El Toro Has Some Early Momentum

Few who followed the Ramada Express Best of the West softball tournament last week in Bullhead City, Ariz., could have imagined that a team that lost four of its expected starters would emerge as the most impressive in the field.

But it was Lake Forest El Toro’s kind of week, beginning with its stunning, tournament-opening victory over Tucson Flowing Wells, Ariz., the nation’s second-best team, according to some ranking organizations.

With sophomore pitcher Tanza Lewis leading the way, and the development of the infield behind her, El Toro is off to an 8-3 start after its third-place finish in the Best of the West tournament.

“I wanted to continue building the confidence level of the team, continue the learning that we have going on with the young players to get them to the point where I have confidence in them as a team and they have confidence in each other to compete for a league championship,” El Toro Coach Jim Daugherty said.

But third place? Against that field?

“I’m a realist,” Daugherty said. “There are a lot of new faces in our infield. I was confident our pitching was competent, we had good catching, a stable outfield.... It was just the infield that needed retooling, and they’ve come along really well.”

At the end of last season, El Toro lost only one senior, third baseman Bryttani Lindheim, to graduation. But then came losses that weren’t expected.

The player Daugherty had penciled in for third base was deemed ineligible. The first baseman decided to get an after-school job. The second baseman contracted mononucleosis.

The shortstop, Stephanie Churchwell, one of the most talented sophomores in the state and the team’s leading hitter, had a protruding disk in her back and is out for the season.

Sophomore Andrea Forrest, a 4.0 student, stepped in at third base and drove in the winning run against Anaheim Canyon in the third-place game on Saturday.

“Every game you can see the confidence building in her,” Daugherty said. “I don’t even remember the other girl’s name.”

The shortstop is sophomore Danielle Quimby and the second baseman is senior Krystal Hurtado. They platooned at second base last year. Hurtado made the transition to left-handed batter, and drove in the winning run against Flowing Wells.

Junior Erin Maurer and senior Robyn Ford-Feitz, who also pitches and plays outfield, share first base depending on which of El Toro’s three pitchers is in the circle. Each is vastly different. Ford-Feitz relies on her control, Lewis is the power pitcher and senior Jennifer Churchill, 10-2 last season, favors off-speed pitches.

Lewis’ emergence is most intriguing. She was 22-1 last season on the junior varsity. Lewis not only beat Flowing Wells, but she also defeated Canyon.

“She was the star of the tournament,” Daugherty said. “This girl has so much focus. I didn’t even call her pitches, I let [senior catcher] Rachel Greyson call the game [against Flowing Wells]. It was a thing of beauty.”

Tough schedule: Newhall Hart may have had the worst schedule of the Best of the West participants. Its game against Santa Ana Foothill ended after 10:30 p.m., and the Indians had to be at the field the next morning at 6:30 for a 7:30 game.

Close rivals: The Marmonte League is consistently one of the deepest, most competitive leagues in the state, and it is living up to that reputation this season. The six games in the opening week of league play included five one-run decisions--two were extra-inning games, including a scoreless tie between Westlake and Royal.

One wasn’t actually a league game--Simi Valley upset Royal, 2-1, in the championship game of the Simi Valley tournament.

Hueneme? Why not? Oxnard Rio Mesa (4-4), ranked No. 21 last week by The Times, played three games last week, all against Oxnard Hueneme. Rio Mesa won the first game, 1-0, but lost the second, 2-0--both league games. Then Hueneme beat Rio Mesa in the seventh-place game of the Simi Valley tournament, 5-1.

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Correspondent Eric Maddy contributed to this report.