Hart’s Fortune Leads to Riches in Tournament

It was out with the old and in with the new Saturday in the championship game of the Hart High softball tournament.

In a showcase of two freshman pitchers, Hart’s Amanda Fortune threw a three-hitter and outperformed Hoover’s Cori Herbert to lead the Indians to a 1-0 victory at Newhall Park.

It was the second shutout of the day for Fortune, who turned away Camarillo, The Times’ top-ranked team, in a 4-0 semifinal victory.

Herbert pitched a two-hitter and struck out 10 in the final, but one bad inning cost her. She yielded both Hart hits and her only walk in the top of the fifth.

Christina Chao’s chop single past third baseman Diane Lee scored Anna Nordhagen from third base. Chao fouled off four pitches before delivering on a 3-2 pitch.

Herbert had already earned Hart’s respect by beating third-ranked Saugus, the defending Southern Section Division II champion, last week in the tournament. The Indians (6-0) were swept by Saugus in Foothill League play in each of the past three seasons.

“We were one run from winning this thing, and hopefully someone will take notice,” said Hoover Coach Kirt Kohlmeier, whose Tornadoes (3-1) are unranked in the region. “This is a very young team.”

Hoover and Herbert started the day impressively, with the freshman pitching a one-hitter and striking out 13 in a 5-2 semifinal victory over Quartz Hill. At the plate, Herbert hit a grand slam and a solo home run.

But the day belonged to fifth-ranked Hart and Fortune (6-0).

She showed plenty of savvy for a freshman in the final. She coaxed Saira Diaz into an inning-ending groundout in the fourth with runners at second and third.

After giving up a one-out double to Claudia Martinez in the fifth, Fortune snared a sharp grounder by Sidalia Cueva and started a double play, with Martinez out trying to advance to third.

“I think we’re awesome,” Fortune said her team.

No one was arguing after the Indians’ victory over Camarillo (2-2), a game marred by a knee injury to Scorpion catcher Jessica Mendoza in a home-plate collision.

In another Hart tournament game:

Saugus 5, El Camino Real 1--The Centurions broke a 1-1 tie by scoring four runs in the fifth on four singles and two wild pitches in the fifth-place game at Newhall Park.

Ramona Shelburne had two singles for El Camino Real (5-2).