Quartz Hill Uses Cox’s Clout to Get Ahead, 3-1

Jodie Cox’s latest record will no doubt be remembered as one of her greatest hits.

Her two-run home run in the bottom of the 19th inning on Monday not only allowed top-seeded Quartz Hill High escape with a 3-1 victory over Glendora in the first round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs, but also allowed her to tie the section record with 28 career home runs.

“I’d say this has to be the top,” Cox said.

The game, which had been suspended on Friday after 17 innings because of darkness, resumed in the top of the 18th.

The home run, with Andrea Cabriales aboard, was Cox’s second of the game and 11th this season.

Cox’s next home run will move her ahead of Jenny Dalton of Glendale, who slugged 28 from 1990-92.

“I’m not even going to worry about it,” said Cox, who was four for eight. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it wasn’t meant to be.”

Kellie Cox and Olaya Salazar each had two hits for Quartz Hill (25-1), which won its 25th consecutive game.

Andee Tarazon of Glendora (15-9) had three hits, including a run-scoring single in the first for a 1-0 lead. Ashley Werschky and Emilee Hanson each had two hits.

Jodie Cox’s first home run of the game, with one out in the third, tied the score, 1-1.

Almost forgotten amid the offensive fireworks was Cox’s performance in the circle.

The Cal State Fullerton-bound left-hander, who has battled arm troubles this season, struck out 30 batters and allowed 10 hits.

She received key defensive help from catcher Salazar, who threw out three runners, and center fielder Kellie Cox, who gunned down Desiree Quinn at the plate to end the fifth.

Jodie Cox threw 232 pitches against Glendora on Friday, spent the weekend recovering with a bag of ice taped to her arm, then needed only 19 pitches to retire the six batters she faced on Monday.

“She wanted to get it over with quick,” co-Coach Coy Ray said.

That’s because Cox (23-1) will start today at Marmonte League co-champion Thousand Oaks in a second-round game.

For 18 innings, Cal State Bakersfield-bound right-hander Amy Guido (14-8) matched Cox pitch for pitch.

She struck out 18 and overcame five errors.

But she couldn’t overcome the left-handed-hitting Cox, who drove a low and outside pitch over the left-field wall.

“We heard about her [pitching],” Guido said of Cox. “But we didn’t expect her to hit home runs like that. We underestimated her.”

Glendora wasn’t the first.

Last year, the Rebels used the same combination to stun state power Santa Maria Righetti in a 14-inning Division II quarterfinal game spread over two days.

In that game, Cabriales singled in the 14th inning and later scored on a two-run triple by Cox. Quartz Hill went on to claim its first section title.

“It was like deja vu,” said Cabriales.