Melendrez’s Off-Speed Pitches Throw Off Santa Fe Hitters

For the Santa Fe High School softball team, Friday was prom night. But no Chiefs waltzed around the bases Friday afternoon at Laguna Hills in the Southern Section 2-A quarterfinals.

In fact, Santa Fe hardly got on base as Margo Melendrez pitched a one-hitter, and Laguna Hills (19-9) advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 victory.

Santa Fe Coach David Crain said the Chiefs (18-6) may have been distracted by the dance.

“We had too many things going on,” Crain said. “But that’s the way it is.”

Melendrez baffled Chief hitters with a collection of off-speed pitches that curved and sank in and out of the strike zone. Melendrez walked only one batter and struck out 6 in recording her 15th shutout of the season. Second baseman Carla Burke had Santa Fe’s only hit, a two-out single to left in the third inning.

Burke’s single also was the only ball the Chiefs hit out of the infield. Melendrez sent the rest of the Chiefs back to the dugout frustrated. And Melendrez, a junior transfer from Capistrano Valley, said she thinks she knows what was on their minds.

“I think they say, ‘She throws so slow that I can’t hit her,’ ” Melendrez said.

Laguna Hills Coach Cary Crouch said Melendrez (18-8) has stymied batters all season. He said her less-than-overpowering pitching keeps the Hawks’ defense, which was errorless Friday, alert.

“We know (other teams) are going to touch the ball, but they aren’t going to touch the ball hard,” Crouch said.

Laguna Hills batters were not overpowering, either. Lisa Shandy, Santa Fe’s freshman pitcher, held the Hawks to two hits, both in the first inning. One of those, a single to left by Melendrez, scored second baseman Lori Sommers, who reached first on a hit pitch.

Shandy (18-6) also allowed a single to center by catcher Shelley Carey, but ended the first-inning threat.

In the fifth inning, however, the Hawks scored on two errors. After reaching first on an error by Chief first baseman Margaret Varoz, Carolyn Langfield took second on a passed ball. Langfield then scored when third baseman Terry Jannak threw over Varoz’ head after fielding Sommers’ grounder.

With the victory, the Hawks advanced to the 2-A semifinals against Corona Tuesday at a site to be determined.