La Reina Wins as Vandergeest Hits on Run

Mackenzie Vandergeest had to rush off to La Reina High’s “Night of Excellence” assembly Tuesday night, right after she showed why she received the school’s award for athletics.

Vandergeest singled to left field to drive in Monica Thompson in the third inning to give the Regents a 1-0 victory over Oak Park in a Tri-Valley League softball game Tuesday at La Reina.

“I’m just having fun hitting the ball,” said Vandergeest, who is batting .581 (25 of 43) from the No. 3 spot in the lineup.

“It’s my job. Somebody has to come through and sometimes I play that role.”

A senior catcher who will attend Arizona on a softball scholarship, Vandergeest finished with two of her team’s four hits.

“It was hard not to have her get [the award for athletic excellence] a couple of years in a row,” Coach Don Hyatt said.

Vandergeest’s efforts and those of senior right-hander Kristen Ward were enough for La Reina to win a battle of defending Tri-Valley League co-champions.

La Reina (11-4, 6-0 in league play), which has won at least a share of nine league titles in the last 10 years, took a two-game lead over Oak Park (7-6, 3-1).

Ward (6-4) had a no-hitter through five innings and finished with a two-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk. She hit a batter in the sixth, when Oak Park had its best chance to score.

Andrea Johnson got aboard when her pop fly glanced off the glove of shortstop Monica Thompson for an error.

Johnson took third on Jannel Buckley’s one-out double and Michelle Bregar was grazed on the knee by a pitch from Ward to load the bases.

Melissa Johnson grounded to third baseman Tracey Clark for a force out at the plate and Dana Porter grounded out to end the inning.

“We had the opportunity,” Coach Roger Newell of Oak Park said. “We just couldn’t get the hits.”

The Regents got the hit they needed when Oak Park decided to pitch to Vandergeest with one out in the third and Clark due up behind her.

Clark had the Regents’ other two hits in the game and is batting .457.

“We talked about walking her,” Newell said of Vandergeest. “Maybe that’s one I’m going to have nightmares about, but Clark is hitting so well, too.

“You take your poison either way.”

Brittany Dahl was the Eagles’ only baserunner through five innings. She drew a two-out walk off Ward in the second and reached base on an error when second baseman Kim McAfee bobbled her ground ball in the fifth.

Buckley’s double and a one-out infield single by Nicole Purkey in the seventh were the Eagles’ only hits.

“I’ve been preparing all week to play Oak Park,” Ward said. “This was a very good win for me.”