Kennedy’s Success Gets Expensive for Booster

Patty Del Real may be Kennedy High’s money player, but her father is the bank.

Al Del Real has pledged $1 for every run the Golden Cougar softball team scores this season, $5 for each home run.

The money is to be spent on a postseason awards banquet.

“It’s great,” Coach Barbara Rodrigue said. “He’s always making deals.”

The sugar daddy’s tab hit $143 on Monday after Kennedy defeated San Fernando, 7-0, in a North Valley League game at Brand Park in Mission Hills.

That comes out to 128 runs and three home runs.

“He’s going to end up owing a lot of money before we’re done,” said Patty Del Real (12-2), a senior left-hander who struck out nine, walked two and allowed two hits. “It pushes us a little harder to score runs.”

Del Real also paced a 13-hit attack with four singles. Briana Mathiesen had three hits and Kristin Cookson added two.

Al Del Real’s wallet got a little lighter after losing a side wager. He pledged tickets to tonight’s Dodgers-Braves game to the team if Kennedy won by eight runs.

When the Golden Cougars (13-2, 5-1 in Northwest Valley Conference play) failed to score an eighth run in the bottom of the sixth, he amended the deal and promised the tickets if his daughter could retire San Fernando in order in the seventh.

“I’m going to ask their parents to help me since I just put my foot in my mouth,” Al Del Real said after his daughter met the challenge.

San Fernando was almost as generous.

The Tigers (12-4, 2-2) committed all four of their errors with two out in various innings, leading to six unearned runs against Michelle Molina (4-2).

Molina made her second consecutive start since ace Michelle Raigoza (8-2) tore a muscle in her back last week against Granada Hills.

Raigoza was told by doctors she could miss anywhere from two weeks to six months.

San Fernando, which entered last week with six players hitting better than .350, lost for the second time in a row.

“We’ve been in a slump,” said shortstop Sunshine Gallardo, whose team has scored only four runs in the last three games. “Our hitting has gone. It’s frustrating, but we’ll come back.”

Rosana Jurado opened the sixth with a single to right field, ending Del Real’s bid for a no-hitter. Gabby Barragan added an infield single later in the inning.