SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Helped by Some Old Friends, Contreraz Throws Shutout

Come crunch time, Alemany High ace Sophie Contreraz is at ease.

She stands confidently in the pitching circle, bolstered by an infield that has been around her for nearly half her life. She knows what to expect from them and vice versa.

With the help of an error-free defense, Contreraz pitched herself out of jams in the late innings to help Alemany secure a 1-0 victory over Bishop Montgomery Wednesday in a Mission League game at Sybil Park.

The victory gave the Indians (13-2, 6-0 in league play and bidding for a repeat as Mission champions) a one-game lead over the Knights (11-5, 4-1).

Alemany, which has lost only to Simi Valley and Crescenta Valley, scored the only run in the second inning.

After the Indians loaded the bases on three singles, Contreraz scored when Gloria Dominguez drew a walk with two out.

Contreraz (13-2) threw just 73 pitches. She allowed five hits, two of them consecutively to start the Bishop Montgomery seventh. But the Indian defense held and Contreraz retired the side on two ground balls and her third strikeout.

“We’re pretty familiar with each other,” said Contreraz, who played in a Sylmar youth league with four of her teammates.

“I know we have a strong defense and they’ll make the play as long as I can keep the ball in the infield or where the outfielders can get to it.”

The Indians however, supplied Contreraz with little offensive support.

Coming into the game, four batters were at .400 or better. But Alemany managed just five hits off Shannon Stanovich (7-5), who walked five batters, including three in a a row in the first inning.

“We’re used to getting more hits,” Alemany Coach Dudley Rooney said. “But, (Stanovich’s) change-up really threw us off balance today.”

Contreraz (.429), who has the fourth-best batting average on the team, went two for three, ripping line-drive singles into left field in the second and sixth innings.

Alemany left the bases loaded in the first and second innings and threatened again only in the fifth. With runners on first and second and one out, Alba Cano ripped a drive on which center fielder Mari D’Ambrosi made a diving catch. D’Ambrosi jumped to her feet and threw out Dominguez scrambling back to second to end the inning.

Bishop Montgomery threatened in the sixth when D’Ambrosi doubled down the left-field line with one out. But Jill Sarmiento popped up to second baseman Sonja Maldonado and Jenni Purchase grounded out.