Camarillo Could Have Its Dei

By PAIGE A. LEECH

May 28, 2000 12 AM PT

This is The Scorpions’ Last Stand.

A semifinal game Tuesday between Mater Dei and Camarillo highs is the Scorpions’ last chance to turn the tables on Mater Dei in the playoffs and send them packing from Southern Section Division I . . . for good.

But that is no small task.

Mater Dei has eliminated Camarillo in a late-round Division I playoff game in three of the last four years.

The Scorpions lost to Mater Dei last year in the quarterfinals, 1-0, in the 1998 semifinals, 2-1, and in the 1996 final, 3-1.

“We need to just one time beat Mater Dei,” Coach Miki Mangan said.

This is the Scorpions’ last chance to do that in the playoffs because next season teams in enrollment-based sports will no longer be able to move up in divisions.

Top-seeded Mater Dei (30-1) has a sophomore-to-senior student enrollment that aligns it in Division II.

For Mangan, the new ruling can’t come soon enough.

“I can’t even wait for the year we don’t have to play them [in the playoffs],” Mangan said.

“We’re going to be champions for a decade.”

Something, or somebody, has got to give in Division II.

Pitchers Jessica Vander Linden of Cerritos, Nicole Angelo of Thousand Oaks, Kristi DeVries of Corona and Meredith Cervenka of Crescenta Valley have each pitched three shutouts in playoff games to put their teams into the semifinals.

Crescenta Valley (29-1), which has won 19 consecutive games, hasn’t advanced this far in the playoffs since winning the Division 3-A title in 1986.

Coach Steve Harrington of Chaminade is feeling a lot better about his team--and his scheduling strategy--these days.

Seems that tough nonleague schedule is finally paying off.

The Eagles (18-12), who have lost to higher-division teams Mater Dei, Foothill, Cerritos, Hart, Simi Valley, Camarillo and Valencia, appear better matched against Division IV foes.

Chaminade has outscored playoff opponents, 5-0, including a 1-0 upset Thursday of top-seeded Rosary, a team that previously beat Division I contenders Mater Dei and Valley View.

Harvard-Westlake (25-4) has got to feel pretty good about its chances of playing in and winning its first section title game.

The Wolverines are 4-1 against the other three semifinalists.

Harvard-Westlake will play Calabasas (19-7) for the third time this season in a Division IV semifinal Tuesday. The Wolverines won previous meetings, 13-4 and 2-1.

Harvard-Westlake swept Chaminade in Mission League play and won its first title in the program’s 25-year history.

Bishop Amat registered a 1-0 victory over the Wolverines in a nonleague game last month.

With three hits in La Reina’s 5-2 victory over La Salle on Thursday, Mackenzie Vandergeest broke her single-season school record.

Arizona-bound Vandergeest has 46 hits, breaking the record of 43 she set as a sophomore.

Top-seeded La Reina (22-4), which has won 18 consecutive games, plays Mary Star on Tuesday.

Can any team top the dramatics of St. Bonaventure?

Elisabeth Spagnolia’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth beat Pasadena Poly, 1-0, in a Division V quarterfinal.

A round earlier, Danielle Morales ripped a two-out, bases-loaded triple to cap a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to upset No. 2-seeded Santa Maria St. Joseph.

For their the next trick, the Seraphs (18-10) will try to upset No. 3 Whitney in a semifinal Tuesday.

A Division VI semifinal matchup between Boron and Cornerstone Christian is a rematch of last year’s final won by Cornerstone Christian, 4-0.

Montclair Prep, which has outscored three playoff opponents, 29-3, should face its first real test in its semifinal game against No. 2-seeded Linfield.

The Mounties are trying to reach their first title game.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

SOUTHERN SECTION

(Games at 3:15 p.m.)

Tuesday’s Semifinals

Division I

Mater Dei at Camarillo

Division II

Cerritos vs. Thousand Oaks at

Thousand Oaks Community Center

Corona vs. Crescenta Valley at Glendale Sports Complex

Division IV