SCC Softball Seeks Playoff Reprieve

Southern California College’s softball team, slowed by several midseason injuries, has a final chance to turn things around Friday and Saturday in the NAIA District 3 playoffs at Azusa Pacific.

Definitely the underdog in the three-team field, the Vanguards open at 11 a.m. Friday against Cal Baptist (17-26-1, 13-3 in the GSAC), which shared the conference title with Azusa Pacific (28-18, 13-3). SCC (24-12, 8-8) finished third.

“I think we can go in this weekend and beat either team,” SCC Coach Terry Zeigler said. “I think we have the talent. We just have to have the confidence that we can do it.”

Early in the season, the Vanguards had confidence to spare. They had split doubleheaders with a couple of NCAA Division II teams--Chapman and Cal State San Bernardino--and swept two games at Azusa Pacific, the defending district champion.

At the midpoint of the conference season, SCC was 6-1 and in first place by a half-game over Azusa. But soon after, the Vanguards had a series of injuries.

Junior shortstop Cherlynn Gordon, the team’s leading hitter at the time, suffered a season-ending knee injury March 31 in the first game of a doubleheader with Point Loma Nazarene. About a week later, senior center fielder Linda Bilyeu was sidelined by a back injury. Another senior, first baseman Janet Evans, missed about 10 games with a knee injury.

“It killed us,” Zeigler said. “Three leaders gone. That’s really when all the losses hit.”

SCC won only two of its final nine conference games.

But Zeigler sees signs that her team is rebounding from its midseason slump. Two freshmen--shortstop Shannon Moreno and center fielder Carrie Nelson--have taken over for Gordon and Bilyeu and seem to be coming around.

After Evans returned, she became the Vanguards’ second-leading hitter with a .316 average. Sophomore catcher Renee Hernandez leads with a .377 average. Hernandez, a former Rancho Santiago College and Los Amigos High player, batted .431 in conference play.

Freshman pitcher Shannon Saylor finished the regular season with a 14-7 record and a 2.00 earned-run average. She struck out 68, the third-highest total in the district.

The Christ College Irvine and Southern California College baseball teams will finish the regular season with a doubleheader Saturday at CCI, but it’s almost an academic competition.

Both teams have clinched berths in the NAIA District 3 playoffs next week. SCC (22-20-1, 10-8) could move into second place in the Golden State Conference with a sweep. CCI (27-12 through Tuesday, 11-7) can clinch the title by winning one game. Either way, the teams will likely meet in the first round of the playoffs.

Azusa Pacific is expected to be named host of the double-elimination tournament, May 7-9. Biola (14-26 through Tuesday), the independent representative in the tournament, likely will be fourth seeded.

CCI defeated Loyola Marymount, 6-4, Tuesday for its second victory over an NCAA Division I opponent this season. The Eagles opened the season by defeating nationally ranked Cal State Northridge in their first game against a Division I team.

“We may be the only team around that is 2-0 against Division I opponents in school history,” CCI Coach Scott Sarver said.

Notes

Sandy Olivas, a senior third baseman on the Chapman softball team, received first-team All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. honors, the only Panther named to the first team. Christy Wurster, a senior left fielder, was a second-team selection. The Panthers’ season was abruptly ended when two make-up doubleheaders were canceled because the games had no bearing on first place. Chapman finished the season 26-21, 5-11 in the CCAA. . . . Chapman men’s tennis players Aris Vassiliou and Uwe Olivella were named to the All-CCAA team. Vassiliou is expected to be invited to the NCAA Division II tournament, which will be held May 8-14 in Edmond, Okla.