HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Laguna Hills Holds Off Irvine in Division III

Laguna Hills withstood a seventh-inning threat by Irvine for a 5-4 victory in the Southern Section Division III softball championship game Wednesday night at Mayfair Park in Long Beach.

Monika Hallstein and Nataile Tomoguchi hit consecutive singles in the seventh inning for Irvine, but the next three batters flied out to end the threat.

Alycia Stevens was two for four and scored two runs to lead Laguna Hills (24-5).

Laguna Hills opened a 5-3 lead in the third inning when Christy Journell, who led off the inning with a single, scored on an error.

Irvine had 10 hits, Laguna Hills seven.

Irvine, 4-A champion in 1991, ended its season 26-6.

SMALL SCHOOLS

Jennifer Abramson was three for four and scored two runs to lead Santa Monica Crossroads to a 10-0 victory over Murrieta Valley and a second consecutive title.

Crossroads (26-6) scored four runs in the fifth inning to open a 9-0 lead against Murrieta Valley (21-4).

Abramson, who plays third base, was the 1992 Small Schools player of the year as a sophomore.

“Characteristically, if we put the ball in play, we do very well,” said Crossroads Coach Tom Gray, whose team had 13 hits.