Vanguard captures region

The top-seeded Vanguard University women’s tennis team jumped to a

3-0 lead after doubles play and exacted revenge on Point Loma with a

5-0 victory, claiming its first NAIA Region II championship Friday.

Alena Votavova and freshman partner Olivia Amstad fell behind,

3-4, but rallied for an 8-5 victory to highlight doubles play for the

Lions (23-3), who reached their third straight NAIA national

tournament.

Hlushchanka and sophomore partner Amy Brown trailed, 6-5, in their

doubles match, but roared back to claim an 8-6 triumph over Ashley

Strimple and Anita Sieczka.

Four singles matches didn’t need to finish as Olga Hlushchanka and

Votavova each swept. Votavova’s 6-1, 6-3 victory against Strimple, an

All-Region player, clinched the match.

Point Loma, which prevented the Lions from a regional title a year

ago, fell to 16-7.

The NAIA national tournament begins May 16 in Mobile, Ala.

Parker powers Sailors

* BASEBALL: Tyler Parker slammed a three-run home run in the

second and tossed a complete game on the mound to boost Newport

Harbor High to an 11-3 Sea View League baseball victory over visiting

Laguna Hills Friday.

The Sailors (8-15, 3-10 in league) scored four times in the second

and seven runs in the third.

Parker scattered three hits while striking out four and walking

three.

Taylor Young scored twice, added two RBIs and finished 1 for 3

while Patrick Keehan went 2 for 3 with a run and two RBIs for the

hosts, who snapped a six-game losing streak.

Sea View League

Newport Harbor 11,

Laguna Hills 3

Score by Innings

*--*

Laguna 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 3 3 1

Newport 0 4 7 0 0 0 x - 11 10 1

*--*

St. Pierre, R. Kerr (2), Cram (3), Grady (4), Chain (6) and

Schroeder; Parker and Sanchez. W -- Parker. L -- R. Kerr (2). 2B --

Sanchez (N), Thompson (N), Pellerin (L). HR -- Parker (N).

Mesa, Morton triumph

* BASEBALL: Senior pitcher Zack Morton settled down after a rocky

first inning to help host Costa Mesa High earn a 15-3 nonleague win

over Bolsa Grande Friday.

Morton gave up five hits and three runs in the first, then

surrendered just four hits in six shutout innings to earn his first

varsity pitching win.

Andrew Sanford (3 for 5 with one RBI), Alex Pisarski (2 or 4 with

four RBIs) and Kyle Benson (2 for 3 with one RBI) were hitting stars

for the Mustangs (9-13-1).

Lions denied title

* TENNIS: Top-seeded Azusa Pacific notched its sixth straight NAIA

Men’s Region II tennis championship with a 5-3 win over fifth-ranked

Vanguard Friday at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

Dieter Weislmaier and Andreas Reckziegel each tallied two-set

singles victories to even the match, 3-3, but the Cougars (23-3)

responded with two wins -- each went three sets -- to secure the

title and an automatic berth into the NAIA men’s national tournament.

Cyril Conty and Calle Holmgren tallied Vanguard’s lone doubles

win, an 8-5 victory over David Goodman and Gordon Hang.

The Lions (15-5) should gain an at-large berth into the national

tournament, which begins May 16 in Mobile, Ala.

UCI falls at UOP

* BASEBALL: Host University of the Pacific scored four in the

eighth inning to erase a 5-2 deficit and earn a 6-5 Big West

Conference baseball victory over UC Irvine Friday.

The Tigers (21-26, 6-10 in conference) benefited from four

unearned runs to drop UCI to 24-19, 6-7.

Danny Miramontes was 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead UCI’s 11-hit

attack.

UOP managed just six hits, including only four off starter Chris

Nicoll, who struck out nine in seven innings.

UCI reliever Steve Schroer took the loss.

