Saugus’ Gillies Avenges ’95 Playoff Defeat

Jamie Gillies never forgot how La Mirada High ousted top-seeded Saugus last year in the second round of the Southern Section playoffs.

Gillies was the losing pitcher in that game, taking the brunt of the upset despite pitching with a badly bruised arm.

When the teams met Tuesday in the Division II semifinals at the William S. Hart Pony Complex, Gillies decided the result would be different.

The senior right-hander led Saugus to a 3-1 victory by pitching a four-hitter, allowing an unearned run, and sending the Centurions to Friday’s championship game with a two-run single that capped a three-run first inning.

Saugus (26-4) will play Irvine Woodbridge (28-5), which beat Righetti, 1-0, in 11 innings Tuesday at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

This time La Mirada pitcher Jenny Finch, who beat Saugus, 4-0, last year, was nursing a sore arm. She played first base while Kristi Martin (18-3) took the loss.

This prompted Gillies (23-3) to say, “Hasta la vista, La Mirada.”

“It was just all-out revenge today,” Gillies said. “We’re going to the finals.”

Gillies was not overpowering. She stuck out only two, including No. 3 hitter Finch to end the game. Gillies stranded eight runners, walked two and hit two batters.

Gillies hit Victoria Bridge in the sixth to load the bases with one out. But Gillies got Nicole Larson to ground into a force at home and Nancy Howell to hit an inning-ending grounder to Giordano at short.

Martin was more dominant, walking only one and striking out seven, all in the first four innings. The only batters Martin didn’t stop in her four-hit performance were Gillies and Nicole Giordano. Both were two for three.

Giordano opened the Saugus first with a single, went to third when Jill Passafiume’s bunt was thrown away and beat the throw home on Chris Gill’s chopper to third baseman Howell.

Gillies followed with a line drive single down the left-field line which scored Passafiume and Gill, who was safe when catcher Jessica Forgette couldn’t hang on to the throw from left fielder Natalie Osbore.

Linda Carrillo had a run-scoring single for La Mirada (24-3-1) in the fifth.