Burbank Felled by Hart Attack in a 5-0 Setback

There is no such thing as an easy game for softball teams in the Foothill League this season.

But Hart High’s resounding 5-0 victory Tuesday over Burbank at Newhall Park sent a message that the Indians might be the team to beat.

“I told my girls a week ago that the Foothill League this year is like the Pac-10, it’s going to be a dogfight all the way,” Coach Cathy Giordano of Hart said. “We can’t afford to take any opponent in our league lightly.”

Overconfidence certainly wasn’t a problem for pitcher Amanda Fortune (6-1) of Hart. If anything, the senior right-hander took the Bulldogs too seriously. She struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks in five innings.

“She’s been doing a great job for us,” Giordano said of her No. 1 pitcher, who has signed with Illinois. “They have a great pitcher, but we have some good ones, too. I felt if we could score one run, we’d win. That’s how confident I was in Amanda.”

Fortune got all the run support she would need in the second inning when Casey Pickard singled and advanced to second on a fly ball. Stacey Holbrook, who went three for three, singled to score Pickard and the Indians (10-3 overall, 2-0 in league play) had a 1-0 lead.

Hart plated another run before the inning was over and increased its margin to 3-0 on an RBI single by Sara Dean that scored Carly Caldaronello, who tripled, in the third inning.

The Indians, ranked No. 4 in The Times’ regional poll, joined Saugus at 2-0. Saugus (10-4) beat Canyon, 2-0, and is ranked No. 10.

Hart and Saugus shared the league title last season and the Indians won the title in 1998.

Right-hander Emily Brower (8-3) pitched all six innings for the Bulldogs (11-4, 1-1), striking out three, walking three and allowing nine hits.

“If you get to a good pitcher early like we did, it definitely helps your chances,” Giordano said. “But Burbank is doing a great job and they’ll be back. You can’t count them out.”

The Indians padded their lead in the fourth when Pickard doubled and scored on a single by designated hitter Lindsey Kontra.

Dean doubled in the fifth inning and scored on a single by Becky Bowen, who is headed for UC San Diego.

Senior right-hander Bridgette Colleran replaced Fortune in the sixth inning and struck out two of Burbank’s last six batters.

After Lacey Rohr drew a one-out walk from Colleran in the seventh, Jennifer Williams popped out to short and Rohr was doubled off first to end the game.

Lyndsey Romero, Brower, Rohr and Rhodes singled for Burbank.

The Bulldogs’ best chance to score came with one out in the fifth when Brower and Rohr hit back-to-back singles off Fortune. But Williams struck out and Romero popped up to Caldaronello at shortstop.