Foothill On a Roll, Trips Marina

The winning pitcher, junior Courtney Fossatti, said the team has never performed better.

The losing coach, Shelly Luth, said flatly, “I truly think they’re the best team in softball--all [high school] softball.”

Foothill, which is ranked No. 2 in Orange County, defeated sixth-ranked Marina, 5-0, Saturday at Mile Square Park to advance to the semifinals of the Fountain Valley Baron Classic next Saturday against Cerritos.

Fossatti admitted she didn’t even pitch that well. Yet, she gave up only two singles, one by Carrie Hagen to open the game and one by Christina Klinzing with two outs in the seventh. Fossatti walked one and struck out seven.

She also singled home one run in Foothill’s three-run third inning and doubled home Autumn Champion in the fifth.

But Fossatti was only part of the story.

Champion and leadoff batter Caitlin Lowe--who has 13 hits in her last 17 at-bats--each scored two runs, using their quickness to help Foothill improve to 12-1 and drop Marina to 9-2.

“They’re that fast,” said Luth, whose team opened with a 4-0 win over Sonora. “Speed makes you panic, and their aggressiveness can be intimidating.”

Foothill stole five bases in each of its victories Saturday, including a 5-0 win over Capistrano Valley. “We’ve run in the past,” Foothill Coach Joe Gonzalez said, “but we’ve never been as fast as this year.”

Foothill, whose only loss was to third-ranked Fountain Valley in a tiebreaker, seems to be locked in on every facet of its game.

“The way we’re playing together--speed, defense, offense--everything fits so well together,” Fossatti said. “It shows how great this team is, because this is a great team.”