HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Sara Gonzales was nearly unhittable in pitching four shutouts last week and helping Paraclete (10-2) move into the High Desert Classic Division I final against Valencia.

After throwing a one-hitter against traditional power Highland in a 1-0, nonleague victory Tuesday, she had shutouts against Quartz Hill, Louisville and Alemany during tournament play Friday and Saturday.

Gonzales, who had 28 strikeouts in 26 innings and gave up 10 hits, is 9-1 this season and 24-11 in her career for the Spirits.

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Jaclyn Holden of Saugus has been an extra-base hitting machine.

The junior, who has moved from third base to catcher, leads the Centurions (7-5) with four home runs and five triples.

On Saturday, she had a single, double, triple and two home runs in victories over Calabasas and Taft in the San Fernando Valley tournament.

“She’s on fire right now,” Coach Richard Perez said. “There have been no cheap shots. Everything she’s hitting is hard.”

Saugus will meet Newbury Park on Saturday in the tournament semifinals.

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First-year Coach Manny Peralta is trying to upgrade a Poly program that hasn’t had a winning record since 1997.

Peralta and his staff have added dugouts and new infield dirt to the Parrots’ field and scheduled tougher nonleague games, including last week’s High Desert Classic.

“Most of our girls think of softball as February through June,” said Peralta, whose team took a 4-7 record into Monday’s game against Grant. “Now they’re seeing girls who play year-round and realize that if they want to play good ball you have to work all year. I’ve tried telling them that, but now they see it.”

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Notre Dame began the season without All-Mission League pitcher Amanda De La Cerda and lost its first two games. The Knights are 7-1 since her return.

Another key has been the play of freshman outfielder Megan Hayes, who is batting .323 with a home run and a team-high 10 RBIs. She also pitched a nonleague shutout against Paraclete (10-2), which played Monday night for the High Desert tournament championship.

“She’s not playing like a freshman,” Kramer said of Hayes.