Los Alamitos Succumbs to Simi Valley’s Long Ball

At the crack of the bat, Los Alamitos left fielder Becky Rosetti knew she and her Griffin teammates were in big trouble.

Rosetti, a senior, watched helplessly as Simi Valley pitcher Sara Griffin’s towering two-out fly ball sailed over her head and high over the left-field fence. It was a bullet she couldn’t catch and the Griffins wouldn’t be able to dodge.

Griffin’s sixth-inning homer was the difference as the Pioneers defeated Los Alamitos, 1-0, for the Southern Section Division I softball championship Friday night at Mayfair Park.

“I knew right away when I saw it, it was out of here,” Rosetti said while brushing aside tears. “It was a great hit.”

In the third inning, Rosetti was forced to chase another well-hit ball over her head into deep left field that appeared destined to put Simi Valley ahead as Griffin was pitching another shutout.

Simi Valley’s Kris Lufkin led off the third inning with a triple to left that Rosetti retrieved.

“I was over to the right too much and the ball was hit toward the line,” Rosetti said. “It was a good hit.”

Amazingly, the Griffins were able to get out of the inning unscathed, thanks to the alert play of first baseman Debbie Wilson.

Playing up for a play at the plate, Wilson took Simi Valley catcher Julie Difatta’s short bouncer and tagged the runner on the baseline, prompting Lufkin to stay at third.

“I got on top of the ball and was able to tag her out,” Wilson said. “If I’d have gone to first base, we would have had no play at the plate.”

Moments later, Wilson cut down the Simi Valley threat when she fielded Jessica Cunningham’s bouncer on the line and threw out Lufkin at the plate.

“I was surprised she went,” Wilson said. “I saw her in the corner of my eye and just flipped it to my sister (catcher Carolyn Wilson).”

Los Alamitos pitcher Carrie Dolan ended the inning by getting Jenny Conmay to fly out to right field.

Los Alamitos shortstop Michelle Schneider got the Griffins’ only hit. Including her previous game, a 2-0 victory over Ocean View, Griffin had retired 31 consecutive batters before Schneider’s leadoff single to center in the fifth inning.