Arizaga’s Pitching Wasted as Rams Lose

Coach Gary Cordray sighed as he stood next to his car at South Gate Park on Tuesday. Before him, the South Gate High School softball team waited with downcast expressions, ready to turn in uniforms and travel bags after a 1-0 loss to Verdugo Hills in a City Section 3-A semifinal game.

“You can’t beat anyone without scoring,” Cordray said.

South Gate (11-3) savored narrow victories over North Hollywood and Westchester in the preliminary rounds. But the Rams soured when they committed four errors and squandered Yvonne Arizaga’s fine pitching.

Arizaga (11-3) threw a three-hitter with seven strikeouts. The right-handed senior gave up two hits and an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but baffled the Dons (15-3) the rest of the way.

The Rams had few scoring opportunities. Verdugo Hills’ Melanie Wood (13-2) threw a one-hitter, striking out nine and walking one.

An imposing 5-foot-8 right-hander, Wood has not given up a run in 90 of the 101 innings she has pitched. The junior struck out the first five batters. Erica Remedios, who managed the only hit--a single--was quickly erased on a double play in the third.