Adversity Is Foothill’s Trademark This Season

The starting pitcher is a right fielder.

The catcher has a bad back.

The third baseman suffers from headaches.

But Foothill, Team Adversity, provides a few migraines of its own. The Knights have won 12 in a row--including four playoff victories over pitchers with a combined 58-7 record.

Once a longshot to reach the quarterfinals, Foothill (25-6) finds itself on even footing with top-seeded Marina (25-2) in the Southern Section Division I championship game tonight at 7:30 at Lakewood’s Mayfair Park.

The Knights’ armor includes speed and quickness, which is a good match against a Marina team that must play flawless defense to win.

There isn’t a senior among them--not after starting pitcher Amy Tessman quit the team after compiling a 6-1 record.

“It did spark us,” Foothill Coach Joe Gonzalez said. “When Amy left, I was really pleased with the way the girls took hold with no seniors. They played great defense. It made no difference who we put on the mound, they were going to play well. If anything has characterized us, it’s been the way we’ve played defense.”

Tessman’s departure brought sophomore Marie Gieron (12-4, 0.50 earned-run average) in from right field to the pitcher’s circle. She has been anything but overpowering but nothing short of successful.

“Those kids said, ‘Put somebody on the mound and we’ll do it behind them,’ ” Gonzalez said. “We’re playing much more aggressive defense since Amy left. They don’t want to hear, ‘Oh you guys will be really tough next year.’

“We’re certainly not looking at the game and saying the reward is getting there.”

Gieron has surrendered 70 hits and 20 walks in 126 1/3 innings and she has a modest 59 strikeouts--in stark contrast to the pitchers she has defeated in the playoffs.

The most important victory, though, might have come April 21 against Canyon. Foothill was 2-1, Canyon 3-0 in the Century League. Gieron, hit in the head by a line drive, and Dawn Davidson, suffering from a sore back, left the game in the fourth inning.

Freshman Robin Tessman (7-1, 0.41)--Amy’s sister--pitched eight innings of no-hit ball. Junior varsity catcher Mindy Nierman was the other half of the battery. Tessman struck out only three and walked seven, but the defense shut out Canyon. Marissa Holmes, the new right fielder in place of Gieron, walked, stole second base with two outs and scored on Lauren Bauer’s 12th-inning double.

Foothill didn’t lose again and Canyon lost four of the next five.

It was an eventful week. Freshman Jenny Beltran came down with migraine headaches and missed the preceding game; a day after beating Canyon, Nierman broke her finger, forcing Davidson back into the lineup, and Tara Lawrence became the designated hitter for Davidson.

Lawrence, a .170 hitter, had two two-run triples in Foothill’s 7-4 victory over second-seeded Los Alamitos in the quarterfinals.

The right person always seems to be in the right place at the right time--no matter what the situation.