Marina Is Good Enough to Defeat Kennedy, 2-1

Marcy Crouch’s classmates kept asking her, “Who do you play next, who do you play next?” They were looking ahead to the Southern Section Division I semifinals.

“We’re playing Kennedy today, “ Crouch told them, emphasizing that the quarterfinals come before the semifinals.

Good thing Crouch doesn’t take things for granted. On a day Marina was fallible, the fourth-seeded Vikings were still able to defeat visiting Kennedy, 2-1, Thursday.

Top-seeded Foothill and second-seeded Pacifica both lost Thursday, and Marina might have done the same, committing four errors. But Crouch’s timely strikeouts helped overcome the misplays.

Offensively, Marina’s two-run second inning on three hits, two sacrifices and one error was plenty as Crouch lowered her county-best earned-run average to 0.11 with a three-hitter.

The Vikings (22-5) will play Westlake Village Westlake (24-6), a 3-2 winner over Foothill. Kennedy, which had won 18 of its last 20 games, finished 20-9.

“It’s hard to get upset when the people who made the errors are the people who’ve been winning games for you,” Kennedy Coach Sue Hall said.

Heather Williams (three hits) and Faith Fuata opened the second inning with singles and advanced on a sacrifice. Angela Burke slapped the ball to the right, where first baseman Erryn Gutjahr fielded it, looked to make a play on Burke, then tried to make a play on Williams at home. Gutjahr was too late, and her throw was wild. Kelly Flowers’ RBI single made it 2-0.

Williams had a big day behind the plate; she picked off the lead runner in the third, and made several good plays on bunts.