PREP SOFTBALL : Unbeaten Upland Beats Mater Dei in Title Game

The fifth time’s a charm.

Free-swinging Upland High won the Woodbridge Classic Monday at Harvard Park in Irvine, scoring a 2-1 victory over Mater Dei in the championship game.

The Highlanders (12-0) teased Mater Dei (10-3) before scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and winning the tournament for the first time in the five years they’ve attended.

“This is a good tournament,” said Upland Coach Ed Ulloa, who lives in Irvine. “We like coming here.”

The Highlanders beat three of Orange County’s top 10 teams to win the title: Fifth-ranked Kennedy in the quarterfinals, ninth-ranked Foothill in the semifinals and eighth-ranked Mater Dei.

They won the final because tournament most valuable player Kelly Smith (10-0, 0.10 earned-run average) gave up five hits, facing only two over the minimum in the final six innings.

Mater Dei scored in the first. Lisa Tully got the first of her two singles, took second on a sacrifice bunt, reached third on Candace Kollen’s single and scored on Margaret Hollis’ grounder to shortstop.

Kollen’s hit gave her nine in her previous 10 at-bats; she had four hits, five steals and three runs batted in in an 11-2 victory over Woodbridge in the semifinal, a game played earlier in the day; it was suspended Saturday after two Warriors were injured and taken to the hospital.

Monarch pitcher Patty Godwin (10-2), who pitched five innings in Monday’s portion of the semifinal, battled fatigue and a blister on the index finger of her pitching hand. Upland hit her hard from the fourth inning on--and scored in the sixth.

Monica Loya doubled and Christy Sears was hit by a pitch. A double steal and a passed ball on a walk scored Loya, tying the score 1-1. With runners at second and third, Shanna Humphries’ grounder to shortstop scored Sears with the deciding run.

In other tournament games:

Foothill 7, Woodbridge 0--Marie Gieron gave up seven hits for Foothill (11-5) in the third-place game. Woodbridge is 13-5.

Kennedy 2, Bellflower 1--Lisa Pitt pitched a one-hitter as Kennedy (10-3) took fifth place.

El Toro 2, Lakewood 0--Misty Lauby pitched a two-hitter and struck out 13 for El Toro (8-4) in the consolation championship.

In nonleague softball:

Magnolia 5, Santa Ana Valley 4--Magnolia (7-5) won in the bottom of the seventh inning when Shannon Carlson tripled and scored when Santa Ana Valley overthrew the catcher. Jannell Hanstein also had a two-run double for the Sentinels.