SIDELINES : There Isn’t Anything Soft About the Way They Play the Game

They aren’t the Silver Bullets and they don’t play in A League of Their Own, but a team called America’s Elite is turning heads in a Tuesday night fast-pitch softball league at Balboa Park.

In the America’s Elite lineup are eight women who were softball All-Americans in college and two men.

Former UCLA standouts Lisa Fernandez, Dot Richardson and Karen Walker are among several players training in hopes of making the first U.S. Olympic softball team, which is scheduled to participate in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

In its opener last week, America’s Elite dropped a 2-1 decision to Mr. Pete’s, an all-men’s team.

“They were a little bit unsure of what to expect,” said Manager Kirk Walker, a former UCLA assistant and Woodland Hills resident who was recently hired as softball coach at Oregon State.

“Now they know what it’s like (to play against men) and they’ll be fine.”

Fourth and forever: You might say Jonathan Beauregard went ballistic. Or at least his helmet did.

When officials flagged the Cal State Northridge senior offensive lineman for a personal foul in a game against Southwest Texas State last week, Beauregard took it personally. Accused of attempting to intentionally injure an opponent with a cut block, he protested so vehemently that he drew two more penalties.

Let’s see, that’s 15 yards for the penalty itself; 15 more for arguing; another 15 for reacting to the second penalty by removing his helmet and spiking it.

His last act finally drew an ejection--but not soon enough to save Northridge. The Matadors had driven to the Southwest Texas State 41, but after three downs--and Beauregard’s antics--Northridge was backed to its own 16, fourth down and 53 yards to go.

Said Coach Bob Burt: “It was a fiasco.”

Fit to be tied: Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Roger McCamy, the football coach at Simi Valley High, tried to call a timeout last week after his team’s only touchdown against Alemany.

His players didn’t hear him. And it’s probably a good thing. Instead of kicking for one point, McCamy wanted to go for two. Later, McCamy admitted, “We probably would have screwed that up and lost the game.”

Instead, the Pioneers left with a 7-7 tie.

Stats

Numbers can be deceiving. For instance, don’t be misled because Ignacio Brache, kicker for the Village Christian High football team, has made only one of six field-goal attempts.

The kick he made was from 38 yards. His misses were from 54, 57, 58, 59 and 65 yards. Last season Brache, a senior, set a Southern Section Division X record by making a 54-yard field goal.

Crash ‘n burn: The Cal Lutheran football team has blown leads in both its games, and is it any wonder? The Kingsmen (1-1) are allowing an average of 240.5 yards passing--in the second half. Not surprisingly, Cal Lutheran is last in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass defense, allowing an average of 296.5 yards.

Record watch: The Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team had a school-record 84 assists in Wednesday night’s five-game victory over Cal State Bakersfield, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II. The Matadors established the previous mark of 81 in a five-game loss to Idaho on Sept. 14.

Net gains: Valley Alternative High’s Lilibeth Cardano and Jasmine Davis will spend the rest of the volleyball season battling for possession of the school’s kill record. Both seniors have surpassed the previous mark of 168, set by Valerie Carter, who graduated in 1992.

Honors

Moorpark College receiver Isaiah Mustafa, a sophomore, was selected Western State Conference offensive player of the week. He had 10 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown last week in a 39-0 victory over West L.A.

Manu Langi, a freshman from Valley College, was defensive player of the week. He made six solo tackles, including a sack, in a 20-0 victory over Glendale.

League leader: Former Westlake High standout Ryan Seidel was selected most valuable player of the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League, an amateur summer league.

Seidel, a senior at Southern California College, led the league with 48 hits and a .471 batting average for the Swift Current Indians. He also played all nine positions.

Things to Do

Tonight, 7, at North Campus Stadium: Cal State Northridge plays host to the University of San Diego in a nonconference men’s soccer match. Northridge (5-2), ranked ninth among Division I teams from the Far West, is fresh off a tournament victory in Las Vegas last weekend. San Diego (4-3) has advanced to the NCAA Division I title game twice in the past four years.

Saturday, 11 a.m., at the Cal Lutheran soccer field: First place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will be on the line when Cal Lutheran and Occidental square off in a women’s soccer match. Both teams are undefeated in conference play.

Saturday, 1 p.m., at the Glendale High football field: A football doubleheader, starting with Glendale College (1-1) playing host to Bakersfield (3-0), the second-ranked JC team in the nation. At 7:30 p.m. Loyola (3-0), the eighth-ranked high school team in the state, plays host to Antelope Valley (2-1). Antelope Valley posted consecutive shutouts before losing to third-ranked Bakersfield, 35-13, last week.

Monday, 3:30 p.m., at the Valley College pool: Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame, the top two high school water polo teams in the area’s only Division I league, open Mission League play.

The Registrar

Who: Youths ages 8 to 15. What: NFL Punt, Pass and Kick skills contest, qualifying rounds. When and where: Saturday, 9 a.m., Northridge Recreation Center; Saturday, 1 p.m., Lancaster City Park; Oct. 9, 3 p.m., Jackie Robinson Park in Littlerock; Oct. 15, 10 a.m., Hueneme Boys and Girls Club; Oct. 16, 10 a.m., Beck Park in Oxnard.

Rugby: Who: All interested players. What: The Eagle Rock Athletic Club, the oldest organization of its kind in Southern California, begins practice for the new season. When and where: 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Studio City Recreation Center. Practices are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Information: 818-784-2963.

Compiled by Mike Hiserman. Contributing: Dave Desmond, Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Paige A. Leech and John Ortega.