PREP SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Irvine Determined to Defeat North Torrance, End an Upsetting Trend

The Southern Section Division III softball playoffs have been filled with one upset after another.

No. 1 Woodbridge, No. 3 Alemany and No. 4 Riverside Arlington bit the dust Thursday.

Irvine, ranked ninth in the state, sixth in Southern California and third in the division, is the only seeded team remaining.

The Vaqueros’ opponent today, North Torrance, is the third-place team from the Pioneer League. The Saxons were 9-6 in league, and are 15-9 overall after a 1-0 victory over Alemany.

That makes Irvine’s 25-5 record look all the more impressive.

Yet Coach Lisa Baker is cautious. After all, she’s seen seeded teams ousted from the playoffs.

“Every team could present a problem for us,” Baker said. “From what I’ve heard, (North) is tougher than Torrance, and their defense is the strongest part of their game, which is something I strive for. We’re going to have to work for it, no doubt.”

The Vaqueros have gotten most of the work so far from three players who already have earned college scholarships: Alleah Poulson (UCLA), Monika Hollstein (Doane University, Crete, Neb.), and Rebecca Smith (Furman, Greenville, S.C.).

Poulson is hitting .556 in three playoff games, five for nine, with a run batted in. Hollstein is hitting .500, four for eight, with four RBIs. Smith is three for seven in the playoffs (.429).

Smith has also been impressive on the mound. She hasn’t allowed an earned run in 21 innings, has struck out 25, walked only one, and yielded a .160 batting average.

“Since the playoffs started, it feels like we’ve stepped up a level,” said Poulson, who has raised her average from .419 to .437 during the playoffs. “It always felt like we’d have a next game during the regular season. Since the playoffs began, it feels like we’ve been more focused, that there’s been a higher intensity level--there’s no tomorrow.

“I like it a lot better. It reminds me of the intensity level of the summer team. Right now, we’re really focused.”

Irvine beat Trabuco Hills, 3-0, Torrance, 3-1, and Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, 1-0. Hollstein had the decisive RBIs in the latter two games, Poulson the decisive RBI against Trabuco Hills.

“(Hollstein has) been the clutch hitter in many situations,” Baker said. “When you need her most is when she comes through.”

She and Poulson pack some power. Poulson had seven home runs while batting in the No. 3 position in the order. Hollstein had six triples this year batting cleanup. Poulson has 19 RBIs and Hollstein has 20.

Hollstein’s emergence has benefited Poulson, who made The Times all-county team last year.

“It kind of takes some of the pressure off me,” she said. “I don’t feel like I’m the one that always has to come through.”

Despite a team batting average of .265, Irvine has outscored opponents, 135-29, and has 87 more hits than opponents.

Despite early-season fielding trials--Hollstein moved from third to short, Shye Nakabayashi moved from center to third base--Irvine has won with timely hitting.

“From a team aspect, you just need to do what needs to be done,” Baker said. “If you have to sacrifice bunt and never have a batting average, that’s what needs to be done. We don’t look at stats a lot. (The players) know what they’re doing well or what needs to be done.

“We have six girls at the top of our order who make good contact and have good power, and will pull through in the clutch when we need them.”

Upsets be damned.

Also in Division III

San Dimas vs. Laguna Hills--The winner of this game will be the underdog in the championship. Neither San Dimas nor Laguna Hills was seeded in the tournament.

Laguna Hills (22-5) advanced with a 3-0 victory over third-seeded Riverside Arlington after victories over Newport Harbor, 7-3, and Riverside Ramona, 4-0. Most impressive about those scores are the shutouts--Coach Cary Crouch didn’t expect them.

Pitcher Windy Scofield, who had a two-hitter against Arlington, has made few mistakes and the defense has played well. Crouch preaches fundamentals and said his team would be as prepared as humanly possible, and so far, they have.

The Hawks continue to be a dangerous offensive team, scoring twice as many runs, 14, as any other semifinalist. Jennifer Milo (.513) and Misty Thompson (.300) combined for seven home runs, 49 RBIs and 41 runs in the Nos. 3-4 positions in the batting order during the regular season. They lead a list of seven players batting .300 or better, including Alycia Stevens (.463, 29 runs).

San Dimas reached the semifinals by beating an at-large team, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 4-0, as well as Montebello, 2-0, and top-seeded Woodbridge, 1-0. Woodbridge, ranked eighth in the state, defeated Laguna Hills, 6-0, earlier in the season.

The game will be played at the University of La Verne.

DIVISION I

Simi Valley vs. Ocean View--Simi Valley (24-1-1) might be ranked No. 2 in the state and seeded No. 1 in the division, but El Modena--and a photograph of the controversial winning run in the quarterfinals--showed that the Pioneers occasionally need a little luck.

Ocean View (22-6) might have some luck of its own, winning the alternate site location--Golden West College--but in a 2-1 quarterfinal victory over fourth-seeded Mater Dei, ranked seventh in the state, the Sea Hawks didn’t need any luck.

