Lindgren Takes On Role of Winner

The wild hair and pierced nose are still there, but Andee Lindgren’s attitude makeover is one of the primary reasons for Sonora’s success this season.

Her physical skills never in question, Lindgren’s intangibles--such as leadership--have made the difference in Sonora rising to No. 1 in the Southern Section Division III rankings.

“She’s matured so much from the end of last year until now,” Sonora Coach John Link said. “She’s taken our younger players and been a model to them.

“She was a talented player her first three years, but she wasn’t as mature. She’s really taken these young girls to heart and has almost acted as a player-coach.”

The model Lindgren presented in the past was that of a free spirit, and that hasn’t really changed for the girl with purplish-red hair--her 10th color change since entering high school. But teammates’ errors or questionable umpiring is no longer reflected in emotional outbursts.

“I’ve always kind of wanted to be a coach, too,” Lindgren said. “It’s kind of fun experimenting with these girls. I’ve been playing a long time and feel I have something to offer them.

“Instead of getting angry about people making mistakes, I’ll tell them what they did wrong to help them improve.”

She is also quick to joke to take pressure off her teammates.

“She’s been extraordinarily positive,” Link said. “With our young infielders, we were wondering how our pitchers were going to handle it when they didn’t catch the ball. That was a real question mark. But they just take the ball and pitch.”

They’ve done it pretty well, too.

Lindgren is 8-3 with a 0.09 earned-run average, and junior Carrie Wisen is 5-2 with a 0.56 ERA.

Lindgren’s evolution as a team player also made a believer of her coach. “Whichever college team is lucky enough to get Andee Lindgren is going to get a player who will make a positive difference in their program,” Link said. “That would have been hard to say last year.”

Lindgren says much of her success, and acceptance, is because she is now in an environment that’s more receptive to her ways after several players, including five starters, graduated last season. “Last year, I didn’t really feel comfortable enough to show my true colors,” she said.

Lindgren, who is left-handed, has been the centerpiece in Sonora’s success. The Raiders are 16-5 against solid competition, though youthful inconsistency led to losses to Mater Dei, Marina and Orange Lutheran, and a doubleheader split against Rosary.

“If you had asked me before the season if we would be 16-5, I wouldn’t have said, ‘Yes,’ ” said Link, whose Raiders have had only one truly bad game. “Our 4-0 loss to Marina [with Wisen pitching] was our only outing that really wasn’t up to par,” Link said. “We gave up only five runs all year, then gave up four to Marina.”

Sonora’s infield features a new second baseman, senior Sarah Berokoff; new shortstop, sophomore Michelle Miller, and new third baseman, Nicole Mercado. None have any real infield experience, Link said, but that’s where Lindgren’s influence becomes a factor.

“She’s the reason we’re 16-5,” Link said. “The other kids have something to do with it, but her maturity and dealing with the other kids has made the difference in a team that doesn’t hit the ball that well and doesn’t score much.

“Her actions are directly related to our successes. She’s probably not the most talented player in CIF, but there’s not a player I can think of that I would trade her for.”

MALLORY THE MALLET

Rosary’s Mallory Anderson dropped the hammer on Mater Dei last week, pitching a two-hitter to beat the No. 1 team in the county and state, 1-0.

It was made sweeter because Anderson, a junior left-hander, had aspired to be a Monarch.

“I’ve been waiting since my freshman year to play them,” Anderson said. “When I was younger, I was thinking about going to Mater Dei. They were one of the best teams and I wanted to play there. I was excited when I found out about the league change [putting both schools in the Serra League].

“I knew this was a great opportunity for us to show how good our program is.”

Anderson won an eight-inning duel with one of the state’s top pitchers, Tia Bollinger, even though Bollinger, who also pitched a two-hitter, struck out 19, compared to Anderson’s one. She also beat Moreno Valley Valley View’s Keira Goerl this season.

“She’s the prototypic Rosary pitcher--she makes hitters put the ball in play,” Rosary Coach Tom Tice said.

AROUND THE BASES

* Maggie Barnett, more at home on the basketball court and golf course for Rosary, where she has won league MVPs for both sports, began working out with the softball team last week. “She’ll be our designated pinch-runner,” Tice said. “You can’t coach against speed, and she’s got it.”

* Most coaches agreed that Kari Singley, a senior at Irvine, is the best pitcher in the Sea View League, but Aliso Niguel freshman Amanda Samonte made a bid for that distinction. She pitched two-hitters in defeating Irvine, 1-0, and then-No. 7 Laguna Hills, 2-0. She did not pitch in Aliso Niguel’s 3-2 loss to Woodbridge on Friday.

* Kennedy, which began the season as the county’s fifth-ranked team, and opened the season with seven victories, lost three consecutive Empire League games, to fourth-ranked Loara, El Dorado and Cypress. Kennedy and Loara have lost three in a row over the last two weeks, and El Dorado has emerged as the league’s surprise first-place team.

* Last week was a bad one to be ranked in Orange County’s top 10. Only three teams, No. 3 Foothill, No. 5 Marina and No. 6 Pacifica, didn’t lose a game. The top 10 went a combined 15-11. Taking the brunt of that was Loara, which went 1-3.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Michelle Carew Classic continues, weather permitting, with quarterfinal and semifinal games today. The championship is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Peralta Park. Rain, however, could push the championship back to Thursday.

Less likely to be affected by inclement weather is the Woodbridge Easter Classic at Harvard Park. It begins Wednesday with pool play, highlighted by Fountain Valley-Pacifica at 11 a.m. The title game is 7 p.m. on Saturday.

If you have an item or idea for the prep softball report, you can fax us at (714)966-5663 or e-mail us at martin.henderson@latimes.com