SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : Catcher Strikes Right Chords in Hart’s Victory Over La Habra

Having already established herself as the team comedian, Newhall Hart catcher Kim Neighbors sought to prove herself as a singer Tuesday when the Indians met top-seeded La Habra in the Southern Section 4-A softball semifinals at College of the Canyons.

Neighbors has kept sophomore pitcher Lauren Fenstemaker loose during the playoffs by telling her jokes on visits to the mound.

“Kim couldn’t think of any jokes today, so she sang to me instead,” Fenstemaker said.

Neighbors’ singing must have worked, because Fenstemaker gave up one hit in a 1-0 victory that moved Hart (22-7) into Friday’s division final against Foothill, a 3-2 winner over El Toro.

Neighbors also drove in Cindy Abrams with a double in the fourth.

Abrams reached with a one-out single to center--the Indians’ first hit off Dani Ortega (24-3)--and went to second when Erin Hull’s sharply hit grounder between short and third went for an infield hit. Neighbors then hit a 2-1 fastball into the left-center for a double.

That was all Fenstemaker (19-5) needed, but she had to survive a scare in the seventh when La Habra (25-3) made its most serious threat.

Fenstemaker walked Pam Dornik leading off the seventh and Tawyna Moore sacrificed pinch-runner Jackie Kelley to second. Fenstemaker struck out Meagan Mirth on a pitch in the dirt, but Neighbors failed to throw out Kelley on a steal of third instead of getting Mirth at first.

Designated hitter Deedee Miranda hit a one-hop smash to Tracy Clark at third as Kelley broke for the plate, hesitated, then continued. The hesitation gave Clark time to throw out Kelley as Neighbors blocked the plate.

Mirth, who had stolen second base, took third on the out, but that was as far as she could get. Ange Calabretta bunted down the first-base line but was thrown out.