SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : McArthur, Freed Find Perfection
Two Orange County pitchers turned in the season’s first perfect games Thursday.
Senior Brandee McArthur of Villa Park and freshman Amanda Freed of Pacifica had overpowering performances. Villa Park beat Orange, 1-0, in a Century League game. Pacifica beat La Quinta, 3-0, in the Garden Grove League.
Freed went to a full count on the first batter she faced, but that was as close as she got to allowing a baserunner.
Freed (7-0) struck out a career-high 12. After the full count--she retired the batter on a fly ball to center field--she never again went to three balls on a batter.
“She was in complete control,” Pacifica Coach Rob Weil said. “No one came close to getting a hit.”
Freed also drove in the first run with an RBI single, and got offensive support from Toni Mascarenas (two doubles, two runs) and Valerie Downen (three hits).
Freed and the second-ranked Mariners have taken control of the league race. Pacifica (14-1, 4-0 in league) stopped previously unbeaten Garden Grove on Wednesday. La Quinta is 9-4-1, 3-2.
McArthur struck out 13 for ninth-ranked Villa Park (10-5, 1-1). It was McArthur’s second no-hitter in three appearances and her second in as many starts. She hasn’t given up a hit in 17 consecutive innings.
McArthur also scored the game’s only run by hitting her third home run. Orange is 4-3, 0-1. In another Century League game:
Canyon 10, Santa Ana Valley 0 (5, mercy)--Andrea Ramirez had four runs batted in, including a bases-loaded triple, for Canyon (8-6, 2-0).
In the Garden Grove League:
Bolsa Grande 12, Los Amigos 0 (5, mercy)--Mary Petry pitched a no-hitter, struck out 10 had two hits for Bolsa Grande (9-6, 2-3).
Santiago 4, Rancho Alamitos 1--Erica Pilkington struck out 14 and didn’t give up an earned run for Santiago (4-11-1, 2-3). Jessica Cisneros had two hits, a triple and three RBIs.
In the Academy League:
Connelly 15, Liberty Christian 7--Shannon Boardman had three hits and three RBIs for host Connelly (7-2, 2-1).
In the Empire League:
El Dorado 2, Century 0--Jamie Nebeker had three hits and two RBIs and Kelli Tom pitched a one-hitter for visiting El Dorado (7-5, 2-0).
Katella 8, Loara 3--Vanessa Valenzuela had two hits for Katella (6-9, 1-1).
Kennedy 1, Cypress 0--Summer Perkins had two hits as Kennedy (7-6, 2-0) won its fifth consecutive game. Lisa Pitt scored in the fourth on an error.
In the Freeway League:
La Habra 10, Troy 1--Jenny Topping was two for three for visiting La Habra (10-2, 2-0). Mindy Inman had two of Troy’s four hits.
Sonora 1, Buena Park 0 (11)--Danielle Lindgren singled home Missy Gomez in the bottom of the 11th for Sonora (8-8-1, 1-1). Gomez had three hits and three stolen bases.
Sunny Hills 5, Fullerton 1--Shannon Sportsman had a three-run double for Sunny Hills (3-4, 2-0).
In the Olympic League:
Calvary Chapel 1, Whittier Christian 0 (11 innings)--Keri Pryzgocki had nine strikeouts for Calvary Chapel (7-5, 2-0). Debbie Miller struck out seven for Whittier Christian.
Cerritos Valley Christian 2, Orange Lutheran 1--Susie Schools pitched a two-hitter for Valley Christian (5-2, 2-0).
In the Orange League:
Magnolia 5, Savanna 4--Nikki Resch doubled in the winning run for Magnolia (9-3, 1-1). Shannon Carlson, who scored on Resch’s double, had hit a two-run triple to tie the score.
Western 6, Brea Olinda 4--Amber Rose and Diane Pouliot each had two RBIs for Western (9-8, 2-0).
In the Pacific Coast League:
Laguna Hills 7, Estancia 1--Therese Lee (7-1) gave up four hits, and had three of her own, including a home run, and drove in two runs, for Laguna Hills (10-4, 2-0). Estancia is 4-6, 0-2.
In the Sunset League:
Fountain Valley 1, Marina 0--Keary Camunas pitched a two-hitter to lead Fountain Valley (8-7, 2-0) past fourth-ranked Marina. Lynea Backlund had an RBI single in the fourth inning to score Lindsey Collins.
Los Alamitos 11, Edison 0 (5, mercy)--Cathy Sponheim pitched a one-hitter for No. 8 Los Alamitos (14-2, 2-0).