PREP ROUNDUP : Bellflower Error Helps Kennedy Win, 1-0

You could sense it would come down to this.

After a terrific pitchers’ duel between Kennedy High School left-hander Cheryl Longeway and Bellflower right-hander Amie Stewart, Kennedy took advantage of a throwing error by Buccaneer catcher Calley Maxwell in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 1-0 victory Monday in the championship game of the Woodbridge Tournament at Harvard Park.

The Fighting Irish (10-1) scored the only run of the game when second baseman Laurie Fritz, who had doubled to the gap in left field with one out, stole third with two outs and scored when Maxwell’s throw sailed into left field.

Fritz’s steal even surprised Kennedy Coach Sue Hall. “She (Fritz) went on her own,” Hall said.

Neither team could generate much offense against the hard-throwing Longeway (10-1) and Stewart (13-1). Longeway allowed three hits--only one through the first five innings--and Stewart limited the Fighting Irish to four. And when the door opened ever so slightly for both sides, neither could capitalize.

Bellflower (13-1) squandered an excellent scoring opportunity in the third inning when Longeway, in her only shaky inning of the game, walked the bases loaded with no outs before retiring the side on a force out at the plate, a foul pop-up to first and a grounder to second.

Kennedy’s best chance before scoring the winning run came in the sixth. Right-fielder Debbie Lite led off with an infield single and was followed by center fielder Lana Jimenez’s bunt single. But Lite was forced at third on a bunt by third baseman Danielle McLeod and Longeway hit a line drive to shortstop Wendy Aguayo, who doubled up Jimenez at second.

In other Woodbridge Tournament games:

Irvine 2, La Mirada 0--Jennifer Brundage limited La Mirada to a sixth-inning bloop single in the third-place game. The Vaqueros (11-2) scored their runs on a fielder’s choice in the third inning and a La Mirada error in the fourth.

Woodbridge 9, Laguna Hills 0--Allison Ward (5-4) pitched a no-hitter in the fifth-place game, which was called after six innings on the mercy rule. Shortstop Debbie Nasitka had a two-run triple for Woodbridge (9-5).

In nonleague boys’ tennis:

Valencia 11, Cerritos 7--Steve Johnson and Ron Lacuata won their doubles sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1, for host Valencia (5-2).

Westminster 13, Magnolia 5--Todd Kawashima and Mitch Okura won in doubles, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, for visiting Westminster (3-6).

University 12, Fountain Valley 6--Steve Tze and Bryan Shapiro won in doubles, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0, for host University (8-1).

In nonleague golf:

Irvine 205, University 225--Brannon Rees and J.J. White shot three-over 39 at Rancho San Joaquin for Irvine (6-3).

Marina 192, Western 195--Tiger Woods shot even-par 34 for Western at Dad Miller.