Clutch Pitching by Richardson Lifts Camarillo Past Katella in Softball

Camarillo High’s Laura Richardson, a sophomore right-hander, is one of the youngest members of the Scorpion softball team, but she came through like a veteran Tuesday in a semifinal game of the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs.

Richardson pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning by striking out the last two batters and preserved Camarillo’ 1-0 victory over Katella at El Dorado High.

“That was stressful,” Richardson said while icing her shoulder after her two-hit, 14-strikeout performance.

Camarillo (23-5), which had never advanced past the first round, will play Buena in the championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at Mayfair Park in Lakewood. Katella, the Empire League champion, finished at 17-7.

The Scorpions, who stranded a runner in scoring position in three of the first four innings, broke the drought in the top of the eighth. Miki Mangan ripped a hard ground ball past third baseman Melissa Benbow to score Kelley Bannon from second.

“I was really anxious because I was (zero) for three,” Mangan said. “I just wanted to hit it on the ground and hit it hard.”

With one out, Bannon reached first on a bunt single and went to second on Ginny Mike’s single up the middle.

Nursing a precarious lead, Richardson (14-3) issued two full-count walks to start the bottom of the inning.

Kelsi Armbruster sacrificed the runners to second and third, leaving Richardson to face the Knights’ leading hitter, Tammy Lohmann, who was batting .548 entering the game.

Richardson intentionally walked Lohmann to load the bases, then pitched out of trouble. She caught Tonya Armbruster looking at a third strike then dismissed Benbow on three pitches.