Instead, they got a two-run homer from freshman Jennifer Hatcher, her third. Hatcher has been impressive in the postseason: she tripled and scored in a 1-0 victory over Mission Viejo in the first round.

Stacy Avalos also has excelled in the playoffs. Her sacrifice fly scored Hatcher against Mission Viejo, and her two-run triple in the 11th inning sparked a 3-1 victory over Newbury Park.

Ocean View will be even more dangerous when Lisa Dacquisto warms up to her .613 season batting average, but she has been bothered by a sore back since the Newbury Park game.

Sophomore pitcher Kathy Ponce (16-2) has been effective, scattering 13 hits over 25 innings, and allowing only two runs.

Simi Valley pitcher Sara Griffin (19-1) has not allowed an earned run. The Pioneers haven’t provided her with much run support: they’ve scored only two runs in two playoff games, including a victory over Lompoc. Their tie was a 24-inning, 0-0 deadlock in which Griffin struck out 28.

Marina is a common opponent. Simi Valley defeated the Vikings, 3-1; Ocean View lost, 1-0, and, in the last game of the Sunset League season, lost, 2-0.

Camarillo vs. Los Alamitos--Los Alamitos (23-3) has been flying by the seat of its hospital gown during these playoffs.

First, Carrie Dolan was involved in an automobile accident before their first playoff game, a 3-2 victory over Garden Grove in eight innings. Dolan didn’t play.

Then, the doctor wouldn’t let Coach Jami Shannon, who is pregnant, make a four-hour bus trip for the second-round game, a 2-0 victory over Santa Maria Righetti, because she was four days past her delivery date.

And on the first play of the quarterfinal game, second baseman Shelby Olmstead was lost for the playoffs after re-injuring her leg while covering first base. Los Alamitos won it, 1-0, in 22 innings.

If not lucky, it is a resilient bunch.

Although a midseason slump resulted in two losses in two weeks, Los Alamitos has made the most of their opportunities. Everyone has contributed: Megan Barnes’ clutch one-out single in the eighth drove home the winning run against Garden Grove; Amanda Peterson and Brandi Hayungs had consecutive fifth-inning RBI singles against Righetti; and Becky Rosetti singled and later scored on a bouncer to the shortstop in the 22nd inning against Marina.

“We’ve struggled a little hitting but we’re still making things happen,” Shannon said. “I think we’re right up there with Marina. We’ve got excellent pitching and defense. I don’t mind being the underdog--it’s kind of fun coming through and you’re not expected to do anything. The kids are proud of themselves; they’ve worked hard, they’ve made this happen. We’ve taken one game at a time all season.”

The key has been pitching and defense. Dolan (8-1) has an 0.10 ERA through 72 1/3 innings, including 22 against Marina.

Los Alamitos is ranked 15th in the state and third-seeded Camarillo (23-6) is ranked 10th. The Scorpions, paced by pitcher Laura Richardson, defeated El Toro, 2-0, in the semifinals, behind Richardson’s two-hitter. They also defeated Downey, 3-0, and San Marcos, 3-1.

The game will be played at Borchard Park, the site of Newbury Park High’s home games. Shannon, 11 days past her delivery date, was scheduled to have her labor induced at 5:30 a.m. this morning. She will not be at the game. Coaching will be assistant Al Gragnano.

DIVISION II

La Habra vs. Covina Charter Oak--Charter Oak (27-0-1) comes into the game as the state’s No. 1 team and top-seeded in the division. La Habra (23-5) is No. 20 in the state and seeded fourth. The Highlanders also come in with a chip on their shoulder.

In last year’s semifinals, they were the favorite, but were shocked by Newhall Hart, 1-0. With three three-year starters and three four-year starters in the lineup, there’s a certain amount of unfinished business.

La Habra’s most dominating figure is pitcher Dani Ortega, who has pitched every inning of every game this season. After fashioning an 0.31 ERA during the regular season, she has shut out consecutive playoff opponents: Los Altos, 3-0, Arcadia, 2-0, and Long Beach Wilson, 2-0.

Chief among Coach Sue Briquelet’s concerns is offense, and her team has shown signs of coming out of a funk that made the Highlanders mortal during the regular season. Leadoff batter Angie Calabretta (.467) must get on base to provide Aimee Weathers and Stefanie Bakke an opportunity to drive her home.

The Highlanders are still without left-handed batter Kristie Bravo, the fastest runner on the team; she has been out seven weeks because of a broken ankle. Bravo says she’ll be available for the championship, if La Habra gets that far, but Briquelet has her doubts.

Charter Oak defeated La Habra earlier this season, 2-1. The Chargers tied the score with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, after La Habra failed to make plays on a fly ball to the outfield and a bunt.

“We felt like we were in the game the whole time and could have won it, they just happened to (win),” Briquelet said of the Brea-Olinda tournament semifinal. “We’re going to have to play our best game to beat them, but they’re going to have to play their best game to beat us.

“We’re not at all intimidated.”

The Chargers beat Saugus, 3-0, in the first round, and followed with victories over Rialto Eisenhower, 7-1, and La Mirada, 3-1.

The game will be played at San Dimas High School.