This story was inadvertantly left out Thursday, so I thought I'd put it here for you all to check. Two pretty good teams what should be in the hunt in their respective leagues. So, without further adieu ...
LAKEWOOD - In his first season at the helm of the once heralded St. Joseph High softball program, coach Ralph Armenta concentrated on hitting and offense and received moderate success.
This year, he has done a 180 on his philosophy and the Jesters are beginning to show signs of yesteryear.
"Pitching and defense are our focus," he said, "and it's starting to pay off."
Behind a strong performance from senior pitcher Gabby Villarreal, sound defense and a timely hit, St. Joseph defeated cross-the-street rival Mayfair, 1-0, in a nonleague game Thursday afternoon, improving the Jesters' record to 10-2.
"That's our best start in a long time - maybe 15 years," Armenta said.
Villarreal (6-1) threw a two-hit shutout with a walk and three strikeouts, never allowing Mayfair (8-3) a runner past second base.
"She was in and out, high and low, and that keeps batters guessing," said Monsoons coach Erin Caskey.
The defense behind Villarreal made a huge difference, playing error free, smartly cutting down lead runners and making a possible game-saving double play late in the game.
Jessica Roper led off the top of the sixth with a double off the fence in straightaway center field, giving the Monsoons a runner in scoring position - the tying run 120 feet away. But second baseman Rosella DeAlva made a nice stab for a line shot and doubled up Roper to end the threat.
Villarreal came back for the seventh inning and got the Monsoons 1-2-3 to close out the win.
"Good defense helps pitching," Armenta said. "We made key plays at the right time."
And it was a good thing, because Mayfair starter Kristin Jaeger (7-1) pitched a strong game as well, allowing just five hits, two walks while striking out seven.
But it was one of those walks that did her and the Monsoons in. Samantha Garcia led off the bottom of the first with a walk and Natalia Garcia followed with a run-scoring double into the gap for the game's lone run.
The Jesters put runners at second base in the third, fourth and fifth - all with two out -- but Jaeger made sure they didn't get that key hit again.
It was a solid win for St. Joseph, which is located across Woodruff Avenue from Mayfair. So close that the Monsoons walked to the game.
"We are right across the street, so I guess we have Woodruff bragging rights," Armenta said. "But anytime a Division IV team like us can beat a Division III team like Mayfair, it's a good win. We are just starting to believe in ourselves. We hope we can win (the Del Rey) league. We have been putting those thoughts in their heads."
Caskey was pleased, too, with her team, which should make a run for the Suburban League title.
"This was a big game, not because of the location (of the two schools), but because they have a quality program," she said. "We had a good game, and I'm really happy with the way we played."
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