El Camino Real Back on Top

For the senior pitcher, whose career was interrupted by pregnancy, it was the mother of all victories.

For the longtime coach, it was the most satisfying of his many City Section championships.

And for El Camino Real High, it was a joyful return trip to the summit of prep softball.

Right-hander Ashley Redlin pitched a nearly flawless game, allowing one hit and one walk, to lead the top-seeded Conquistadores to a 3-0 victory over No. 2 Carson on Tuesday in the Championship Bracket final at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

“Ashley is incredible,” shortstop Cara Blumfield said of Redlin, who struck out seven and faced one batter over the minimum against a Carson team that was batting .360. “She pitched the game of her life.”

She didn’t hit badly, either.

Redlin (17-3) was two for three, drove in a run, scored another and stole two bases.

It was sweet redemption for Redlin, who lost to San Pedro, 5-0, last year in the final, only a few weeks after having a daughter.

“I reached the top,” Redlin said after improving to 2-1 in section championships. She defeated Kennedy in 1997. “I’m so proud that I could show everybody that it could be done, that I could come back and pitch again.

Redlin allowed one run in 32 postseason innings.

El Camino Real (24-3), which made six of its 12 errors last season during the disappointing loss to San Pedro, has been on the defensive ever since.

It finished 19-0 against City opponents, outscoring them, 138-1.

Against Carson (24-8), the Conquistadores (24-3) played perfectly in the field, with Blumfield turning in three flashy plays and second baseman Jacqui Goodchild and third baseman Vanessa LaGuire calmly handling smashes off Colt bats.

Goodchild also had two infield hits.

“We’ve never had a better defensive team,” said Coach Neils Ludlow, 288-52 in a 15-year career that has included 10 titles, six in the 1990s. “It’s been a really great, fun, satisfying year.”

Division championship--In the Division championship, Huntington Park took advantage of eight Fremont errors to win, 9-1, and complete an unlikely march to the title.

Senior right-hander Adriana Gonzalez (5-5) struck out four and allowed four hits for the 14th-seeded Spartans (10-6), who upset No. 3 Palisades, No. 6 Canoga Park and No. 2 Venice to reach the final.

Gonzalez, Graciela Ortiz and Janet Ruiz each had two hits for Huntington Park.

No. 5 Fremont finished 17-4.