Mater Dei’s Kollen Sets Section Record for Hits

Mater Dei’s Kelsey Kollen had two softballs tucked under her arm after the Monarchs defeated Camarillo, 5-1, in a rain makeup game from the Fountain Valley softball tournament Wednesday at Mile Square Park.

The significance of the game balls is something Kollen, who will put the balls in her room after her teammates sign them, never dreamed of as a freshman.

In the sixth inning, Kollen, a senior, hit a line drive into left field to set a Southern Section record for career hits. Kollen’s hit was her 207th, topping the mark of 206 set by Covina Charter Oak’s Julie Smith in 1982-86.

“As a freshman, I had no idea about records. Coach let me know at the beginning of this season that I was close,” said Kollen, a second baseman who has started every game in four years of varsity softball. “But it will be even better if we win it all this season.”

The record is even sweeter for Kollen, who says she thinks she might see her other section record for hits in a single season (67) fall this season. Woodbridge junior Natasha Watley, who is chasing the mark Kollen set as a sophomore, has 34. “I think she will break it,” said Kollen, who will attend Michigan next year. “She’s really good and they have a great team.”

Kollen, who was three for four in the game, tied the record in the top of the third inning with a leadoff bunt. She moved to second on a throwing error by Camarillo catcher Erika Francis. Robin Walker then blasted a line drive to the gap in left-center field that rolled to the fence for an inside-the-park home run, giving Mater Dei a 2-0 lead. Those runs were the first against Camarillo (8-1) since the first game of the season.

“They jumped on our mistakes, our changeups that were hanging and our drops that weren’t dropping,” Camarillo Coach Miki Mangan said. “We weren’t up emotionally and I was surprised at that. We didn’t have our ‘Let’s go out and kill them’ attitude that we’ve had in every other game.”

Camarillo was unable to get the ball out of the infield against Mater Dei’s Tia Bollinger (4-0). The Monarchs limited Camarillo to three hits, including Jess Mendoza’s inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning.

The Monarchs (13-2), ranked second in Division I, scored in the sixth on Jodi Schicker’s RBI single to lead, 3-0. Mater Dei scored two more in the seventh on pinch hitter Christina David’s two-run single.

“We just had players that came out swinging today,” Mater Dei Coach Doug Myers said. “[Camarillo] is a good team and they will be there in the end.