SOFTBALL / DIVISION I : Mascarenas, Pacifica Squeeze Past El Dorado

Pacifica’s Toni Mascarenas stood there, her eyes red. “Allergies,” she said.

On the other side of the field, El Dorado’s Nikki Hart stood there, her eyes red from crying. No explanation needed.

Both played pivotal roles Tuesday in the second round of the Southern Section Division I softball playoffs. But only Mascarenas’ eyes belied her feelings.

She pitched a two-hitter and squeezed home the game’s only run as second-seeded Pacifica advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over El Dorado. The Mariners (27-2) will play Los Alamitos Thursday; a coin flip will determine the home team.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for El Dorado (18-9). The Golden Hawks had as many hits as Pacifica (two) and more brilliant defensive highlights (three).

They also had more errors--both in the same inning.

Struggling to mount a rally against El Dorado pitcher Kelli Tom, Pacifica’s Valerie Downen led off the fourth inning with a sharp single to left field. Autumn Gwinner’s bunt was fielded by first baseman Carrie Jeffries, who threw to Hart covering first base. The ball went off Hart’s glove.

Downen went to third base and scored on Mascarenas’ one-ball, one-strike squeeze bunt.

“It tipped off my glove--I just missed it,” Hart said. “I tried to make the play before it happened; I was worried about [Downen] going to second.”

Instead, Downen took third and scored easily on Mascarenas’ bunt to the pitcher.

The inning got worse before it got better. Umpires ruled Jeffries didn’t tag Andrea Pickett on a bunt to first base for another error, but El Dorado escaped on Tasha Sisco’s fly to right field; Jamie Nebeker threw out Gwinner at the plate for an inning-ending double play. Still, the damage was done.

“What can you say,” El Dorado Coach Chris Schaner asked reporters, shrugging.

You can say that Mascarenas (13-2) was perfect in six of seven innings. The one time she got in trouble--Hart led off the fourth with a single--Mascarenas challenged the next four batters with her fastball and got two strikeouts and a line drive to end the inning. She had seven strikeouts.

In other Division I games:

Los Alamitos 2, Canyon 0--Michelle Schneider scored both runs and had a single, double and triple to lead Los Alamitos (20-6) in second-round play. Teammate Mandy Rockwell pitched a two-hitter and had eight strikeouts.

Kennedy 1, Thousand Oaks 0 (8)--Lisa Pitt hit a lead-off home run in the top of the eighth inning to lead Kennedy (20-8) in a second-round game. Pitt’s hit was the only hit for Kennedy in the game. Pitt also pitched all eight innings, giving up only four hits.

Kennedy plays Marina in the quarterfinals.

Marina 2, Newbury Park 0--Marcy Crouch pitched a no-hitter and struck out 11 to lead fourth-seeded Marina (21-5) in the second round. Crouch has pitched two consecutive no-hitters and has allowed only one hit in her last three games.

The only runner to reach base for Newbury Park, which couldn’t hit a ball out of the infield, was a batter Crouch hit in the second inning.

Foothill 3, Garden Grove 2--Michelle Churnock had two hits and an RBI to lead Foothill in second round play. Top-seeded Foothill (25-2) will Westlake Village Westlake in the quarterfinals.

Mater Dei 6, Cerritos Gahr 0--Kelsey Kollen went three for four with a run scored in the third inning and an RBI single in the fourth inning for Mater Dei (25-4). Mater Dei plays Camarillo in the quarterfinals.