Combined No-Hitter by Mater Dei Finishes Off Canyon

Canyon’s playoff run ended Tuesday when Marissa Young and Brooke Hofstetter of second-seeded Mater Dei combined on a no-hitter for an 8-0 victory at Cypress College.

Freshman Young (17-1) pitched five innings and Hofstetter finished with two no-hit innings. Young, a right-hander, has yet to allow a hit in 25 playoff innings and has given up only one earned run this season.

Mater Dei sophomore second baseman Kelsey Kollen was 4 for 5 to improve her average to .598. The Monarch leadoff hitter raised her season hit total to 67, breaking the Southern Section record previously held by U.S. Olympic team second baseman Julie Smith of Covina Charter Oak and the county record of 65 set last week by Christy Ring of Calvary Chapel.

Schicker and Lisa Tully each had three hits for Mater Dei.

Mater Dei, which has won 18 consecutive games, will play Camarillo in the championship game, tentatively scheduled for Saturday. Canyon finished 22-11.

“We were just too nervous,” Canyon Coach Lance Eddy said. “Foothill doesn’t make us nervous anymore, but this group . . .

“Their experience got us. Veronica [Lopez] deserved better than she got. We’ve played good defense up until now.”

Lopez, who had given up only one run in 32 playoff innings before Tuesday, had little luck against Mater Dei (29-1).

The Monarchs scored twice in the second and twice in the third before chasing Lopez with a four-run fourth inning. Mater Dei had 15 hits and got all 21 of its players into the game.

“Teams tend to tense up against us,” Monarch Coach Doug Myers said. “We have the advantage of having been there before, like Marina did last year. You can’t manufacture that kind of pressure.”