CdM’s title hopes fade

Chris Yemma

The Corona del Mar High softball team’s final push for a Pacific

Coast League championship hit a tree Thursday, just one of the many

planted among the orchards surrounding Northwood.

Timberwolves’ pitcher Katrina Gaudier tossed seven scoreless

innings and gave up only one hit to lead Northwood past visiting

Corona del Mar, 2-0, in a showdown that bumped the Sea Kings out of

contention for the league crown.

Northwood (12-10, 6-1 in league) will battle Tesoro (6-0 in

league) for the league title, but CdM (13-9, 4-3) is just about a

lock for the third and final CIF Southern Section Division IV playoff

spot.

And considering the history of the CdM softball program, a second

straight CIF qualification is an extreme improvement. In her first

year with the program last season, coach Nichole Thompson led the Sea

Kings to their first postseason victory ever -- a wild-card victory

over Mary Star of the Sea.

But Thompson, a former two-time All-Pac 10 selection at Arizona

State, was shooting for more than mere qualification this season.

Thursday’s loss was tough to swallow for the former Sun Devil.

“This was very tough,” said Thompson, who also led Woodbridge to

consecutive Division II titles in 1997 and ’98. “It wasn’t a very

good game at all, as far as our team is concerned.”

Sophomore pitcher Michelle Tolfa accounted for the Sea Kings’ lone

hit, a single in the fourth inning. She allowed one earned run from

the circle and scattered seven hits in going the distance, while also

gunning Northwood for two strikeouts.

But the Timberwolves capitalized on a fielding error in the fifth

inning, allowing Sarah Bosshart to reach first leading off. Bosshart

stole second and then third and eventually scored on a sacrifice sky

ball from Kristin Sullivan. The throw to home sailed over catcher

Katie Schulte’s head.

Northwood tacked on one more run in the sixth inning with a single

down the left-field line from Jaclyn Thornley, plating Erin Ota from

third. Ota, who finished 2 for 3 with a double and triple, plopped

her triple in center field to lead off the inning.

Holly Van Hiel drew a walk in the first at-bat of the seventh to

spark a rally opportunity, but a groundout and two strikeouts ensued,

and CdM found itself staring in on the title race from the outside.

“We didn’t come out [Thursday] ready to play,” Thompson said. “We

could have easily come out here and beat this team, but we didn’t.”

Tolfa, who leads the league in batting average (.500) and home

runs (6), also considered it an off day.

“We definitely didn’t hit as good as we should have,” said Tolfa,

who was third in the league entering Thursday’s contest with a 1.047

ERA behind Gaudier (.937) and Tesoro’s Nicole Aaronson (.492).

“And my pitches weren’t working that well so I gave up a lot of

hits.”

Northwood completed the season sweep of CdM Thursday, with the

previous victory coming April 19 in a 2-1 decision. The Sea Kings

combined for seven errors in the two meetings while Northwood

committed none.

“[CdM] is a solid program,” Timberwolves’ Coach Jim Knapp said.

Pacific Coast League

Northwood 2,

Corona del Mar 0

Score by Innings

*--*

CdM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 3

N’wood 0 0 0 0 1 1 x - 2 7 0 *--*

Tolfa and Schulte; Gaudier and Bosshart. W -- Gaudier, 12-8. L --

Tolfa, 13-8. 2B -- Ota (N). 3B -- Ota (N).