Against All Odds, Pacifica Beats Garden Grove

If there ever was a time when the Pacifica softball team team was ripe to be beaten, it was Tuesday.

The Mariners were without their cleanup-hitting catcher, Natasha Sisco, who broke a thumb in a weekend tournament game. They had an outfielder, Jaymee Pendergast, involved in a car accident on Monday that left her father in the hospital. And they were facing a team, sixth-ranked Garden Grove, expected to give them their toughest challenge for the league title.

But Pacifica came through with a performance worthy of a third-ranked team, defeating Garden Grove, 2-0, in a Garden Grove League game at Mark Twain School.

Winning pitcher Amanda Freed (6-0), unaccustomed to freshman catcher Toria Auelua, walked five in the first three innings. She had walked only six in her first 29 1/3 innings.

And when the Mariners (11-1, 3-0 in league) had runners at second and third with none out in the fourth, they couldn’t score against pitcher Kathy Moore (8-2).

But Freed was overpowering despite the walks, striking out 13 and allowing only two hits.

The only scoring she needed came in the fifth inning. Dara Webb was hit in the head, took second on a wild pitch and stole third base before Kristin Freed delivered a run-scoring single through a drawn-in infield. Freed left early on Toni Mascarenas’ apparent double off the fence and was called out, but Mascarenas went back to the plate and hit a home run.

“We were mentally distressed from [Sisco] getting hurt,” Pacifica Coach Rob Weil said. “She was batting .484, had 10 RBIs--she was definitely our rock.

“It was tough for [Amanda Freed]. She definitely had to adjust. . . . We knew we were as prepared as we could be, but we were fortunate to get out of it. We adjusted--and good teams adjust.”

Garden Grove (9-5, 1-2) was overwhelmed, said Moore.

“We just didn’t take advantage of it,” she said. “We looked at their team and we were intimidated. It was a blown opportunity.”

Garden Grove had runners at second and third in each of the first two innings but didn’t score. Then Freed, who threw 50 pitches in that span, settled down.

Sisco will be out four weeks. Pendergast’s father, Jim, was in good condition at UCI Medical Center after the hit-and-run accident; the car was broad-sided on the passenger side.

“The team was a little unsure of itself,” Mascarenas said, “but after today, we’re pretty sure we can win.”