THE PREPS : SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Esperanza Rallies With Five Runs in Seventh to Edge Los Alamitos

Esperanza scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to upset sixth-ranked Los Alamitos, 6-5, in Sunset League softball Thursday.

Freshman April Brown was three for four with a home run and drove in the winning run for the Aztecs (11-12, 4-4).

Michelle Schneider had a grand slam in the third for Los Alamitos (17-5, 5-3).

In another Sunset League game:

Fountain Valley 8, Edison 1--Alicia Burdick was two for four with four runs batted in and Lynea Backlund went three for four with three runs scored for visiting Fountain Valley (15-11, 6-2).

In the Academy League:

St. Margaret’s 6, Liberty Christian 4--Christy West had three RBIs for St. Margaret’s (7-8, 5-2).

In the Empire League:

El Dorado 2, Katella 0--Carrie Jeffries and Jamie Nebeker had RBI singles in the seventh inning to lead 10th-ranked El Dorado (15-8, 6-2).

Kelli Tom pitched a two-hitter for the Golden Hawks.

Kennedy 10, Loara 1--Summer Perkins was two for two with four runs scored for fifth-ranked Kennedy (17-7, 8-0).

The Fighting Irish clinched at least a tie for first place.

In the Freeway League:

Fullerton 1, La Habra 0--Fullerton’s Angie Fancuberta (14-7) pitched a four-hitter and has not given up a run in 44 consecutive innings.

The first-place Indians (17-7, 7-1) scored on a two-out single by Amy Simpson in the fourth.

Sonora 2, Troy 0--Georgie Wiesen pitched a three-hitter, striking out two, and Harmony McDaniels singled, stole two bases and scored in the fifth inning for host Sonora (14-12-1, 4-4).

Sunny Hills 1, Buena Park 0--Alicia Davison pitched four-hitter with seven strikeouts for Buena Park (7-14-1, 1-7), but gave up an unearned run when Jenn Deane scored on an error in the second inning for first-place Sunny Hills (8-9, 7-1).

In the Garden Grove League:

Bolsa Grande 5, La Quinta 0--Mary Petrie had two doubles and a RBI for Bolsa Grande (11-7, 5-5). Teammate Jamie Wilks pitched a three-hitter.

Garden Grove 8, Rancho Alamitos 2--Sara Des Palmes was three for four with three RBIs for Garden Grove (18-7, 9-2).

Santiago 8, Los Amigos 0--Jackie Godinez went two for three with two runs scored and two RBIs and Jessica Cisneros pitched a two-hitter with five strikeouts to lead Santiago (10-14-1, 4-6).

In the Olympic League:

Orange Lutheran 5, Whittier Christian 2 (8)--Orange Lutheran scored three runs on a throwing error in the top of the eighth to earn its first Olympic League victory.

Carolyn Schulz had two hits and Tiffany Johnson (5-5) didn’t give up an earned run, striking out nine for Orange Lutheran (8-9, 1-7).

In the Orange League:

Brea Olinda 4, Savanna 2--Susan Schuplock was two for three with a two-run triple and Gretchen Thompson (6-3) pitched a three-hitter as Brea Olinda (12-11, 3-5) beat second-place Savanna (15-6, 5-3).

Western 6, Valencia 0--Stacy Humphries went one for three with a home run and four RBIs for host Western (12-11, 5-3).

In Pacific Coast League softball:

Costa Mesa 15, Estancia 2 (5, mercy)--Julie Collett went two for four with five RBIs and three stolen bases and Nicola Woody went three for four with three runs scored to lead Costa Mesa (16-6, 6-2). Estancia is 4-11, 0-8.

Laguna Beach 1, Aliso Niguel 0--Stacy Kirner’s third-inning grounder to third drove in Jessica Roche, giving Laguna Beach (7-11-2, 2-6) the victory.

Roche pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out six to earn her fifth victory.

Laguna Hills 13, University 1--Sumer McMahon went two for three with two RBIs and three runs scored and Misty Thompson went two for four with a three-run home run to lead Laguna Hills (16-8, 4-4). University is 8-1, 4-4.