This Dive for Sonora Nets a Catch, Title

A lot of plays have been made behind Sonora pitcher Carrie Wisen the past four years, but she said Nicole Smith’s headlong dive Tuesday was the best ever.

With the bases loaded, two outs and a league title on the line, Smith ran in and snared a sinking line drive in the fifth to help seal Sonora’s third consecutive Freeway League title in a 1-0 victory over Troy.

“The whole outfield lives by one rule--nothing drops,” said Smith, a junior who caught the ball inches off the ground. “You have to help your pitcher out.”

Wisen (15-8) was grateful. “I’ll probably buy her a car, or something,” she said. “However far we go in [the playoffs] doesn’t matter. [The league title] was our goal. This was our CIF championship.”

Sonora is 18-10 overall, 7-2 in league, and plays Fullerton Thursday. Second-place Troy (16-8, 6-3) plays Buena Park.

Wisen pitched a four-hitter, walked two and hit one. Six of her nine strikeouts were with runners on base, but none came in the fifth.

“That was a great catch,” Troy Coach Marlon Buttram said. “We were going to score at least two runs on that play.”

Wisen won by stranding five of eight runners in scoring position. Emily Hively (16-6) lost, though she gave up only two hits, in the first and seventh innings. With a runner at first, Wisen’s pop-up should have been caught but landed between the second baseman and right fielder for a cheap first-inning double; an error on Jeanine Baca’s fly ball to left field scored Nicole Mercado.