SUNSET LEAGUE SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Ocean View Stays in Hunt

It was not pretty, the in-house bickering on Ocean View’s softball team. When the Seahawks returned from spring break, they weren’t thinking about softball. And after losing to Huntington Beach in their first game back, Coach John Sansone did not paint a pretty picture.

And it was going to get uglier, he said, if they lost to Fountain Valley on Friday.

They didn’t.

Fourth-ranked Ocean View--formerly a house divided--lived up to their ranking and kept pace in the Sunset League race with a 6-1 victory over eighth-ranked Fountain Valley.

“Our feeling was that if we lost, our quest for first place would be over,” Sansone said. “We would have to climb over too many teams.

“Our goal was to improve every game, and we had until that (Huntington Beach) game. But we were back today.”

Four of the Sunset League’s eight teams have been ranked among the top 10. Ocean View (10-4, 3-2) trails second-ranked Marina (13-2, 5-1) and Huntington Beach (11-5, 5-1). Fountain Valley is 8-7-1, 4-2.

“If we would have lost, it would have meant the season,” said pitcher Kathy Ponce (10-3), who struck out nine and allowed only four hits--three from the sixth inning on.

Sansone said Ponce threw harder Friday than she has all year: “She was strong, dominating. After we got three runs, there was never any doubt in my mind we wouldn’t win the game.”

Ocean View scored three times in the first inning, one in the fourth and two in the fifth.

A single, an error and RBI singles by Tracy Wilkinson and Angela Burke pushed across two runs, and Wilkinson scored on another error.

Wilkinson had three hits and scored twice. Janee Sansone (who scored) and Lisa Messick (who had an RBI) had two hits apiece.

“They did a good job of putting the ball in play and we didn’t make the plays,” Fountain Valley Coach Cary Baker said. “When you get behind a team and there’s parity, you start pressing. We didn’t do anything until late (in the game).”

Ponce said Fountain Valley has the toughest lineup in the league, but she made short work of the Barons nevertheless. An error and back-to-back singles by Linsey Collins and Lynea Backlund scored Fountain Valley’s only run with two outs in the sixth.

In other league games:

Edison 8, Santa Ana 6 (8 innings)--Christy Webb had an RBI single to key a three-run eighth-inning rally for visiting Edison (2-9, 1-5).

Huntington Beach 6, Westminster 0--Nicole Kripl had two hits and two stolen bases for Huntington Beach (11-5, 5-1). Sarah King had one hit with an RBI and two runs scored for the Oilers.

Marina 5, Rosary 0--Lynette Velazquez hit a triple to drive intwo runs for Marina. Marcy Crouch pitched a one hitter for the Vikings.