Kennedy Keeps Cool, Rallies to Knock Off Los Alamitos

Jami Shannon admitted she was “a little nervous” before Wednesday’s game between fifth-ranked Kennedy, where she is a first-year assistant coach, and Los Alamitos, where she was fired after 21 seasons and 332 victories.

But there was no lack of composure in the Kennedy lineup in the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Fighting Irish scored twice to beat Los Alamitos, 2-1, in nonleague softball at Cypress Arnold Park.

“We were all, like, ‘We need to win it for Coach Shannon,’ ” said sophomore pitcher Michelle Turner, who allowed four hits, didn’t walk anyone and struck out 12 in improving to 8-1.

Kennedy has only one loss in 10 games, a 15-inning decision against fourth-ranked Pacifica. Los Alamitos dropped to 6-5.

Turner faced only one batter over the minimum through seven innings, but a leadoff triple by Traci Tippet in the eighth put Los Alamitos in position for the upset, when Tippet scored on Marissa Hearn’s two-out, two-strike single past the pitcher.

“I thought we had it won,” Los Alamitos shortstop Phelan Wright said. “Three more outs and we’re out of here.”

But Kennedy, in its fourth extra-inning game, was unfazed . . . and there were no more outs to be made.

Breanne Sabol singled and Jennifer McCard was safe on a sacrifice bunt when the throw to second base was too late. Turner then bunted safely to load the bases. With the infield in, Sabol scored when second baseman Mandy Treece bobbled a grounder, and McCard scored the winning run when Brooke Porter walked on four pitches from Kim Dillon.

“It seems like almost every one of our games is like that,” said Turner. “We felt we could still come through, we can handle this. There was no panicking.”

In other nonleague softball:

No. 2 Foothill 3, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0--Courtney Fossatti (7-0) struck out 10, pitched a one-hitter, and had three hits for the Knights (10-1).