Fred J. Robledo, SGVN
There aren’t too many better tests for a high school softball pitcher than facing Charter Oak High School’s daunting line-up, led by speedy lead-off hitter Nicki Sprague, among the Valley’s best hitters.
Bishop Amat junior pitcher Sabrina Anguiano, back after missing nearly all of her sophomore season because of injury, continued to impress against the Chargers’ hot bats in Friday’s semifinals of the Charter Oak tournament at Big League Dreams in West Covina, throwing a complete game while allowing just three hits in Bishop Amat’s 8-1 victory.
Bishop Amat’s Lexi Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored and Larissa Munoz and Victoria Saucedo each had to hits to pace the Lancers.
Bishop Amat (6-3) will face La Serna, a 7-3 winner over Montclair in today’s championship at the Big League Dreams facility at 3 p.m. If the game is rained out, the championship will be played next Friday.
Anguiano retired the first six batters and the final seven batters to pick up the win. She only had five strikeouts, but she struckout Sprague twice, who went 0-for-3.
“Sabrina did a good job, they’re a great hitting team,” Amat coach Jesse Mendez said. “Nicki’s a big part of their offense. To keep her off the bases was big. That was our goal to keep her off the bases and neutralize some of their other big bats.
Charter Oak Softball Tournament
Today’s games at Big League Dreams, West Covina
Top Bracket
Bonita 7, Alhambra 2
La Serna 9, Claremont 1
Montclair 5, San Dimas 3
Schurr 4, South Hills 3
Bottom Bracket
Bishop Amat 12, Covina 0
La Habra 6, West Covina 0
Los Altos 3, Northview 2
Charter Oak 19, Temple City 0
Wednesday’s second round
Top Bracket
La Serna 9, Bonita 8
Montclair 9, Schurr 2
Bottom Bracket
Bishop Amat 2, La Habra 0
Charter Oak 5, Los Altos 3
Friday’s semifinals
La Serna 7, Montclair 3
Bishop Amat 8, Charter Oak 1
Saturday: Championship at 3 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S SOFTBALL ROUNDUP
CHARTER OAK TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals
Charter Oak 5, Los Altos 3
Charter Oak’s Nicki Sprague gave up three runs on two hits to earn the win for the Chargers who improved to 5-3 in a five inning afair shortened due to time limit. Sprague also had a big day at the plate going two for two and scoring three runs. ChristinePinela went two for two at the plate for Charter Oak with two double’s and three RBI’s. One of those doubles came in the fifth inning to win the game for Charter Oak.
Montclair 9, Schurr 2
Montclair’s freshman pitcher Brittany Biolette went the distance as she improved to 6-1. The Cavaliers were led on offense by sophomore center fielder Haven Villamarin who went 2 for 3 with a homerun and a two-run double.
NONLEAGUE
Mater Dei 9, Diamond Bar 0
Diamond Bar could not get anything going as Mater Dei shutout the Brahmas. Dani Wilson suffered the loss and dropped to 0-2 on the season. Brianna Gonzalez and Marissa McKendall each had a single as the only bright spot for the Brahmas.
Game 1
St. Lucy’s 5, La Mirada 2
Danielle O’Toole tossed a complete game in the opening game of the twinbill allowing five hits.
O’Toole also had a productive day at the plate with a homerun and contributing three RBI’s Danielle Mavridis chipped in with a triple and Carlone Smith added an RBI.
Game 2
St. Lucy’s 9, La Mirada 0
Carlone Smith tossed a five hitter and went the distance for the Regents to earn the win in game two. Mavridis had a pair of homeruns and two RBI’s with Brandi Harkness went three for three and added one RBI to the books. Rounding out St. Lucy’s scoring was Laura Swan with a triple and Katie Lange adding a homerun and two RBI’s.
“We did a good job following the game plan. Our defense was good and we swung the bat and took advantage of our opportunities. I was really happy with our execution all the way around.
Amat jumped on quick early.
With one out Munoz and Saucedo hit back-to-back singles in the second inning. After Brandy Galaviz’s two-out walk to load the bases, Jaya Alaan singled up the middle to bring in Munoz and Saucedo for a 2-0 lead.
Eryn Sustayta kept the inning going with a single that drove in Galaviz from third, extending their lead to 3-0.
Gonzalez stretched it to 4-0 by belting an inside-the-park homer down the left-field line in the third to make it 4-0.
Charter Oak’s Alison Strycula provided the Chargers’ lone highlight, hitting an inside-the-park homer the opposite way to right in the fifth, cutting Amat’s lead to 4-1.
“Defensively we weren’t ourselves,” Charter Oak coach and tournament director Scott Higuera said. “We weren’t ourselves at the plate and our pitchers didn’t bring their ‘A’ games. In all facets we got outcoached, we got outplayed and a credit goes to Bishop Amat. They showed up ready to play and they deserve to be in the championship game.”
Amat broke it open in the seventh inning.
Munoz’s single drove in Natalia Bocanegra, then Salcedo knocked home Cassie Padilla to go up 6-1. The Lancers tacked on two more runs to make it 8-1.
“It’s going to be a good championship,” Higuera said. “La Serna has a very athletic team and Bishop Amat has a strong, athletic team, so I know we’re going to have a good, strong championship game.
“I wish we could have played better, I wish it was us (in the championship), but you’re going to have moments in the season where you don’t play up to your expectations.”
fred.robledo@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, ext. 2161
