Crescenta Valley’s Atwood Mows Down Glendale, 4-1

It was just another day in the pitching circle for Stacy Atwood of Crescenta Valley High.

Atwood, who has not given up an earned run in 68 innings, allowed only two hits and struck out eight in the Falcons’ 4-1 victory over Glendale in a Pacific League softball opener Tuesday at Montrose Community Park.

Glendale put a bit of a scare into Atwood early, scoring its only run only five pitches into the game.

Glendale’s Jenny Dalton, who today will sign a letter of intent to play next season for second-ranked Arizona, hit a ground ball through the left side of the infield for a leadoff single. As Dalton rounded first, she noticed that left fielder Amy Colburn was having trouble picking the ball up and took advantage by sprinting to second.

On Atwood’s first pitch to Cyndee Bennett, Dalton stole third. When catcher Amanda Huddleston’s throw caromed off the runner and into shallow left field, Dalton jumped to her feet and raced home.

“I figure if it’s gonna get done, I’m gonna have to do it myself,” said Dalton, one of two seniors on Glendale. “(Glendale) is really young. As a leader, I need to show them how it’s done.”

After Dalton scored, Atwood retired Bennett on a pop up and then struck out the next six batters she faced. Atwood, who will play for UC Santa Barbara next season, has struck out 140 and given up only 15 hits this season. Darleen Anderson’s fourth-inning single was Glendale’s only other hit.

Crescenta Valley wasted little time striking back at the Dynamiters (6-4). Kim Welch’s single in the bottom of the first drove in Atwood, who had singled to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

But that was just the start for the hard-hitting Falcons, who came into the game batting .304. Crescenta Valley belted out nine hits.

“We’re hitting the ball extremely well,” Crescenta Valley Coach Dan Berry said. “We changed the theory a little bit this year on hitting. We’re doing something different mechanically.”

Dalton, a senior shortstop, tried in vain to flag down Crescenta Valley hits. Dalton made diving stabs at two hard-hit ground balls and a line drive, but came up empty--and dirty--each time.

The Falcons (12-1) scored twice in the fourth on three hits and an error to take a 3-1 lead. Leslie Huddleston’s line-drive single scored Welch, who had singled, before Huddleston came around to score on a throwing error.

Crescenta Valley added a run in the fifth on a run-producing single by Colburn.