El Modena Shuts Out Brea Olinda

Seeley Bair’s aggressive baserunning, Jessica Keenan’s timely hitting and Erin Norton’s two-hitter lifted El Modena to the Southern Section quarterfinals for the first time since 1993.

The Vanguards beat visiting Brea Olinda, 2-0, Tuesday in the second round of the Division III softball playoffs, setting up Thursday’s quarterfinal at top-seeded Pacifica, the defending champion.

The Vanguards (22-5-1) seem undaunted by the prospect. They have victories this season over Foothill, Fountain Valley (both defeated Pacifica) and now Brea (19-6).

“We’re very confident in ourselves--there’s not a doubt in our minds that we’re going all the way,” said Keenan, whose third-inning single to center field gave El Modena a second run with which to hold off home run-prone Brea.

The Southern Section single-season team record for home runs is 25, and the Wildcats had 22, but Norton retired the first 16 batters. She hit a batter and gave up a single to Tiffany Whitton in the sixth, but got out of it with a grounder to second base.

With the home run threats up in the seventh, the 2-0 lead had to be comforting to Norton. Susan Shuplock (six homers) flied to right field, Geney Orris (six homers) was safe on an error and Erin Hessman singled, but first baseman Reeder threw out Orris at third on a chopper by Jeanine Holloway and shortstop Chrissy Lake threw out Stephanie Boyes to end the game.

Norton (20-5) struck out eight. She had two of El Modena’s four hits, including a triple.

El Modena took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Bair scored from third base on a chopper hit 10 feet in front of home plate. Orris (12-3), the pitcher, could have taken one step and tagged Bair, but first looked to toss the ball to the unprotected plate and hesitated. Orris hurriedly threw to first base to try for the out that would have ended the inning, but threw wildly.