Granada Hills Handles Upstart Kennedy, 2-1 : Softball: Golden Cougars start quickly but are hurt by fielding lapses.

Perhaps the Kennedy High softball team isn’t used to this kind of pressure.

After struggling in recent seasons, the Golden Cougars, behind sophomore pitcher Sandra Durazo, have established themselves as one of the best teams in the Northwest Valley Conference.

But after committing three errors in a 2-1 loss to Granada Hills Wednesday at Brand Park, Kennedy Coach Lee Holden struggled to find an explanation.

“We can’t come out here and just go through the motions and expect to win,” Holden said. “It’s more than just the fielding errors; we need to get tougher mentally.”

Last week, against defending City Section 4-A Division champion El Camino Real, Kennedy (12-3, 4-2) made three early errors and eventually lost, 6-3. Against the Highlanders, Kennedy started well but quickly unraveled.

The Golden Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on the only Granada Hills error. Durazo led off with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Cindy Edison and to third on a single by Kelli Moorman. Granada Hills second baseman Stephanie Imada mishandled a ground ball by Jennifer DelReal, which allowed Durazo to score.

Durazo, who has pitched all but six innings for Kennedy this season, had unusual control problems in the second inning, walking three batters and throwing a wild pitch.

Imada eventually scored to even things, 1-1, on a ground ball by Sasha Leahy when shortstop Dayna McCalls’ throw pulled catcher DelReal off home plate.

Granada Hills (9-5, 4-2) scored the winning run in the fifth after center fielder Kerri Mackey mishandled a single by pitcher Jessica Creith, allowing Missy Miller to score from first.

“It seems like this season if we don’t score in the first inning, we have a lot of trouble scoring at all,” Creith said. “We’re usually the ones making mistakes.”

Creith (9-5) shut down Kennedy after the first inning, allowing only two batters to reach first base. Once they reached base, Kennedy runners didn’t exactly distinguish themselves.

Creith threw out DelReal at second base on a sacrifice attempt in the fourth and pinch-runner Marcia Rodriquez was called out for leaving first base too soon on a steal attempt in the fifth.

Creith, who walked one and allowed three hits, was helped defensively by shortstop Jessica Krone, who made a leaping grab of a line drive by Edison in the sixth.

Durazo (11-3) nearly matched Creith, allowing three hits and one walk after the second.

“We were nervous coming out,” Durazo said. “It was a big rivalry, we’re playing for first place. . . . We’re learning to deal with being in these tough games.”

Last season, Granada Hills defeated Kennedy by 13 runs in two games, including a 10-0 victory in the first meeting in 1994.