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By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
The Valley Christian High softball team stepped out of Olympic League action to host winless Samueli Academy last Thursday and the Lady Crusaders blasted the Firewolves 21-0 on a one-hitter from junior Katie Morewood. V.C. evened its mark at 8-8 at the time.
“I think we all did pretty well considering we were playing a team with a little less experience,” Morewood said. “I think we kept our sportsmanship alright, kept our heads up and kept our energy in the game. I think that was great.”
The first 14 batters to come to the plate in the bottom of the first scored and 13 of the first 14 runs were scored before the first out was recorded. Freshman catcher Quinn Livesay had a pair of triples and drove in four runs in the inning.
After not scoring in the second inning, despite loading the bases, and in the third, V.C. erupted for seven more tallies in the fourth. Again, Livesay came up with the big hit, a three-run home run to center. All three outs recorded by Samueli Academy in the third and fourth innings came when V.C. runners left base early as well as one in the first and two in the second.
“I think that just really shows that we wanted to keep the other team’s dignity up there,” Morewood said. “We didn’t want to make fun of them or make them feel bad because we’ve been there; we’ve lost by a lot before too. We understand what it’s like and we just didn’t want to do that to them,”
Everyone one in the starting nine had at least one hit and seven of the nine starters drove in at least a run. Livesay went four for four with seven RBI while junior third baseman Kyla Nunez-O’Leary also went four for four with two runs driven in. Sophomore shortstop Caitlyn Azevedo went three for three and drove in five runs and four others had a pair of hits.
In the circle, Morewood struck out 13 and walked one. She had a perfect game until she walked Thais Diaz with one out in the third, gave up a single to Olivia Williams in the fourth and hit Rhiannon Toan in the fifth.
“We went out there and we did our best and a lot of people got moments to shine and that was really nice,” Morewood said. “We kept hitting the ball in play and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what scores runs and that’s what wins games.”
V.C. was blanked by Village Christian 9-0 this past Tuesday to drop to 1-4 in league. Valley Christian hosted Whittier Christian High on May 3 and will visit Maranatha High on Tuesday before hosting Heritage Christian High on Thursday. For the Lady Crusaders to advance to the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division 6 playoffs, they need to win at least two of their final three games of the regular season.
“I think we have a lot more confidence after those games,” Morewood said. “We’ve seen the teams; we know what they’re all about and we’re ready to go face them again. We’ve worked things out as a team. We know a lot more about each other and how we play as a team together. We’re not ready to take losses against them anymore. We’re going to go out and get them.”
In other softball action, Artesia High pounded John Glenn High 14-3 this past Tuesday to improve to 9-10 overall and 4-5 in the Suburban League. The Lady Pioneers scored eight runs in the top of the first inning and every starter scored at least a run. Artesia visited Bellflower High on May 3 and will travel to league-leading Cerritos High on Monday before hosting Mayfair High on Wednesday. The Lady Eagles, who played in their first seven-inning game of the season, dropped to 2-15, 0-10. They visited Norwalk High on May 3 and will host La Mirada High on Monday.
Cerritos visited Mayfair on May 3 and a win would have clinched at least a share of the league title for the second straight season and fourth in the past five. The Lady Dons (16-4, 9-0) will also visit La Mirada on Wednesday.
Gahr High blanked Lynwood High 10-0 this past Tuesday to improve to 19-4, 7-0 in the San Gabriel Valley League. The Lady Gladiators, ranked second in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Division 1 poll, visited Warren High on May 3 and will entertain Paramount High on Monday before going to Downey High on Wednesday.
Norwalk (8-10, 4-6) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win against Mayfair this past Tuesday. The Lady Lancers, who are battling Artesia for the fourth and final automatic playoff berth out of the Suburban League, will host Bellflower on Wednesday.
Whitney High was eliminated from playoff contention following a 5-1 setback to Calvary Chapel Downey High this past Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats (3-10, 1-5) will visit Brethren Christian High today and Crean Lutheran High on Tuesday in their final two games as a member of the Academy League.
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Artesia which lost to Norwalk 6-4 in eight innings last Friday and 16-0 to Mayfair this past Wednesday, fell to 1-23 and winless in 11 Suburban League games. The Pioneers will visit Mayfair today and host Royal High on Tuesday.
Gahr blanked Paramount 5-0 this past Tuesday and hosted the Pirates on May 3. The Gladiators (15-8, 6-1) will host San Clemente High on Saturday before facing Downey next week in a home and home series that will decide the San Gabriel Valley League champion. Gahr will be home on Tuesday and visit Downey on Thursday.
Norwalk fell to La Mirada 11-0 this past Wednesday to fall to 10-10, 4-5. The Lancers, who have won twice in the past eight games, visit La Mirada today and Cerritos on Tuesday before hosting Cerritos on Thursday.
Valley Christian, which was shutout by Maranatha High 2-0 this past Tuesday, dropped to 10-14 overall and 1-8 in the Olympic League. The Crusaders will host the Minutemen today and Heritage Christian High on Tuesday before traveling to Heritage Christian on Thursday.
Whitney fell to Sage Hill 10-0 this past Tuesday and is 5-10 overall, 2-7 in the Academy League as it hosted the Lightning today. The Wildcats will close out the regular season against Oxford Academy on Tuesday at home and Thursday on the road.
