ALL-STAR SOFTBALL GAME : Mater Dei’s Clark Earns Victory, Save for South

Mater Dei pitcher Jennifer Clark has more than her share of triumphs in her high school softball career, but she never had a chance to save one of her own victories.

Clark was up to the task Wednesday night, when she came in with no outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and retired the side to preserve a 6-3 South victory over the North in the Orange County North-South all-star softball game at Brea-Olinda High School.

Clark’s feat was aided by a perfectly executed double play when she got Christina Mazurie to fly out to Ocean View’s Lisa Dacquisto in center field. Dacquisto then threw a strike to Mater Dei catcher Bernadette Vargas, who blocked the plate and tagged out Stephanie Carew attempting to score from third.

Clark then got Leslie Mascarenas to ground out to second base to preserve the victory.

“I was real excited coming into the game,” Clark said. “It was nice to come back with a win after CIF. It feels good (to get a save and a victory.)”

The South took a 3-0 lead after two innings. In contrast to Clark’s three shutout innings in her starting role, North starting pitcher, La Habra’s Danielle Ortega, was wild. Ortega hit leadoff batter Dacquisto, who stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch to Marina’s Robyn Yorke.

Ortega then walked Yorke who reached third on a stolen base and another wild pitch. Estancia catcher Lisa Braatz drove in Yorke with a sacrifice fly deep to left.

Trailing, 3-0, the North closed the gap to 3-2 in the fifth on Mascarenas’ run-scoring double to left-center and Stacey Yourstone’s run-scoring single.

Vargas’ run-scoring single in the fifth padded the South lead to 4-2. The South added two more in the sixth when Dacquisto scored on Yorke’s sacrifice bunt and a throwing error into right field, and Yorke came home on Braatz’s single to left.

South relief pitcher Niclana Tolmasoff loaded the bases and walked in a run in the seventh when South Coach Shelly Luth of Marina reinserted to Clark to preserve the victory.