GARDEN GROVE SOFTBALL INVITATIONAL : Ortega Arrives Just in Time to Lead La Habra

La Habra defeated Canyon, 4-3, in eight innings, and then beat El Toro, 2-0, in the championship game of the Garden Grove Argo Softball Invitational Saturday at Mark Twain Elementary School.

Dani Ortega (12-2), who nearly missed the start of the Canyon game, pitched all 15 innings for La Habra (12-2). She had 10 strikeouts against Canyon and three against El Toro.

“We had to stall the start for five minutes because we were waiting for Ortega and catcher Stefanie Bakke. Both were delayed because they were taking their Scholastic Aptitude Tests,” La Habra Coach Sue Briquelet said.

“Ortega was on top of her game today despite being unable to throw any warm-up pitches prior to the first game. The team supported her with great defense and good team speed.”

Canyon and La Habra finished seven innings tied, 1-1. The international tie-breaker rule, which automatically places the leadoff batter in the inning at second base, went in effect.

In the top of the eighth, Nina Lindenberg’s two-run home run gave Canyon the lead, 3-1.

La Habra’s Cathy Turner started at second base and advanced to third on Bakke’s single. The Highlanders advanced to the championship game on Sara Mallett’s three-run home run.

In the championship game, Turner led off the first inning with a single and scored on a throwing error that followed Bakke’s sacrifice, giving La Habra a 1-0 lead.

With two out in the top of the third, Bakke singled and scored on Pam Dornik’s double.

Losing pitcher Misty Lauby (5-2-1) allowed six hits and struck out eight for El Toro (6-5-1).

Earlier, El Toro lost to Canyon, 2-1, in eight innings. The international tie-breaker rule put Canyon’s Annette Bailey at second base. With two out, she scored the winning run on Lindenberg’s single.

In the Division II championship:

Garden Grove 4, Ocean View 1--Duffy White pitched a one-hitter to lead Garden Grove (7-1-1) past Ocean View (6-6). White’s no-hitter was broken up on a seventh-inning triple.

In the Division III championship:

Rancho Alamitos 4, Troy 1--Jill Otto struck out 11 for the Vaqueros, and Theresa Agapulsa went three for three with an RBI. Destiny Mollison hit a two-run triple in the fourth for Rancho Alamitos (7-6-1).

In other Division III games:

Rancho Alamitos 9, Estancia 0--Julie Littman threw a two-hitter and struck out 11 for Rancho Alamitos.

Troy 3, Estancia 2--Amy Thomas hit a home run in the fifth inning and Laura Smith struck out 11 and allowed only two hits for Troy (9-2).