Guy Pitches One-Hitter to Lead No. 6 El Toro Past No. 5 Kennedy

Although El Toro’s Suzanne Guy says she has more finesse this season than last, she showed Kennedy there’s still plenty of brute force to draw upon.

Guy struck out a season-high 13, pitched a one-hitter and helped sixth-ranked El Toro defeat fifth-ranked Kennedy, 2-0, Saturday at Irvine’s Harvard Park.

El Toro’s victory was part of pool play to determine the bracket scheduling for the 15th Woodbridge Easter Classic. The tournament continues April 5, with championship games to be play April 7.

Guy appeared primed for a championship performance against Kennedy. She has pitched 18 consecutive shutout innings and has given up only one unearned run in the last 52.

“I’ve been working really hard, practicing a lot, and the practice has been paying off,” Guy said. “Last year, I was a sophomore. I have more finesse this year. I’m making the batters hit the pitch I want them to hit.”

El Toro (13-3) will play Saugus; Kennedy (7-2) will play in the consolation bracket against Lakewood. Irvine, Woodbridge and Santa Margarita are other local teams that advanced to the championship bracket.

Guy may have been most impressive the two times Kennedy had scoring threats. A hit batter and an error to lead off the game put runners at first and second base; Guy struck out the next two, Alicia Dowland and cleanup hitter Adrianna Wilson, before Kelly Bunker flied out to center.

After Guy struck out six in the first three innings, Dowland led off the fourth with a monstrous double to the base of the fence and was sacrificed to third. Guy answered with two strikeouts.

“She’s tough,” El Toro Coach Jim Daugherty said. “She’ll be damned if she’ll let anyone score. She has stepped up her resolve and her ability this year. She’s very angry when she lets anyone on base, but she’s calm under pressure.

“If she continues at this pace, there’s no telling what she’ll do next year.”

El Toro scored on the game’s fourth pitch. Laura Joiner tapped the ball to third baseman Erica Duncan, who made a perfect throw to first, but second baseman Sarah Mesa, who was covering, slipped and fell on the bag. Duncan’s perfect throw went into right field and Joiner went to third. She scored on a wild pitch.

“[The early lead] didn’t make that much difference to me, but it allowed the defense to relax,” Guy said. “We could play our game.”

The Chargers added an insurance run in the fifth inning against Nicole Crouse (2-1). Anne Skidmore, who got on board with a leadoff infield single, scored from second base when No. 9 hitter Megan Smietana hit a two-out single to center field.