Top-Seeded Foothill’s Season Goes to the Dogs in Loss to Loara

For eight innings Thursday, top-seeded Foothill dominated Loara in their Southern Section Division II quarterfinal.

Then came the ninth, and the underdog took out the section’s top dog.

Alicia Owen hit a two-run double and pitcher Katie Joosten survived a rocky ninth inning as Loara stunned Foothill, 2-1, in a softball game that defied all odds.

Foothill, winners of the Division I title last year, stranded 13 runners, had two thrown out at second and another, Erin Mobley, thrown out at the plate in the second inning by center fielder Jenna Wheeler. “The center fielder made a great throw,” Foothill Coach Joe Gonzalez said, “and the catcher made a great tag.”

And it ultimately led to Loara’s greatest victory. Coach Scott Weber said no one on campus could remember the Saxons ever winning a playoff game before this year, but now they will go into the semifinals Tuesday against Whittier California.

Foothill, one of the most highly-regarded teams in the country, finished 30-3.

Loara (24-9) got two of its four hits against Courtney Fossatti (20-3) in the ninth inning to take a 2-0 lead. Kim Flores singled and took second on a bunt, and Fossatti intentionally walked Lauren Lappin to get to Owen, who had struck out in her first two at-bats. Owen, who has eight home runs and bats cleanup, drove in her 43rd and 44th runs of the season with a drive over center fielder Autumn Champion.

Foothill, which outhit Loara, 12-4, and didn’t make an error, rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Jiliane Hartfiel singled, Caitlin Lowe was called out on a close play at first base, Champion was out on a grounder, and Fossatti singled home Hartfiel. Kristen Mann singled to right field, moving Fossatti to third base with the tying run, but Joosten (18-5) got Tiffany Haas to pop up to second baseman Owen.

Martin Henderson

In another Division II game:

Canyon 7, Mater Dei 2--Lisa Geer (13-3) earned the win and Jessica Runge picked up her 13th save for the Comanches (26-7-1), who face Thousand Oaks in the semifinals. Kim Jents and Ashley Becker drove in two runs each for Canyon. Christina Clark had an RBI for Mater Dei (21-11).

In Division I:

Capistrano Valley 2, Lakewood 1 (8 innings)--Kristin Timbers scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the eighth inning. Brooke Weekley (20-5) allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked one for Capistrano Valley (23-7-1), which plays Esperanza in the semifinals.

Esperanza 1, Valencia Valencia 0--Consecutive errors to lead off the fifth led to freshman catcher Ashley Johnson’s run-scoring single to right field, and right-hander Kristen Dedmon (19-4) pitched a shutout to beat the division’s second-seeded team.

In Division III:

Kennedy 1, Valencia 0 (23)--Tiffany Tucker singled home Jennifer McCard from second base with two out in the bottom of the 23rd inning to win it for host Kennedy (22-6). Michelle Turner had 25 strikeouts for the Fighting Irish and Michelle Whiteman had 17 for Valencia (21-11).

Sonora 5, Newbury Park 3--Michelle Miller drove in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning with her second double. Sonora (22-10) will play the winner of today’s Santa Margarita-El Modena quarterfinal.

In Division IV:

Rancho Alamitos 3, LaVerne Bonita 1--Freshman Crystal Neer tripled in the tying run in the fifth for host Rancho Alamitos (18-9) and scored the winning run on an error. Starting pitcher Julie Cooke pitched five innings, giving up five hits and one unearned run, to get the victory for the Vaqueros, who play San Dimas, which upset top-seeded West Hills Chaminade, 2-0.

In Division V:

Orange Lutheran 1, Ontario Christian 0--Nicole Sandberg singled home Laura Miklos from second with two outs in the bottom of the eighth for Orange Lutheran (21-8). Miklos pitched a three-hitter for the Lancers, who play Sun Valley Village Christian in the semifinals.