El Toro Is Strong 2nd After Beating Irvine

The last time Irvine and El Toro faced each other in Sea View League softball, Irvine blew the Chargers away by 10 runs. In that game, El Toro’s best pitcher, Susan Churchwell, didn’t play because El Toro Coach Jim Daugherty wanted to give her a rest.

On Wednesday with the playoffs nearing, the game had added importance, and although recovering from the flu, Churchwell led her team to a 5-2 victory, securing its hold on second place.

“I told the girls that this was a really important game for us,” Daugherty said. “This was the game we needed to win to secure second place and a playoff spot.”

Daugherty thought the game was so important that when Churchwell (15-3) started to struggle in the fifth inning, catcher Julie Skidmore wondered if they should take her out and save her for Friday’s game against Woodbridge, but the coach declined.

“I told her Woodbridge doesn’t matter,” Daugherty said. “Woodbridge is going to win the title, so we need to play for second place.”

Daugherty’s decision paid off.

After the sixth-ranked Chargers gave her a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Churchwell, who entered the game with an 0.36 earned-run average in 117 innings, came out strong, striking out seven in the first four innings and giving up only two hits. But in the fifth, the heat seemed to catch up with Churchwell and she began to struggle.

Irvine right fielder Jessyca Thompson led off the fifth with a double to the right-center field gap and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Shortstop Allyson Pizula followed with a blast to center field, driving in Thompson, but Pizula was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple. With one out, Churchwell walked Brett Nakabayashi, who stole second and scored on a single to right by Kari Singley.

“A sick Churchwell is still better than 95% of the pitchers in the county,” Daugherty said. “She was ready to pass out in that inning when they scored their runs. But she hung in there and got us the win.”

Churchwell gave up two runs and five hits, striking out nine and walking three for El Toro (18-6, 4-2), which scored four runs in the first on two hits and two errors.

Laura Joiner led the Chargers, going three for three with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Megan Smietana drove in two runs with a triple in the first and Nicki Everett drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt.

Irvine (11-12, 2-4) dropped into fourth place in league.

In the Golden West League:

Rosary 3, Ocean View 1--Rosary junior Natalie Golda reached first on an error and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, which proved to be the winning run. Sophomore left-hander Mallory Anderson gave up three hits in her eighth victory, and held Ocean View’s top three batters hitless.

Westminster 13, Saddleback 3 (5, mercy)--Lauree Tolen had three hits, including a two-run homer, to lead the Lions (14-9-1, 5-2) at home.

In the South Coast League:

No. 8 Dana Hills 2, San Clemente 1--Loren Thornburg (13-3) pitched a complete game, striking out nine, for host Dana Hills (20-4-2, 5-1-1). Gen King went two for two with an RBI for Dana Hills.

No. 2 Mater Dei 6, Capistrano Valley 0--Marissa Young struck out 15, giving up only one hit, in her eighth shutout of the season. Young also hit her sixth home run for Mater Dei (21-2, 7-0). Capistrano Valley is 11-10-1, 3-4.