HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : Jimenez Leads Cypress in 5-A

For someone who had just pitched her team to a Southern Section softball championship, Monica Jimenez was fairly subdued.

Jimenez pitched a two-hitter and struck out 12 to lead Cypress to a 1-0 victory over Simi Valley in the Southern Section Division 5-A finals Saturday night at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

To Jimenez, however, it didn’t seem like anything special.

“It was just like any other game, just with more fans,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez’s postgame calm equaled her poise during a pitcher’s duel with Simi Valley’s Sara Griffin. Griffin gave up only four hits and struck out 11 and matched Jimenez--with one key exception.

Cypress (25-5) scored the game’s only run in the fourth inning when Julie Adams scored from first on a throwing error by Simi Valley catcher Kathy Beasley. Adams reached base on a fielder’s choice and was able to come home when Beasley’s attempted pickoff throw sailed all the way to the fence.

Jimenez didn’t make any mistakes against Simi Valley (26-3). In the top of the third, Simi Valley put runners on second and third with one out, but Jimenez struck out the next two hitters.

3-A

Irvine Woodbridge 2, Saugus 1--Jessica Montgomery drove in Alison Ward with a single in the top of the eighth inning to lead Woodbridge to the 3-A championship.

Ward doubled with two outs in the inning and came home on Montgomery’s line-drive single to center. Ward pitched a five-hitter for Woodbridge (30-4).

1-A

Thousand Oaks La Reina 5, Moorpark 2--La Reina scored three runs in the first, including two on RBI singles by Jamie Kendig and Jaye Brant in the 1-A final. Kendig added another RBI single in the sixth for La Reina (18-4). Moorpark finished 23-5-1.

SMALL SCHOOLS

Santa Monica Crossroads 3, San Bernardino Christian 2--Jessica Schulman struck out 13 for Crossroads (22-9) in the Small Schools final. Jennifer Abramson drove in the winning run with a sixth-inning single.