GOERL POWER

Keira Goerl’s repertoire and command are the envy of Southland high school softball pitchers--and the bane of batters.

When she steps into the circle for Moreno Valley’s Valley View High, Goerl contemplates fastball, changeup, drop, drop curve, rise and screwball.

“It doesn’t matter what the count is,” said Goerl, a senior right-hander. “I’ll throw any pitch any time, depending on the situation.”

In Southern Section Division I, this is the situation: Any team hoping to unseat Valley View as champion will probably have to beat Goerl, the 1999 division player of the year.

Fullerton Rosary, the top-ranked team in Division IV, is the only team that has defeated Goerl this season. She improved her record to 16-1 Tuesday as Valley View (18-2) defeated Paloma Valley, 1-0, in a Sunbelt League game.

Last week, the 5-foot-10 Goerl pitched a no-hitter and struck out 16 against West Valley.

Jo Anne Byrd, softball coach at Corona, has watched Goerl for four years and is never surprised by her performance.

“She has such command and so many pitches, seldom in a game will you see the same pitch twice,” Byrd said. “She is a big girl, she’s strong, and she can throw the ball about 47,000 mph.”

Actually, Goerl has been consistently timed in the range of 67-68 mph for the 40-foot distance to the plate, though her fastball has been clocked as high as 71 mph, according to Valley View Coach Mary Partida.

“I’m not out there to strike out every batter,” said Goerl, who will attend UCLA next fall. “If they put the ball in play or get a hit, I don’t think it’s a big deal. If they put it in play, I know my team is behind me and will get the outs.”

Goerl is one of several outstanding senior pitchers in the Southland this season, a class that also includes Jessica van der Linden of defending Division II champion Cerritos and Tia Bollinger of Division I runner-up Santa Ana Mater Dei to name a few.

Goerl, however, might have the highest profile.

She began developing her softball skills at age 4 when she followed her older sister Leia into an organized league. She chose No. 14 because her father, Glenn, is an Ohio native who liked Pete Rose’s style of play.

“They used to stick me out in left field,” she recalled, “but I would swing my arm around like a pitcher to give my parents a hint.”

At 8, Goerl was taking pitching lessons from a private coach, a practice she continues today. She eventually joined an area traveling team that won a national age-group championship in 1994 and has played for Orange County club teams the last four years in addition to pitching for Valley View.

Goerl is also a member of an Arizona-based women’s open team that will compete in the Canada Cup this summer.

“I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices, but the best thing about softball is the friends I have made,” Goerl said. “I stay in contact with a lot of the people I’ve played with and against.”

And also with those she watched while growing up.

When she’s struggling with a pitch or mechanics, Goerl occasionally calls Lisa Fernandez, the former UCLA All-American who is now a volunteer assistant with the Bruins.

Fernandez pitched for the Bruins’ national championship teams in 1990 and 1992, the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and will play in the 2000 Sydney Games as well.

“I might call her and say, ‘My rise is flat, what should I do?’ ” Goerl said. “She’s very specific. I’ll go out there and try what she says, and it works.”

Last season, Valley View advanced to a section final for the first time. Goerl pitched a one-hitter and struck out seven in a 5-0 victory over Mater Dei in the Division I championship game as the Eagles finished 29-2.

Goerl’s dominating performance has Valley View on track to defend its title.

The Eagles lost four starters from last year’s team, but several players have helped fill the void. Junior third baseman Wendy Cummins and sophomore second baseman Priscilla Lopez have contributed on offense and defense.

Senior catcher Sarah Kammert is playing the position for the first time.

“She’s done a great job in a tough situation,” Goerl said. “We’re really working well together.”

Goerl hopes her performance continues to improve to the point that she has an opportunity to play on the 2004 Olympic team.

“I’m just working hard to perfect what I need to do,” she said. “We’ll see what happens.”