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Crescenta Valley Throws It Away

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

In a tight pitching duel, it figured to boil down to a mistake.

Unfortunately for Crescenta Valley High, the Falcons stumbled first.

Kristi DeVries of Corona scored on a throwing error with two out in the seventh inning for a 1-0 victory over Crescenta Valley on Tuesday in a Southern Section Division II softball semifinal at Glendale Sports Complex.

DeVries (29-2), a senior who has signed with Ohio State, struck out the last two Crescenta Valley batters in a one-two-three bottom of the seventh.

She pitched a one-hitter, faced one batter more than the minimum of 21 and finished with 14 strikeouts.

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DeVries, who entered the game with a 0.07 earned-run average, has allowed two earned runs in 228 innings.

“She’s an awesome pitcher,” pitcher Meredith Cervenka of Crescenta Valley said. “I played against her in travel ball and I knew she was a great pitcher. We just couldn’t hit her.”

The second-seeded Falcons (29-2) got their only baserunner when Mel McCauley blooped a single to left field with one out in the second.

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But it was scoreless through six innings and Coach Jo Ann Byrd of Corona said her team was prepared for an extra-inning game.

“I seriously thought it would go 16 or 17 innings because both pitchers were on their game,” Byrd said.

That was until Corona (29-3) put runners on first and second against Cervenka with two out in the seventh and designated hitter Tara Varela singled to right.

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Right-fielder Ally Webber of the Falcons tried to throw out Varela at first but the ball sailed away and DeVries scored.

It made for a disappointing ending to Crescenta Valley’s best season since it won the 3-A Division title in 1986.

Cervenka allowed a run for the first time in the playoffs and the Falcons had a 19-game winning streak snapped.

Coach Dan Berry of Crescenta Valley attempted to accent the positive.

“Our kids played a good game,” he said. “To end the year 29-2 says something about the program.”

But it was difficult to console Cervenka (28-2), who saw her junior season end despite allowing only one earned run this season.

“They were hitting off me the whole game and I know I didn’t pitch my best,” she said.

Corona, which has suffered all three of its losses to Cerritos, earned a rematch with the top-seeded Dons in the championship game Friday at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

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