Del Real 1-Hitter Wasted in Loss

In a rare pitching duel between left-handers, Patty Del Real of Kennedy High was hands down the better pitcher Thursday.

But that fact meant little to Del Real after Banning upset Kennedy, 1-0, in a City Championship softball quarterfinal at Brand Park in Mission Hills.

Del Real (17-3) threw a one-hitter and struck out seven, but the senior was victimized by her team’s two errors in the fourth inning and a lack of offensive support.

Banning (18-8), seeded No. 11, will face No. 2-seeded Carson, a 2-0 winner over Chatsworth, in a semifinal Tuesday at South Gate Park.

Banning’s Angie Rossi (10-6), who could be called crafty at best, threw nearly as many off-speed pitches as she did full speed. And her full-speed tosses resembled batting-practice pitches.

“We’ve been setting up for fast-pitch pitches [and] we got slow and slower pitches,” said Coach Barbara Rodrigue of Kennedy, which is ranked No. 10 in the region by The Times. “They were all trying to kill it. They didn’t adjust.”

To make matters worse, No. 3-seeded Kennedy (18-3) played without top slugger Briana Mathiesen, who was benched along with another starter because of disciplinary reasons.

Considering the Golden Cougars managed only three hits off Rossi, Mathiesen’s bat was sorely missed. But so was her glove.

Eileen Solano, normally a left fielder, filled in for Mathiesen in center and dropped a fly ball in the fourth that led to the game’s only run.

“I think [Mathiesen being benched] hurt us on the field offensively and defensively,” Del Real said. “She has the highest batting average on the team.”

In the fourth, Banning’s Alexis Rodriguez hit a leadoff double to left-center field. After a strikeout, Solano tried to make a basket catch on a Liz Cisneros fly ball and dropped it.

After the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, Ester Martinez failed to make contact on a squeeze attempt and Rodriguez was caught in a rundown between third and home.

An errant throw by catcher Angie De La Cerda allowed Rodriguez to score.

“That’s been our [modus operandi] all year,” Rodrigue said. “Patty’s given up three earned runs all year.”

Del Real, who threw 49 strikes in 66 pitches, was perfect through the first three innings and retired 11 of the last 12 batters.

Monique Acedo, who had two of Kennedy’s three hits, was the only Golden Cougar to reach third base, in the sixth.

ELSEWHERE

* Southern Section Roundup

* High School Baseball Roundup

See Page 16