Marina Survives Marathon

The playoffs don’t begin until next week, but the battle Thursday for first place in the Sunset League had all the intensity of a Southern Section final.

Needing a victory to earn a share of the league championship, fourth-ranked Marina scored two runs in the top of the 20th inning, then survived a rally by Los Alamitos in the bottom of the inning to defeat the third-ranked Griffins, 3-2.

The win by the Vikings (21-6, 8-2) created a three-way tie atop the Sunset League. Los Alamitos (18-8) and seventh-ranked Fountain Valley (22-8) are also 8-2.

Marina heads into the Division II playoffs as the league’s first-place team; a coin flip today determines whether Los Alamitos or Fountain Valley goes into the Division I field as the league’s top representative.

“There’s nothing like practice to get us ready for the playoffs,” Marina Coach Shelly Luth said of the 4-hour 30-minute exercise. “It’s horrible to lose a game like this.”

Marina scored its two runs in the 20th without a hit. A rare error by shortstop Phelan Wright--on her 17th chance of the game--allowed Steffany Stenglein to reach first base.

Pinch-runner Ramona Garcia then beat the throws on three consecutive fielder’s choices, the last a throw home on Nelsy Zaragoza’s bases-loaded grounder to second base.

The next batter, Cara Congelliere, hit a grounder to shortstop. Wright threw home, where Christina Klinzing was called safe on a close play.

“I thought she was out,” Los Alamitos Coach Renee Bergeron said, “but the umpire told me the catcher pulled her foot.”

It is Marina’s second title in three years, Los Alamitos’ first since 1997. Fountain Valley won the title outright in 1999.

Los Alamitos nearly matched Marina in the bottom of the 20th. With one out, Stenglein (17-2) hit Kristin Farber, who stole second base. She scored when Wright singled to center field to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Darcey Brown, who either scored or drove in the decisive runs in Los Alamitos’ last four games, hit a long drive, barely foul, before a game-ending strikeout. Steinglen struck out 13 on 253 pitches.

Los Alamitos had nine hits against Stenglein. Deleon’s single in the 12th drove home Cristal Davis to tie the score at 1-1. Marina had taken the lead in the top of the inning when Pagano singled and scored from second base on Sara Hill’s two-out single to right field.

In other Sunset League games:

No. 7 Fountain Valley 3, No. 10 Esperanza 1--Nicole Rambus had three hits and drove in a run for host Fountain Valley (22-8, 8-2).

In the Century League:

No. 1 Foothill 4, El Modena 0--After surrendering two first-inning hits, Courtney Fossatti (19-1) retired 20 of the next 21 batters for the league champion Knights (28-2, 10-0).

Canyon 9, Orange 0--Brittany Crine had three hits and two RBIs for host Canyon (18-13, 5-5). The victory was the 300th of Coach Lance Eddy’s career.

In the Empire League:

No. 9 Kennedy 1, Century 0--Sophomore Michelle Turner (14-5) didn’t allow a ball hit out of the infield in pitching a perfect game for the host Fighting Irish (20-5, 7-3). Turner struck out 16 and retired the other batters on ground outs. Lorainne Geiger singled home Jennifer McCard in the fourth inning with the game’s only run.

Cypress 2, Katella 1 (10 innings)--Jessica Oaks’ run-scoring single in the 10th made a winner of freshman pitcher Candice Baker, who struck out 20.

In the Express League:

Liberty Christian 2, Norwalk Pioneer Baptist 0--Tiffany Fernandez’ two-run single in the top of the fifth provided the game’s only runs for Liberty Christian (15-2, 8-0), which clinched the league championship.

In the Freeway League:

Sonora 1, Sunny Hills 0--Sonora got the game’s lone run when Sarah Berokoff walked with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, and won the league title outright with Troy losing to Fullerton, 2-1. Andee Lindgren pitched a two-hitter for the host Raiders (22-7, 8-2).

In the Garden Grove League:

No. 6 Pacifica 4, Garden Grove 1--Tiare Auelua had a triple, two singles, drove in a run and scored two runs for host Pacifica (20-8-1, 11-1), which finished as co-champion with Rancho Alamitos.

Rancho Alamitos 4, La Quinta 0--Kristina Hyllested pitched a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts for visiting Rancho Alamitos (19-3, 11-1).

In the Orange League:

Brea Olinda 3, Magnolia 2 (8)--Tawny Baker’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth gave Brea Olinda (12-11, 8-2) the victory. Jessica McDonald’s run-scoring triple in the seventh had tied the score for the Wildcats.

Western 5, Anaheim 0--Freshman Mandy Eamello pitched a perfect game, her second no-hitter of the year, for visiting Western (17-7, 10-0).

In the South Coast League:

Capistrano Valley 2, Trabuco Hills 0--Jillian Miles pitched a one-hitter, striking out seven, and Krista Woodward had a run-scoring single for the Cougars (14-13, 6-4). Trabuco Hills (13-14, 7-3) lost its second game in a row and had to settle for sharing the league championship with San Clemente.