She Was Almost One of the Boys

Glendale High softball standout Kelley Cook is often the subject of dinner-table banter.

She is often asked by her stepfather, Tony Zarrillo, baseball coach at Glendale, when she will lace up her cleats for the Glendale baseball team.

It almost became reality on Friday against Muir, the last-place team in the Pacific League.

“I was talking out loud with other coaches here and saying this might be a good day for her to suit up with the baseball team,” Zarrillo said. “It turned out to be almost the perfect situation because they weren’t playing [softball] or practicing.”

At first, Cook was slightly nervous, but word got out and, after prodding from friends, she agreed to play baseball.

Zarrillo checked with authorities, was told an appearance in a baseball game would not hurt a softball player’s eligibility, and Cook suited up, taking pregame outfield with the rest of the boys.

Cook, who has signed a letter of intent with Fresno State, never actually entered the game, which was closer than expected and went into extra innings.

Her boyfriend, catcher Ryan Noll, won the game with a home run for Glendale in the eighth inning.

Cook was conservative while congratulating her boyfriend.

“I kind of stayed back,” Cook said. “It might have been weird, two baseball teammates kissing in the dugout.”

*

Banner year: Chaminade High, which claimed at least a share of its first softball league title in more than two decades, is seeking a place for its championship banner.

The Eagles, who on Friday clinched a share of the Mission League title, last won a league championship in 1977, when they were in the Delphic League.

That banner is partially obscured on the gymnasium wall by one of the school’s Southern Section championship soccer banners.

“It practically covers ours,” said sophomore shortstop Courtney Whale. “But now we have another one and we’re going to start a new row [of banners]. We’ve got many more to come.

*

Level-headed: Harvard-Westlake freshman Veronica Brooks has wasted little time establishing herself since being called up from the junior varsity two weeks ago.

The speedy left fielder, who set the Harvard-Westlake Middle School record in the 40-yard dash, is batting .412 with five doubles and a .706 slugging percentage.

She played a key role in a 6-3 upset of defending league champion Alemany on Friday, collecting two hits and throwing out a runner at the plate.

“We knew she could play at this level,” Coach Terry Elledge said. “We were just hoping we could keep her on the JV team for this season. We needed her, though, so we brought her up.

BASEBALL

Not all bad: In what has been a relatively down year for Calabasas, sophomore first baseman Randy Curtis has been a bright spot for the Coyotes. Curtis entered the week hitting .404 and .543 in the last 11 games.