esperanza (5-7, 1-2).

In Freeway League softball:

La Habra 2, Sunny Hills 1 (9 innings)--Pam Dornik scored on Bernie Sancuberta’s wild pitch with one out in the top of the ninth for La Habra (13-3, 3-0).

In Orange League softball:

Savanna 16, Magnolia 0--Amy Markland tripled, homered and had five RBIs for visiting Savanna (8-6-1, 2-1).

In Sunset League softball:

Marina 1, Fountain Valley 0--Willa Parchen (5-2) pitched a two-hitter with a season high 11 strikeouts for host Marina (9-5, 5-1).

In Pacific Coast League badminton:

Estancia 15, Century 4--Cau Nguyen won two points in singles and one point in mixed doubled for host Estancia (10-0, 7-0).

In Sunset League boys’ tennis:

Fountain Valley 15, Marina 3--Eddie Weiss swept, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0, for visiting Fountain Valley (14-2, 9-0).

In South Coast League golf:

El Toro 392, San Clemente 432--Medalist Ben Garner shot a two-under par 70 for El Toro (8-1) at Pacific Golf Club in San Clemente. (6-7, 3-6).