East Has a Hoover to Mop Up

If one top-notch pitcher can dominate a game at the high school level, what happens if eight aces are thrown together to compete in an extended-inning all-star game?

The answer will be revealed today in the 10th San Fernando Valley all-star softball game.

The game will showcase eight senior blue-chip pitchers from the region, six with scholarships to NCAA Division I universities.

All eight had outstanding senior seasons, but none was better than Tina Kinney of Hoover High, whose 0.09 earned-run average led the region.

Kinney, who signed with Central Michigan in November, allowed just two earned runs in 154 innings and struck out 166.

East co-Coach Glenda Potts of Highland has penciled in Kinney as the closer.

“We’re gonna finish strong with Tina Kinney,” she said.

“She’s very intimidating on the mound. I wouldn’t want to face her. We had her pitching live [Monday, to all-star teammates] and there weren’t too many hits.”

Kinney is the first Hoover pitcher in this game since 1993, when Nancy Evans threw a two-hitter with 15 strikeouts in nine innings as the East won, 4-0.

That was the year Kirt Kohlmeier of Hoover, coaching the East, had Evans pitch the entire game. A rule has been implemented requiring every pitcher on the roster to pitch in the game.

Kinney, a friend of Evans, became Hoover’s top pitcher after Evans left. But it took her a full season to shake the shadow of Evans.

“It was hard my sophomore year, but after that people saw that I could handle it on my own and kind of forgot about it,” Kinney said.

Kohlmeier also helped out in that department, Kinney said.

“People would say to him, ‘Oh, this is the next Nancy Evans,’ and he would say, ‘No, this is the first Tina Kinney,’ ” she said.

Kinney is among three East pitchers headed to college on scholarship. Danielle Ferriera of Crescenta Valley signed with Cal State Fullerton and Jamie Gillies of Saugus is headed to Michigan. Also pitching for the East is Melanie Wood of Verdugo Hills, who led the Dons to a City Section 3-A title.

The West has scholarship winners Kristi Fox of Newbury Park (Virginia), Kelly DeArman of Westlake (Nevada Las Vegas) and Jessica Creith of Granada Hills (Indiana), plus Melanie Richardson of Camarillo, The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year.

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SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

ALL-STAR SOFTBALL GAME

* When: Today

* Time: 4:30 p.m.

* Site: Cal State Northridge

* Admission: $5 for adults; $2 for children 12 and under

* Directions: Exit 405 Freeway at Nordhoff Street, west to Zelzah Avenue, turn right. Parking lot at Cal State Northridge is on the left. Field is northwest of parking lot, west of tennis courts.