PREP SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Bakke’s Clutch Plays Lift La Habra Into First

It wasn’t the weight of the world that La Habra catcher Stefanie Bakke carried on her shoulders, but it was Atlas-sized just the same.

Her burden--besides a season-long batting slump that endangers her first-team all-league status--was a seventh-inning dropped ball that she thought cost her team a game against Fullerton. Her redemption Tuesday was two bang-bang plays at the plate--this time she held on to the ball--helping La Habra to a 3-0 Freeway League victory over Sunny Hills.

The victory pulled defending league champion La Habra (17-5, 5-2) into a first-place tie with the Lancers (10-10, 5-2), who had shocked the Highlanders this season, 4-0. Three games remain.

Bakke’s postgame mood was in stark contrast to that of Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Fullerton, in which she dropped Angie Calabretta’s throw to home and allowed the winning run to score.

“I felt like I lost the game for everyone,” Bakke said. “I was really determined not to drop any of those balls today. I wasn’t going to put that on myself again.”

Instead, she put it on the Lancers. Bernie Fancuberta tried to score from second on Patti Parkinson’s second-inning single, but sophomore right fielder Brooke Koehler threw to Bakke, whose tag play ended the inning.

Leading 1-0 in the sixth, Bakke and the outfield again made the clutch play. Holly Hart doubled, but was thrown out by Calabretta while trying to score on Brandi Northrup’s single to center, though Sunny Hills Coach Kari Boothroyd disputed the play.

The momentum shift was enormous. La Habra scored twice in the top of the seventh. Amber Duarte, who singled, scored ahead of the tag on a grounder to shortstop; and Calabretta raced home on a wild pitch by Fancuberta (10-6).

Meagan Mirth singled in the fourth and advanced on a stolen base and wild pitch, and scored ahead of the throw on Aimee Weathers’ grounder to shortstop.