Sales’ Heroics Save the Day for North Torrance in Win Over Alemany

Senior Brandy Sales threw out the potential tying run at the plate with two outs in the seventh inning Thursday to preserve North Torrance High’s 1-0 victory over third-seeded Alemany of Mission Hills in a Southern Section Division III softball quarterfinal game at Hamilton Adult School in Torrance.

North (15-9) will meet second-seeded Irvine (25-5), a 1-0 winner over Canyon Springs, in the semifinals Tuesday. The home team will be determined today by coin flip.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Alemany’s Jamie Moore walked and went to second on a passed ball. After the second out, Carrie Edemann lined a single to right-center field. Sales, the right fielder, threw a strike to catcher Michelle Johnson, who tagged out Moore.

Sales said she didn’t try to catch Edemann’s sinking liner because she was confident of her ability to throw out Moore.

“I didn’t want to dive (for the ball),” Sales said. “I knew that I could throw the runner out at home. I have a strong arm.”

Sales’ play saved the game for her sister, sophomore pitcher Tennille Sales, who gave up three hits and struck out three. She kept the ball low in the strike zone and enticed Alemany batters to hit 16 ground-ball outs. Shortstop Irene Montes fielded six chances cleanly.

Alemany Coach Dudley Rooney said he was surprised that North finished third in the Pioneer League.

“They made the plays that they had to and got the hits when they needed them,” Rooney said. “That shortstop (Montes) is an excellent player. We obviously hit too many balls to her.”

Brandy Sales scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the fifth inning. She led off with a triple to center field and scored on a one-out single to right field by center fielder Heidi Niedermeier.

North Coach Lynn Brooks said he has come to expect big plays from Niedermeier, who has pitched and played several positions this season. She drove in two runs Tuesday in North’s 3-2 victory over St. Lucy’s in a second-round game.

“Every time I’ve asked her to do something, she’s done it,” Brooks said. “She’s never argued when I’ve had to move her to another position.”

The Saxons finished behind Torrance and West Torrance in the Pioneer League.