Woodbridge Breezes Past Crescenta Valley to the Title Game

Alan Dugard says this year’s Woodbridge team rivals his best ever, the 1992 team that went 30-4 and won a Southern Section title.

Dugard’s 1997 version is halfway there, improving to 15-2 and advancing to the Woodbridge Easter Classic championship game with a 5-0 victory Saturday over La Crescenta Crescenta Valley.

The Warriors play fifth-ranked El Toro in the title game at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Harvard Park.

The Warriors (15-2), ranked third in Orange County, reached the semifinals earlier in the day with a 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Newhall Hart. They have outscored opponents in four tournament victories, 27-2, over the last two weekends.

Their latest was their 10th in a row, and it was impressive. They had 11 hits--at least one from each starter--and demonstrated speed, power and solid defense. The three-hitter by Christy Robitaille wasn’t too bad, either.

Crescenta Valley (12-2) was ranked third in the San Fernando Valley by The Times.

“We know we’re a good team, but it keeps building and building,” third baseman Lizzy Lemire, one of two senior starters, said of Woodbridge’s season. “The speed and power is there, but the belief we have in each other is the main thing that keeps us so strong.

“We’re so confident in each other, we know we’ll come through.”

Like the first inning, when Lisa Watanabe’s line drive to center field enabled Natasha Watley to score from second base. And the fourth, when Kristy Clark’s single to left field and Watley’s single to field scored Nichole Thompson and Robitaille--both of whom were aboard with infield singles. And the sixth, when Ashley Boone singled to center scored No. 9 batter Breana Bohls, who had doubled.

“We have good speed, good left-handed bats, good power, good pitching,” Dugard said. “And our defense is probably as good as any I’ve seen in high school softball.

“We have a lot of everything.”

In the other semifinal:

El Toro 3, Upland 2--Suzanne Guy pitched a two-hitter, struck out nine and gave up no earned runs for El Toro (15-3-1). Susan Churchwell, Christine Joiner and Laura Joiner each had two hits as the Chargers scored three times in the first inning against one of Southern California’s best pitchers, Jamie Farnworth.

In the quarterfinals:

Upland 2, Irvine 1--Robyn Horrick pitched a three-hitter but Upland scored in the bottom of the seventh to reach the semifinals. Irvine (10-5) also lost to Saugus, 1-0.

El Toro 3, Saugus 0--Guy pitched a three-hitter, and Megan Smietana (triple) and Jennifer Morey (double) paced the Chargers’ offense.

Crescenta Valley 4, Santa Margarita 0--Winning pitcher Melinda Moulder had two doubles for Crescenta Valley. Santa Margarita (8-4-1) also lost to Hart, 5-4, in nine innings using the international tiebreaker.

In other games:

Kennedy 1, La Mirada 0 (8)--Traci Hensel (5-1) pitched a five-hitter and Kelly Bunker tripled as No. 6 Kennedy (10-2) reached the consolation championship.

Cerritos 3, Trabuco Hills 0--Jessica Vanderlinden pitched a perfect game in the consolation semis.

La Habra 4, Westminster 3--A bases-loaded single by Heather Tom in the bottom of the seventh gave No. 10 La Habra (11-5) a victory over No. 7 Westminster.