PREP SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR : Pacifica’s Surface Is a Leader by Example : Softball: Senior pitcher, who led county in ERA and strikeouts, guided a young and inexperienced Mariner team to league title.

At 6 feet, pitcher Jennifer Surface creates a formidable psychological barrier for opposing batters. Her blazing fastball and excellent control confirm what they already feared--the right-hander is almost impossible to hit.

Surface, a senior who is The Times Orange County softball player of the year, led a young and relatively inexperienced Pacifica team to the Garden Grove League title and was named the league’s co-MVP. She finished the season with a 20-5 record and led the county in earned-run average (0.07) and strikeouts (279), including two Southern Section playoff games.

In her four years with the Mariners, Surface was 42-22 with a 0.10 ERA and 715 strikeouts in 471 1/3 innings. Her victories included four perfect games, nine no-hitters and 36 shutouts.

“I haven’t seen anyone who compares to her,” Pacifica Coach Rob Weil said. “I’ve never coached anyone who comes even close to her competitiveness. She’s always been a completely focused person on the field. Off the field, she’s a sweet kid. But when she gets out there, she’s a competitor.”

Even when the games last much longer than expected.

During the first round of the 5-A playoffs, for instance, Surface battled Cerritos in a 26-inning game played over two days and finally won, 1-0, when Kristina Carlson got an infield hit to drive in the only run. Surface had 13 strikeouts in the game.

“I was getting a little tired toward the end,” Surface said. “They (Cerritos) almost had us a couple of times.”

Two days after the conclusion of that game, Surface faced top-seeded Mater Dei in the quarterfinals of what turned out to be another extra-inning nail-biter. This time, however, Surface lost on an unearned run, 1-0, in 11 innings. It was the final game of her high school career, and one Surface wanted to win badly.

“I was very, very disappointed when we lost to Mater Dei,” she said. “What I thought about the most was that my high school career was over. I had really felt we were going to the finals. When I watched the finals (Cypress beat Simi Valley, 1-0, on Saturday) it kind of hit me that we could have been there.”

Still, Surface takes consolation in helping Pacifica win the league championship after the Mariners had finished third the previous year--seven games behind champion Garden Grove--with a 7-7 record. This year, they were 20-5, 12-2 in league.

“It was so exciting. The biggest thrill of the year was to win league,” Surface said. “Before the season, I had hoped for a league championship because it was my last year. I knew it was possible, but I also knew we had a lot of new players coming in. The whole team really pulled together.”

Surface, however, was the glue that kept the young team from cracking in the middle of its league championship drive. She said she tried to remain the team leader with her on-field performances.

“Last year, sometimes I’d let up a little (while pitching),” Surface said. “Instead of trying to be too broad this season, I tried to rely on my main two pitches (fastball and drop). I also got better at concentrating hard enough to get my adrenaline going, trying to get pumped up on days when I didn’t feel really good.”

This fall, Surface will attend Yale and major in economics. It’s a long way from Garden Grove, but Surface says the prestigious university captivated her.

“I visited there twice,” Surface said. “I just loved it. The Gothic architecture is so pretty. . . . I just felt really at home there.”

That’s a lot more than opposing batters could say about facing Surface this year.

ALL-COUNTY TEAM: C11