SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Marina Shuts Out Ocean View, Stays Unbeaten in League

Marina High kept its Sunset League record unblemished with an 1-0 victory over visiting Ocean View on Tuesday.

The Vikings are 14-2 and 8-0 in league. Ocean View is 13-5, 5-2.

Marina managed only two hits against losing pitcher Kathy Ponce, and neither was clean. Ocean View Coach Doug Myers contested one of the hits--Robyn Yorke’s single in the first inning--arguing first baseman Angela Burke stepped off the bag.

Marina’s other hit also barely qualified. With one out and two on in the third inning, Ocean View catcher Rocky Willson went after Yorke’s sacrifice bunt, but kicked the ball inadvertently, and Yorke was again awarded a hit.

Whatever the official scoring of the play, it loaded the bases. Then Becky Tackett flied out and Faith Fuata grounded to short, but shortstop Staci Avalos bobbled the ball, allowing Angela Alvarez to score. Alvarez had walked.

“That was tough,” Myers said. “They put a lot of pressure on you. You know you’re not going to have a lot of opportunities to score.

“But the most frustrating thing is the fact that we gave it to them--they didn’t win it.”

Ocean View had its chances. The Seahawks had two on and none out in the fifth, and the runners tried to advance when the ball popped from catcher Heather Williams’ mitt. But Williams retrieved the ball and threw out Vicky Gonzalez at third.

Williams had a banner day behind the plate. She threw out Lisa Dacquisto, who is third in the county with 28 stolen bases, trying to steal in the first inning and again in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Marcy Crouch (7-1) allowed only three hits.

In the Academy League:

St. Margaret’s 11, Southeast Lutheran 0 ( 4 1/2 innings, mercy rule)--Monica Arreola pitched a no-hitter, striking out ten and walking one, for host St. Margaret’s (4-5, 2-0). Arreola had two hits, scored three runs and had three RBIs.

In the Arrowhead League:

Southern California Christian 3, Anza Hamilton 1-Candle Silva pitched a one-hitter, striking out 18, for the Flames (10-2, 4-1).

In the Empire League:

Cypress 3, Katella 1--Nikki Espriu, who had one hit and two walks, scored on a squeeze bunt by shortstop Julie Adams in the fifth for host Cypress (7-10, 2-1). Katella is 2-1 in league.

El Dorado 3, Loara 1--Junior Heather Hamer pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight and walking one for El Dorado (10-5, 1-2).

Tammy Hyde got a two-out base hit in the first inning for the only RBI for 10th-ranked Loara (13-4, 2-1).

Los Alamitos 2, Esperanza 1-- Michelle Schneider’s first-inning double drove in two runs for Los Alamitos (14-2, 2-1).

In the Freeway League:

La Habra 3, Buena Park 0 (8 innings)--Orange County’s strikeout leader Danielle Ortega had 13 strikeouts in a one-hitter to lead La Habra, which scored three unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning on two Buena Park errors. Ortega’s total this season is 196.

Sunny Hills 5, Sonora 2--Bernie Fancuberta had two hits and two RBIs and pitched a four-hitter for visiting Sunny Hills (7-8, 3-0).

In the Garden Grove League:

Pacifica 11, Los Amigos 0-- Valerie Downen pitched a no-hitter, striking out 11, in her first pitching appearance in three years. Kristina Carlson had three hits and three RBIs, and Kristin Freed added two RBIs.

Rancho Alamitos 2, Santiago 0 (11 innings)--Destiny Mollison pitched a one-hitter, striking out 19 and walking two, for Rancho Alamitos. Julie Littman scored on a wild-pitch in the 11th for Rancho Alamitos (7-6, 4-2), which added a run in the inning.

In the Olympic League:

Whittier Christian 27, Orange Lutheran 0 (5 innings, mercy rule)--Debbie Goddu had a perfect game through four innings for Whittier Christian (4-9, 4-2). In the fifth, two Orange Lutheran batter reached on dropped third strikes, ending Goddu’s perfect game. Goddu, who pitched her first no-hitter this season, struck out 10.