Softball: O’Leary, Edwards stellar in leading Spartans

CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF WEDNESDAY’S LA CANADA-SAN MARINO GAME

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer

SAN MARINO – It wasn’t exactly dj vu, but it sure came close.

Just like it did nearly a month ago in the first meeting, the La Canada High School softball team capitalized on San Marino errors, and again it was Lauren O’Leary and Anna Edwards leading the way, helping the Spartans to a 2-0 Rio Hondo League victory Wednesday afternoon.

O’Leary, a junior, flirted with a perfect game before ending with a stellar two-hit performance in which she struck out 15.

Edwards, also a junior, hit her fifth home run of the season in the sixth to give La Canada (13-2, 4-1) a cushion, but it was her speed on the bases in the first that paved the way for the win.

Edwards, the leadoff batter, hit a fly to center, and it appeared San Marino (10-5, 3-2) was in for a routine out. Instead, the ball dropped, allowing Edwards to safely reach second base. She stole third during the next at-bat, and a check throw to third was mishandled, allowing Edwards to score the winning run.

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“Anna Edwards creates so much,” La Canada coach KC Mathews said. “That’s just the kind of player she is. We get one in the first and she follows it up with a home run.”

San Marino’s Michelle Floyd struck out the next two batters, but the damage was done.

La Canada won the first meeting in similar fashion – Edwards scoring the lone run in the first after reaching base on an error. O’Leary struck out 13 in four innings to lead the Spartans to a 1-0 win.

“Yes, that’s a great way to put it: they mirrored each other,” San Marino coach Hilda Valencia said. “Especially in the first inning when they got on with an error. That’s what we wanted to avoid.”

Floyd, a freshman, allowed one earned run on two hits and struck out 13. Kelsey Drange had the other hit, a double down the third-base line in the sixth.

Jacqueline Martinez hit a bloop single over the shortstop and into center field to break up O’Leary’s perfect game in the sixth. Erin Stenwall singled to right in the seventh for the Titans’ only other hit of the game.

“Our pitcher did a great job of keeping Alexis (Watanabe) off the bases,” Mathews said, “which is really important because she can do so much when she’s on.”

Valencia said that aside from the first inning, the Titans executed well, but O’Leary made it difficult to even make contact.

“She had our hitters guessing,” Valencia said. “She had them overthinking what they wanted to do. (O’Leary) did her job as a pitcher.”

Floyd, too, was tough to figure out.

“Heck of a performance for a freshman,” Mathews said. “She’s going to be a good one for a long time. I haven’t seen the last of her, unfortunately.”

miguel.melendez@sgvn.com

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