Mater Dei Suffers Unhappy Ending

Marissa Young’s high school softball career ended Saturday not with the fairy-tale finish, but with an unhappy ending.

Young, the overpowering Mater Dei senior who led the Monarchs to softball titles as a freshman and junior, was beaten Saturday by Moreno Valley Valley View, 5-0, for the Southern Section Division I title before about 2,200 at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

Young struck out 12, and gave up only five hits, but she could have been perfect and it would not have earned a victory against the Eagles (29-2).

“Everything happens for a reason,” said Young (15-3), after giving up as many runs to Valley View than she had all season. “Out of every loss, something good will come of it.

“Only time will tell what good will come out of this, though.”

There wasn’t much good going on for the Monarchs (28-5), who reached the section final for the fourth time in five seasons.

Keira Goerl, who gave up only one earned run this season and three overall, retired the first 16 batters before Casie Phillips got Mater Dei’s only hit, a bouncer over Goerl’s head with one out in the sixth inning.

Goerl (23-1), a junior, walked two and struck out seven.

The sixth inning was the only time Mater Dei mounted a rally that mattered. The Monarchs trailed at the time, 2-0. An out after Phillips’ single, with two down, Young was at bat.

Young’s line drive leading off the game just missed clearing the center fielder. If she had one more homer in her--she had six this season--then perhaps she could have fashioned her storybook ending.

She didn’t.

She grounded to second base. Though both Young and Riki Paredes were safe on the fielder’s choice, everyone in the park knew Goerl had dodged real trouble.

Freshman Christina Clark bounced to third, and Kristina Harvin stepped on the base just ahead of Paredes’ slide.

When Valley View batted in the bottom of the inning, it scored three runs, assuring itself of its first title in its first championship appearance.

“If we get a hit,” first-year Mater Dei Coach Ed Ulloa said, “it’s a whole different ball game.”

A single, a sacrifice that landed the batter on first base, and a hit batter brought Elena Cranmer to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

Young thought she had struck out Cranmer on a 2-2 pitch. Just as Young had in the third inning, when she gave up two runs after twice not getting a third strike call, Young was faced with a 3-2 pitch.

Cranmer doubled to the wall, scoring three runs.

“I had to groove it,” Young said. “The bases were loaded.”

She ended the final inning of her high school career by striking out the last two batters.

“The catcher [Jessica Gonzalez] was really upset about the strike zone,” Ulloa said.

Young wasn’t thrilled, either, and it was evident in the third inning.

With two out and two strikes on Stephanie Cranmer, Young hit Gonzalez’s glove twice, only to have Steve Smith call the pitches balls.

Gonzalez even went out to talk to Young.

“She said, ‘He’s not going to change,’ ” Young said.

She walked Cranmer, the No. 9 hitter. Blair Smith’s line drive was ruled a trap by the left fielder, Jessica Young (Marissa’s sister).

Casey Smith then popped up behind third base, but the ball went off the heel of the glove of Jessica Young, who was charging hard for the ball.

Both runs scored easily as the shortstop slipped to the ground after retrieving the ball.

“I gave it all I could,” Jessica Young said. “I wish we could have gone out with a bang like we all wanted to.

“Unfortunately [for Marissa], there won’t be a next year.”