First round game no problem for Vikings

Mike Sciacca, Independent

Marina High girls softball coach Shelly Luth says that the first

round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs is a tricky thing.

For starters, her team knew nothing about its opponent, La Mirada.

Secondly, Luth said, as a coach, you can only hope that your best team

shows up in what is a do-or-die situation.

From there, both teams get a feel for one another, until one of them

takes control.

Well, Marina put Luth’s fears to rest early as the Vikings took command

from the start in scoring a 2-0 home victory in Division II play Friday.

The Vikings (23-6) rode the pitching of Steffany Stenglein, excellent

play on defense, and made contact at the plate to advance to a second

round game Tuesday against Mira Costa at a site to be determined today.

“The key to us winning is that if Steffany knows her defense can play

well and her offense will provide some runs, then we’re a tough team to

beat,” Luth said. “We did a lot of things right today, and I really

thought we played excellent on defense.”

Stenglein was effective throughout the game and only relinquished a two

out walk in the third inning before the Matadors broke up her no-hit

effort in the fifth.

Second baseman Nelsy Zaragoza did her best to keep the no-hitter in tact

when she went high to snag a high line drive by La Mirada leadoff hitter

Maria Kelly for the first out of the inning. But, La Mirada pitcher

Raelynn Baioa broke up the no-hitter in the very next at-bat with a

single to center field.

The Matadors (14-9) got their other two hits in the seventh sixth inning

when Laurie Pando and Kelly came up with consecutive singles to put

runners at first and second with one out. But Stenglein got Baioa to pop

out to catcher Veronica Torres, and Monica Felix to pop up to shortstop

Heather Saltarelli to end the game.

“I think that our team is playing with a lot of maturity,” Luth said.

“Early on in the season, we’d sometimes panic if there was a runner or

two on base, and we’d have trouble closing a game. I was a little leery

there in the seventh, but the girls buckled down and came through.”

Stenglein got the first and only run she would need in the first inning

when Carrie Hagen opened the bottom of the inning with a bunt single and

scored one out later when Saltarelli sent a hard grounder back to the

mound and the ball ricocheted off Baioa’s glove and danced to shallow

center field.

The Vikings scored an insurance run in the fourth inning when Christina

Klinzing singled and scored on an infield error by the Matadors.

In all, Marina mustered five hits and two walks off Baioa, a senior right

hander who finished the season 10-3. Salterelli had three of the hits,

adding a lead-off single in the fourth inning and a double in the fifth

to go along with her RBI single in the first inning.

Stenglein, who pitched despite losing the nail on the index finger of her

throwing hand during the week, gave up two walks and two hits in

improving to 18-2.

“From her on out in the playoffs, it’s all about pitching,” Luth added.

“You had better come with your A game, or you’ll be eliminated. I hope we

can have a few more games like the one we had today.”