COMMUNITY COLLEGE STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT : Corson’s Shutout Gives Cypress a Championship

Cypress College pitcher Laura Corson didn’t think she was at her best Sunday afternoon, but her defense was.

Corson shut out Chabot, 2-0, to lead the Chargers (46-10) to their first championship of the California Community College Softball State Tournament on Sunday at Golden West College.

“The defense made the plays it had to today,” Cypress Coach Brad Pickler said. “It was a definite team win.”

Corson (29-7) doesn’t overpower opponents, and Sunday she had only two strikeouts, while walking two and allowing three hits.

Without the big strikeout pitch, Corson lets her defense do the work.

Shortstop Tricia Barr took a base hit away from Chabot’s Valori Loya in the second inning, first gloving a hard ground ball near second base, then rifling her throw to first baseman Priscilla Sarmiento for the out.

Cypress scored its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on two hits and three Chabot (50-7) errors.

Jackie Boxley, the tournament’s most valuable player, singled to load the bases with one out. Shortstop Cheri Mowry bobbled Corson’s grounder, allowing Nikkani Andrews to score.

Cypress’ next batter, Barr, also hit a grounder to Mowry, but this time Mowry threw wildly to the plate, skipping the ball past catcher Vicky Reeves and allowing Lisa Hawthorne to score.

Corson made few mistakes in the three-day tournament, and despite a sore arm, allowed only seven hits, seven walks, and no earned runs in 28 innings. The sophomore right-hander, had complete-game victories in all four tournament games, earning the tournament’s most valuable pitcher award.

Corson closed out her Cypress career by not allowing an earned run in her final 45 innings, helping the Chargers finish with 18 consecutive victories.

Four other Cypress players earned all-tournament honors: Barr, the Orange Empire Conference player of the year; Sarmiento, who hit .363 in the tournament; Andrews, who hit .400 in the tournament, and catcher Stefanie Hill, who picked off two runners in the tournament.