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WEST VALLEY BLANKS LONG
BEACH FOR TITLE
-- The Vikings capture
their first state crown since 1990, ending a
five-year run by South schools.
May 12 (Clovis, CA)
-- The game plan was simple.
Capitalize on opportunities
and play to your team's own strengths.
West Valley Coach Les Hearn
will admit it's nothing fancy, but it sure does
work.
In a state final battle
of No. 1 seeds from Northern and Southern California
-- and two schools with a Viking mascot -- West Valley (from Saratoga) came
away with a 3-0 win over defending-champion Long Beach, Sunday afternoon at
Buchanan Softball Complex in Clovis.
West Valley's Christina
Yorkey tossed a four-hitter, out-dueling three Long
Beach pitchers. And Hearn's version of fast-break offense was running on all
cylinders.
West Valley, in the process,
notched win No. 52 on the season -- the most in
California.
"The bottom line is
that we executed well," Hearn said. "Our team took
advantage of Long Beach's mistakes."
West Valley CF Corinne Dobson
got things started with a lead-off double in
the top of the third inning. Two outs later, SS Sammy Quintero singled her
home for a 1-0 West Valley lead.
Long Beach starter Arlene
Garcia (17-4) kept her team close, leaving after
four innings (5 H, K, BB). She gave way to sophomore Marie Caballero, the
team's ace pitcher.
But Caballero, like so many
other pitchers, would fall victim to West
Valley's speed demons.
West Valley plated two runs
in the top of the fifth, without a single ball
leaving the infield dirt.
West Valley RF Michelle
Gereaux, the club's No. 9 batter, started the fifth
with a walk. A sacrifice bunt by 2B Vicky Galindo was scooped up by Long
Beach 3B Elida Gil De Montes, but her throw to second base was too late.
Another bunt by Quintero
moved runners over to second and third.
Caballero's ball four to
C Elyssa Sigala scooted to the backstop and Gereaux
dashed home safely.
Then, in prime Hearn fashion,
clean-up hitter 3B Michelle Metcalf laid down
a squeeze bunt with an 0-2 count. Long Beach 1B Monnaye Bernal only had one
play, a throw to first, while Galindo coasted home.
West Valley's 3-0 lead appeared
to be enough for a pitching staff that
allowed just one run all weekend.
Long Beach had its best
chance for a rally cut short in the bottom of the
sixth.
Caballero's third intentional
walk of the game began the threat.
Bernal followed suit with
a single to left.
After two pinch-runner substitutions,
Yorkey forced Garcia to pop out to
second; the lead runner was thrown out attempting to steal third; and a
groundout by Summer Reynoso ended any hopes of a Long Beach comeback.
"We were so focused
on this tournament," said Hearn, voted Coach of the Year
by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
"We have such great
chemistry on this club. And we knew that we weren't
going to lose. Someone was going to have to beat us."
Yorkey allowed a two-out
walk in the seventh, but a pop fly to Gereaux in
right field started the celebration.
Notes: West Valley RHP Jessica
Busick (3-0, 25 IP, 8 H, R, 15 K, 8 BB) was
voted the tournament's Most Valuable Pitcher ... Sammy Quintero won Most
Valuable Player honors after her two-hit (RBI) performance in the title
game; she also batted .429 (6-14) with four runs in the tourney ... Michelle
Metcalf was awarded Best Hitter (.467, 7-15, 6 RBI) ... Long Beach SS
Monique Palacios earned the championships' Golden Glove award ... the State
Final 8 moves to Riverside Community College next season.
- compiled by Eric Mendoza,
Fullerton College SID
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WEST VALLEY (52-7) - 001
020 0 - 3 7 0
LONG BEACH (47-6) - 000 000 0 - 0 4 0
LOB - West Valley 7; Long
Beach 7. 2B - C. Dobson. SH - V. Galindo; S.
Quintero; M. Metcalf; V. Zarazua; J. Calhoun. SB - S. Quintero. CS - S.
Quintero; K. Frick; K. Smith
PB - J. Sepulveda
Umpires - Home: Jim Kane.
1st: Aubrey Killinger. 3B: Cheryl Simmons
Start: 3 pm. Time: 1:59. Att: 250
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