Simi Valley’s Griffin Focused Anger

Simi Valley High’s Sara Griffin rarely wears a scowl, but she was certainly sporting one before the start of the Southern Section Division I championship softball game at Mayfair Park in Lakewood on Friday night.

Her rare angry expression during warmups prompted worry from teammate Tracy Hansen, who thought the junior pitching ace was having arm trouble.

Hansen said to Griffin: “You look really mad. What’s wrong? I’ve seen that look a couple of times before, that’s your P.O.’ed look.”

Griffin assured Hansen that she simply was focusing on the title game that lay ahead for the top-seeded Pioneers, ranked No. 2 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports. She said winning was the only thing on her mind.

But the look was indeed rooted in anger, left over from Simi Valley’s 1-0 loss to Cypress a year ago in the 1992 championship game on the same field.

As a sophomore, Griffin scattered four hits and struck out 11 in the final, but Simi Valley lost on a three-base error. With two out in the fourth, the Simi Valley catcher tried to pick off a runner at first. The throw sailed past first and also got past the right fielder, allowing the runner to score.

Griffin hasn’t forgotten that game--or that Pioneer team.

“We were awesome last year,” Griffin said. “We had more experience.”

A year later, Griffin simply would not let another championship slip away.

With the support of an error-free defense--which included six starters from the 1992 championship game--Griffin made sure of the rest.

The junior right-hander tossed a one-hitter, walked two and struck out 10. Only one runner advanced to second.

And her heroics didn’t end there. With two out in the sixth, Griffin ripped a towering solo home run over the left-field fence 200 feet away to give Simi Valley a 1-0 victory over Los Alamitos.

A pretty fierce swing for a player who batted a paltry .153 with one run batted in as a sophomore.

But improvement has been a trend for Griffin, who started playing softball at age 8 and “was one of those girls who did cartwheels in the outfield and played with butterflies.”

A year later, Griffin was finished with gymnastics and entomology on the playing field and was ready to become the focal point in a softball game--the pitcher. “Because that’s where the action was,” Griffin said.

By age 11, Griffin was taking private pitching lessons. In the six years since, Griffin has developed into one of the best pitchers in the region. Now, she gives lessons.

“I like working with kids,” she said.

The three-sport athlete is competitive, to be sure. Griffin, who also competes in volleyball and basketball, constantly strives for excellence. Griffin was an extraordinary pitcher as a sophomore, finishing 16-2 with an 0.18 earned-run average.

Her batting, however, left plenty of room for improvement. So, she hired a batting instructor.

Griffin learned quickly and Coach Suzanne Manlet moved her from ninth in the lineup to third. Manlet’s confidence was well-founded.

Griffin led the Pioneers with a .402 batting average, seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Her five doubles tied Hansen for the team high.

Meanwhile, her pitching continues to improve.

In three seasons, Griffin is 41-4 and has allowed only six earned runs in 342 innings (0.12 ERA). She has struck out 442 and walked 59. She allows little more than two hits a game.

Griffin already is on the wish list of more than a dozen NCAA Division I universities.

“She doesn’t mess around out there,” Manlet said. “She’s got everything it takes to be a leader.”