SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Woodbridge More Than Happy to Show Irvine Who’s No. 1

There was a certain glee in the faces of Woodbridge players as they ripped down a banner that had hung next to their dugout for seven long innings.

It read, “Irvine No. 1.”

Woodbridge proved otherwise.

The 10th-ranked Warriors scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to complete a 7-4 come-from-behind victory over Irvine in what is typically the most crucial game in the Sea View League race.

Although it lost a little luster with Tustin’s victory over Irvine (5-7, 2-2) on Tuesday, the two rivals still must beat the other in order to win the league title. Last year, they shared it.

“This is the most important game we’ll play all season,” said Woodbridge shortstop Carrie Brown, a senior who said she was nervous before the game.

Warrior Coach Alan Dugard noticed.

“We started out very tight,” Dugard said. “We have a young club (three freshmen, two sophomores in the starting lineup) and they tend to be nervous, as they were today.”

So nervous that, after taking a 1-0 lead, they surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first inning and another in the second.

The teams had seven runs, 14 hits and 11 runners left on base in the first 3 1/2 innings. It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth inning that a side (Irvine’s) went down in order.

Each team had 10 hits. Brown and Ashley Boone had three apiece for Woodbridge (12-3, 4-0).

Irvine got two hits from Shye Nakabayashi, Natalie Tomoguchi and Kim Fischer.

Dugard said the turning point for Woodbridge took place in the fourth inning. With two outs, Alison Johnsen walked and stole her way to third base; freshman Liz Lemire then sliced a single to right field to tie the score, 4-4.

The decisive seventh-inning rally took place with one out. Keri Byrd and Boone singled and Courtney Spelber was hit by a pitch. Brown singled off the shortstop’s glove, scoring Byrd and Boone, and Spelber scored on a wild pitch.

Dugard had meant for Brown (three for four, three RBIs) to bat fifth instead of sixth, but the wrong lineup was given to the umpire before the game.

“It was fortuitous,” Dugard said. “She was in the right spot.”

In another Sea View League game:

University 3, Tustin 2--Corby Bouchard pitched a four-hitter and Carrie Kirk was two for three with two RBIs for University (6-7, 3-1).

In the Sunset League:

Ocean View 7, Rosary 2 (15)--Kathy Ponce pitched the entire 15 innings, striking out a career-high 17 and issuing one walk for Ocean View. Lisa Pasa caught what might have been the game-winning home run when she reaching over the left field fence and snatched the ball. Rosary drops to 3-3, 1-2.

In the Olympic League:

Cavalry Chapel 7, Orange Lutheran 6--Freshman pitcher Keri Prezygocki got her first victory, giving up only one earned run and striking out five. Calvary Chapel improved to 5-9, 2-1.

In a nonleague game:

El Toro 5, Trabuco Hills 4--Dana Gulick had two hits, two stolen bases and an RBI and Misty Lauby was two for three and pitched the final 3 2/3 innings to record the victory for El Toro (9-7).