PREP SOFTBALL / BREA OLINDA TOURNAMENT : Whittier La Serna Gets Run to Beat Brea Olinda

Two months after it began, the Brea Olinda softball tournament finally came to an end Saturday when Whittier La Serna scored in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Brea Olinda, 1-0, in the championship game at Brea.

The Wildcats and Lancers played 6 1/2 scoreless innings before two Brea errors put runners on second and third.

With one out, the Lancers’ Jenea Anaya reached first as her ground ball dribbled between second baseman Erica Shanly’s legs. Adrienne Woodward bunted and pitcher Gretchen Thompson overthrew first base, enabling Anaya to advance to third and Woodward to second. Kelly Perrault followed with a single to left, driving in Anaya.

La Serna (20-2-1), ranked second in Division III, has a 21-game unbeaten streak, with its only losses coming in the first two games of the season to Brea Olinda and Bellflower.

La Serna pitcher Jackie DeBoard (20-2-1) kept Wildcat batters off-balance with an off-speed and rising pitches, striking out 12. DeBoard, the tournament MVP, gave up two hits, and faced three batters over the minimum.

Thompson led off the fourth inning for Brea Olinda (12-12) with a double and advanced to third on Susan Shuplock’s sacrifice. DeBoard got out of trouble by striking out Geney Orris.

The Wildcats threatened in the fifth as Anne Knobbe reached on an error by third baseman Marcella Passarelli. After Angie Thompson struck out, Ashley Case singled to left moving Knobbe to second. DeBoard battled back again, striking out Shanly and Michaela Meya on six pitches to end the inning.

Brea’s pitcher Gretchen Thompson (6-4) also had a strong outing, giving up five hits, striking out four and walking two.

In the third-place game:

Ocean View 3, Irvine 0--Kathy Ponce struck out 15 and hit a home run in the first inning to lead Ocean View (16-5-1). Lisa Parra had two hits and an RBI and Sara Gulla had an RBI double for the Seahawks.

In the fifth-place game:

Arcadia 3, Tustin 1--All-tournament catcher Jenny Odum had two hits and scored the Tillers’ only run in the fourth inning. Tustin (8-12-1) advanced to the fifth place game by beating La Puente, 11-8.