Saugus Outfielders Just Heavenly in Victory Over Hart

So, maybe they aren’t angels in the outfield.

But if you ask Saugus High softball Coach Ron Hilton, the play of young outfielders Julie Watson, Kelly Cornelison and Sandy Volk has been quite a godsend.

“Overall, this really is the best outfield I’ve ever had,” said Hilton, who won a Southern Section championship in 1996 and has guided Saugus to four consecutive league titles. “They each have tremendous speed, catch the ball real well and throw well.”

On Wednesday, the trio played an unusual and pivotal role in Saugus’ 4-2 victory over rival Hart in a Foothill League game at Newhall Park.

Cornelison failed to make contact on a hit-and-run play in the third inning, but Volk and Watson scored anyway when Hart catcher Megan Patrick threw the ball into left field while attempting to catch Volk, the lead runner, at third base.

“We try to use our speed as much as we can and it paid off today,” Watson said of the Centurions’ aggressive style.

As far as Saugus was concerned, it didn’t really matter that it paid off with a busted play.

“It worked out just perfect, didn’t it?” Hilton said of the play that gave the Centurions a 2-0 lead.

Much has worked out this season for Volk, Watson and Cornelison.

Volk, a junior left fielder, scored two runs against Hart (17-5, 6-1 in league play) and was one for three, improving her average to .313.

Watson, a sophomore right fielder, was two for three, drove in a run and made a nice diving catch to take away an extra-base hit from Nicolette Weinstein. Watson improved her average to a team-high .370.

Cornelison was hitless in four at-bats Wednesday, but remains one of the Centurions’ top hitters with a .301 average.

Junior right-hander Stephanie Blaire (11-5) scattered eight hits and was two for three for Saugus (15-8, 5-2), which added two unearned runs in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.

The Centurions needed the victory to maintain any hope of catching first-place Hart for the league title.

A victory over Saugus would have clinched Hart’s first Foothill League title since 1992, a fact Indian Coach Al Weil insisted never crossed his mind.

“If we had known [we could have clinched], the score would have been different,” Weil joked.

The Indians, who lead the Centurions by one game with three to play, still control their destiny. Hart, which plays Burroughs today and Valencia and Canyon next week, needs two victories to secure at least a tie for the championship.

“We need some help,” said Hilton, whose team plays Valencia today and Burbank and Burroughs next week. “But we need to take care of ourselves. We already learned what happens when you don’t take care of business.”

Hilton was referring to a league-opening loss to Canyon, which ended the Centurions’ 33-game league winning streak. Canyon has not won a league game since.

Hart scored a run in the fifth and another in the sixth, but Blaire worked her way out of trouble in the sixth.

With the potential tying runs on first and second with two out, Blaire induced Hart pitcher Amanda Fortune (13-3) to ground into a force play.

Earlier in the inning, Jocelyn Evans scored on a pinch-hit single by Lindsey Kontra.