El Toro Wins Tournament Thanks to Throwing Error

Fifth-ranked El Toro played its second softball tournament championship in three days Monday and defeated fourth-ranked Dana Hills, 3-1, in the Woodbridge Classic.

Susan Churchwell pitched a three-hitter, and El Toro (14-5) scored three runs on a four-base throwing error. The Dolphins’ Loren Thornburg (9-3) also pitched a three-hitter.

Postponed a week by rain, it was El Toro’s fifth game in six days. The Chargers lost to Irvine, 10-0, in a Sea View League game on Friday in which Churchwell didn’t pitch, and also lost to Fountain Valley in the title game of the Barons’ tournament--again without Churchwell, who had defeated Pacifica earlier in the day, and had thrown an 11-inning no-hitter Wednesday against Santa Margarita.

The final bump in this brutal stretch is Wednesday, when El Toro hosts Woodbridge, which has won 16 consecutive league titles.

“I think we proved to everyone that [the Irvine] loss was just a fluke, that we are still a team to be reckoned with,” said Churchwell (11-2), who struck out seven and gave up Dana Hills’ only run on Brittany Anzlovar’s triple and passed ball in the second inning. “This win flows nicely into the Woodbridge game--back-to-back losses wouldn’t have been a nice thing.”

It didn’t come easy. With the bases loaded on Churchwell’s single, a walk and Vanessa Andrade’s bunt single, Churchwell was forced at home on Julie Skidmore’s grounder to third base. However, catcher Liz Lefler’s throw to first base to complete an inning-ending double play went to the outfield fence.

“I didn’t have a good grip on it and it sailed on me,” Lefler said.

In other tournament games:

No. 2 Fountain Valley 6, Upland 1--Colleen Burdick (9-2) pitched a five-hitter and the Barons (14-6) pounded out 10 to win for the 12th time in 13 games.

La Puente Bishop Amat 2, No. 10 Aliso Niguel 1--The Lancers got two of their three hits in the first inning and scored both runs, then held off the Wolverines (10-7). Aliso Niguel’s Kalena Petersen had an RBI double in the second inning, but the Wolverines couldn’t get another clutch hit and stranded nine.

San Clemente 3, Loara 1--Christie Bennett hit a three-run double in the bottom of the sixth for the Tritons (11-7-1).

Woodbridge 4, Trabuco Hills 0--Tracey Alcaraz (13-7) pitched a one-hitter for the Warriors (13-9).