Richardson Shows Antagonists She Still Has Her Sting

Success came quickly for Laura Richardson.

As a sophomore at Camarillo High--only four years after hurling a softball across a plate for the first time--Richardson became one of the state’s most celebrated high school softball pitchers.

On the strength of her talented arm, she guided the Scorpions to a Marmonte League championship and a Southern Section Division 5-A title in 1991. To no one’s surprise, Richardson was named the 5-A player of the year after an extraordinary playoff run that included a perfect game, three two-hitters and a 14-strikeout performance in the final against Buena. Cal-Hi Sports named Richardson the state sophomore player of the year.

That was nearly two years ago, and victories do not come as easily for the senior right-hander. She has had shoulder problems since the summer after her sophomore season. Her rise ball doesn’t carry quite the same pop and the Scorpions--with only three seniors on the team--don’t score as many runs as they did two seasons ago. But, make no mistake, Richardson is no has-been.

Last week she reappeared in the spotlight. On a pair of three-hitters two days apart, Richardson shut out Southern Section powers Simi Valley and Newbury Park, the top-ranked teams in Division I (formerly 5-A).

She dealt Simi Valley, previously ranked No. 2 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, its first defeat of the season and did so on what she referred to as an “off day.”

“I was really nervous before that game,” Richardson said. “I just tried to take it pitch by pitch. I was having an off day and I was struggling.”

Richardson, who averages less than a walk per game, walked four Simi Valley batters--once to load the bases--struck out five, and judged her performance sub-par. It was her teammates’ offense and defense that made the difference, she said.

With the help of two errors, Camarillo scored two runs in the first inning, which surprised Coach Darwin Tolzin and gave hope to Richardson, who frequently tires of waiting for her team to produce even a single run.

“We spent a lot of time getting ready for that game,” said Tolzin, who has conducted twice-a-day practices on Saturdays since the season began. “I thought we could stay with them pitching-wise, but offensively--against (Simi Valley pitcher Sara Griffin). . . . I wasn’t sure.”

The fatigue Richardson experienced against Simi Valley is understandable. Two days earlier, she threw a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts to beat Newbury Park. Although many softball pitchers frequently throw more than 100 pitches a day without pain, Richardson changed her arm motion a few days before facing Newbury Park--and suffered the consequences.

After her shoulder injury in 1991 and on advice from her physical therapist, Richardson modified her arm motion to protect the rotator cuff. Three days before facing Newbury Park, Richardson went back to the arm-pumping delivery that made her a star as a sophomore.

“My arm was really sore after Newbury Park,” Richardson said. “I had to do a lot of icing.”

The victories, which keep the Scorpions (13-4, 7-2) in the hunt for the Marmonte championship, were sweet revenge for Richardson (10-2), whose only losses came against Simi Valley and Newbury Park in the first round of league play.

Surprisingly, however, Richardson said she pitched better in those losses than in her recent victories. Apparently, it has been a trend: Better pitching hasn’t always resulted in a better won-lost record. Richardson was 16-3 with an 0.53 earned-run average her sophomore season and struck out 213 in 146 innings. A year later, she had twice as many losses (13-6) but improved her ERA (0.34) and strikeout ratio (204 strikeouts in 130 innings).

“She pitched good enough last year to win,” Tolzin said. “She pitched better than her sophomore year.”

Richardson, 18, who committed in November to play softball at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo next season, is enjoying another award-winning season. She has not allowed a run in 62 consecutive innings and is striking out batters (145 in 100 innings) at the rate she did as a sophomore. Her ERA is 0.35.

Richardson says she doesn’t know her previous or current records, but she is willing to do most anything to lead the Scorpions back to the Southern Section final. If she has to sacrifice her arm to make a run at another section title, so be it.

“She knows what brought that success and she’s not letting it get away,” Tolzin said.