Fountain Valley Keeps Winning Streak Going

Fountain Valley’s three-run seventh-inning rally to beat a ranked opponent was another major step in the Barons’ quest to bury this season’s poor start and a disappointing 1997.

Fountain Valley won its fifth consecutive softball game, moving into today’s championship bracket of the Woodbridge Easter Classic with a 3-0 victory over seventh-ranked La Habra at Harvard Park.

Quarterfinal games begin at 1 p.m. Semifinal games follow.

During its streak, Fountain Valley (8-9) has beaten Marina--then ranked sixth in Orange County--La Habra (11-3-1) and Los Alamitos, Sunset League champion last season.

Until the seventh inning against La Habra, Fountain Valley had not made any errors in the streak. Fielding had been the main thing preventing the Barons from reaching their potential, Coach Cary Baker said.

A backhanded stab by second baseman Marti McKeever not only robbed La Habra’s Erin Murray of a base hit after Christina Carrillo’s leadoff double in the second inning, but it also saved a run because she doubled up Carrillo.

That kind of defense was enough for Natalie King (5-3), who gave up four hits in the first two innings, but retired 11 in a row before Jennifer Smallwood’s bunt single in the sixth. It also put the pressure on La Habra to play flawlessly, which it did until the final inning.

The Highlanders had cruised behind Christina Gibbons (7-2), who pitched a one-hitter in a 7-0 victory over Trabuco Hills earlier Friday.

A one-out walk and a wild pitch, and then Rocky Staniorski’s line single to center field scored Lovianne Jung. After a misplayed grounder and a pop foul, Amber Maunder’s single--Fountain Valley’s third hit--got past right fielder Elaine Elsesser for an error, scoring two more runs.

“If we do the little things right, we’re still playing,” La Habra Coach Sue Briquelet said. “Because you’re doing the little things right, you make your own luck.”

Which is something Fountain Valley knows about.

“We’ve played awful well,” Baker said. “It’s the little mistakes they aren’t making [anymore]. One little mistake isn’t going to hurt us, but we were making two or three.”

Colleen Burdick pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11 in Fountain Valley’s 2-1 victory over Trabuco Hills.

Fountain Valley plays La Mirada in the quarterfinals.