Strong Pitching Helps Dominguez Hills Sweep Softball Doubleheader

Anne Ibarra pitched a four-hitter in the opener and Julie Borquez a three-hitter in the nightcap as Cal State Dominguez Hills swept a nonconference softball doubleheader from Southern California College, 3-0 and 4-0, Thursday at Dominguez Hills.

Melissa Punch had two hits and scored a run in the opener. The Toros (12-5) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the second game as Melissa Acosta and Gloria Saldana scored on Rene Hernandez’s passed ball. Saldana had two of Dominguez Hills’ five hits and also drove in a run.

The Toros play perennial California Collegiate Athletic Assn. power Chapman in a doubleheader at noon Saturday at Toro Field.

Dominguez Hills (1-1 in the CCAA) is in second place in the conference behind UC Riverside. Chapman, which has yet to play a conference game, is 9-3.

Dominguez Hills won three of four games last week. The Toros split a doubleheader against Riverside, losing, 2-0, in the opener and winning, 11-0, in the second game. They swept a nonconference doubleheader from Loyola Marymount, 12-0 and 2-0.

The Toros pitching staff has allowed only 22 runs in 17 games.

Offensively, the Toros have a team batting average of .325. The leaders have been senior shortstop Jennifer Lueck and senior catcher Lety Carranza.

Lueck leads the team with a .419 average and Carranza is batting .413 with two home runs. She also leads the team with four triples and 17 runs batted in.

Carranza is only 10 RBIs short of the school’s single-season record of 27 set by Maria Romero in 1989. Punch, a designated hitter, leads the team with three home runs, one short of the school record.

Chris Thompson of Rolling Hills Estates is expected to be among the top competitors at the boys’ state youth gymnastics championships Saturday and Sunday in Redlands.

Thompson, 11, who competes in the 10-12 age division, tuned up for the state meet with a strong performance at the Southern California Boys Gymnastics Assn. All-Star Championships last week in Van Nuys.

Thompson, who competes for Studio West Gymnastics in Rolling Hills Estates, won the all-around competition with 51.8 points, including victories in the pommel horse, rings and high bar.

Top finishers at the state meet will qualify for the regional championships April 11-12 in San Jose.

Senior midfielder Jessica Reifer of the Torrance High girls’ soccer team has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Hartford.

Reifer helped the Tartars win their second consecutive Southern Section 3-A Division title with a 3-2 victory over Arcadia earlier this month. Hartford has been ranked among the top NCAA Division I programs in recent seasons.

The Manhattan Beach Recreation Department will hold registration for its spring paddle tennis classes starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Joslyn Community Center.

Classes for players of all ability levels will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and noon to 1 p.m. Saturday starting April 7 at the Manhattan Heights courts, 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd.

The cost is $32 for eight lessons. Information: Charlotte Marshall at (310) 545-5621, Ext. 318.

The El Camino College baseball team is sponsoring a sports card and collectibles show from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the school’s cafeteria.

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children younger than 12.

Information: (310) 715-7679.

The fourth annual Walk for Life for all ages will be held from 8-10 a.m. April 4 at Torrance Beach.

Participants must collect pledges and walk, jog, roller-skate or wheelchair along the 6-K course from Torrance Beach to Redondo Pier. Proceeds will go toward the Pregnancy Help Center and Helpline of the South Bay and the Casa de los Angelitos home for pregnant women in Harbor City.

Information: Doris Roach at (310) 320-8976.