SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : She Hopes Celebration Lasts a Bit Longer

These have been exciting days for Mater Dei softball pitcher Terri Kobata.

Last Thursday, the senior right-hander moved the Monarchs closer to a Southern Section title with a 1-0 victory over highly regarded Pacifica in the Division 5-A quarterfinals.

On Saturday morning, she graduated from high school and that evening she whooped it up at a grad night party at UC Irvine’s Bren Center. The fun lasted until around dawn Sunday, when Kobata squeezed in a little shut-eye before going to a 10 a.m. practice with her summer travel team, the Southern California Raiders.

“We had a great time at the graduation party,” Kobata said.

This afternoon, Kobata gets another chance to make the good times roll for herself and the Monarchs (19-1-1) when they meet Simi Valley (25-2) in the semifinals at Santa Susana Park in Simi Valley. The finals are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

Mater Dei, seeded first in the division, has never won a section softball title. The Monarchs lost to Marina, 9-0, in the semifinals two years ago and to Fountain Valley in the quarterfinals last season after defeating Simi Valley, 2-0, in the first round.

But there’s an important difference between those Mater Dei teams and this one: Kobata’s pitching.

After winning five games early in 1990 before a shoulder injury sidelined her from pitching the rest of the season, Kobata decided not to pitch last season. Mater Dei Coach Cathy Quesnell said at the time that her ace pitcher didn’t want to alter her crow-hop delivery, a style that has been ruled illegal. Kobata, however, says the reason she concentrated on playing only the outfield last season wasn’t altogether linked to her pitching motion.

“I just wanted to take a year off from pitching,” Kobata said. “It was my choice.”

Luckily for Mater Dei, Kobata returned this season eager to pitch.

“I figured it was my senior year and I wanted to go out the best way I could,” Kobata said.

Going into today’s game against the Pioneers, Kobata is making the most of her plans. She is 11-0 with a 0.08 earned-run average and 155 strikeouts, including 15 in a 4-0 victory over Marina in the first round of the playoffs and 22 in 11 innings against Pacifica last week. Her victories include one perfect game and three no-hitters.

Against Pacifica, Kobata was masterful. Working the batters almost exclusively with her intimidating rise ball--”That’s the pitch I have the most confidence in”--and an occasional keep-them-honest changeup, Kobata breezed through the game basically unchallenged. She walked a batter in the second inning and allowed only one hit, a bunt single in the ninth. She struck out the side three times and, in one stretch, retired 14 consecutive batters.

Yet, when the Monarchs finally managed to parlay a Pacifica error into the winning run in the top of the 11th, Kobata said she had the jitters for the first time in the game.

“I was nervous in the last inning,” she said. “I knew I had to hold them (Pacifica).”

Quesnell, though perhaps quietly anxious, knew Kobata wouldn’t crack.

“She’s got a very, very good attitude about handling pressure situations,” Quesnell said. “She’s always very even-keeled. Her concentration is outstanding. She does her job.”

Kobata, who is headed for Notre Dame next fall on a softball scholarship, hopes the Monarchs can keep the momentum for two more games.

“It’s going to be tough (against Simi Valley),” Kobata said. “I played last summer in my travel club with a couple of their players (shortstop Taina Tande and catcher Kathy Beasley) and they are very good. Hopefully we’ll keep our defense and offense going.”

Then Kobata will have something else to celebrate.