Estancia holds on

* SOFTBALL: Hilary Ockey struck out a Saddleback hitter with

runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the seventh

inning to help the host Estancia High softball team preserve a 5-4

Golden West League victory over Saddleback Friday.

Ockey’s third save preserved the win for starter Muriel Mason, who

improved to 7-5 this season after striking out four, allowing four

runs -- two unearned -- and walking one in six innings.

Estancia (10-10, 3-7 in league) scored three runs in the third to

take a 5-3 lead. Allison Wyman (double) and Keile Brown (single) each

tallied RBI hits while Chantel O’Toole walked with the bases loaded

in her first varsity game.

Golden West League

Estancia 5,

Saddleback 4

Score by Innings

*--*

Sadd 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 - 4 11 0

Est 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 - 5 12 4

*--*

M. Padilla and A. Padilla; Mason, Ockey (7) and Ockey and K.

Brown (7). W -- Mason, 7-5. L -- A. Padilla. Sv -- Ockey (3). 2B --

A. Padilla (S), Wyman (E).

‘Eaters gain ground

* GOLF: The UC Irvine women’s golf team shot the second-lowest

round of the day and moved into 11th place at the NCAA championships

Friday at the New Mexico State golf course.

The Anteaters shot 300, bettered only by UCLA’s 18-hole total of 299. UCI has a two-day total of 608, heading into today’s final

round, trailing first-place USC by 13 shots.

The top eight teams advance to the NCAA finals May 17-20.

Junior Carling Cho leads the Anteaters with a 7-over 151 (75-76)

and is 24th overall. Freshman Jane Chin (78-74) and junior Angela Won

(76-76) are tied for 32nd.

Freshman Selanee Henderson shot a 74 Friday and is 39th with a

score of 153. Freshman Kim Lorenzana (161) is 91st.

Hembarsky leads Sage

* SOFTBALL: Rebecca Hembarsky went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a

home run and allowed one earned run in five innings to lead the Sage

Hill School softball team to a 13-2 victory over visiting Brethren

Christian Friday in an Academy League showdown.

Hembarsky allowed two hits and struck out two to earn her ninth

victory on the mound for the Lightning (9-8, 5-3).

Sage Hill plays at St. Margaret’s Tuesday at 3:15 p.m.

Academy League

Sage Hill 13,

Brethren Christian 2

Score by Innings

*--*

BC 0 2 0 0 0 - 2 2 4

Sage 2 1 0 6 4 - 13 15 2

*--*

Chester and Peebles; Hembarsky and Torina. W - Hembarsky, 9-8. L -

Chester, 5-7. 2B - Puishys (SH), Gutierrez (SH), Torina (SH). HR --

Hembarsky (SH).

Sea Kings quieted

* BASEBALL: Visiting Northwood High scored four unearned runs in

the first inning and dashed Corona del Mar’s hopes of repeating as

Pacific Coast League champions with a 5-1 victory Friday.

The Sea Kings (16-7, 9-4 in league) had the bases loaded with two

outs in the seventh, but a long flyout ended the contest. Tesoro

(12-1 in league) claimed the league title by virtue of CdM’s loss.

Senior Wess Presson’s double brought in Jake Lemmerman for CdM’s

lone run in the third. Lemmerman, Presson and R.J. Duernberger each

tallied two hits.

Ben Maggard scattered three hits in five innings while allowing

four runs -- all unearned -- with three strikeouts.

Northwood improved to 13-11, 7-6.

Pacific Coast League

Northwood 5,

Corona del Mar 1

Score by Innings

*--*

N’wood 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 5 6 0 CdM 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 3

*--*

(visiting battery) Likens, Laymon (7) and Watanbe; (home battery)

Maggard, Hauser (6) and Presson. W -- Likens, 4-3. L -- Maggard, 5-3.

2B -- Presson (CdM), Adair (NW), McDonald (NW).

Sailors shut out again

* SOFTBALL: Chelsea Costa singled in Rebecca Wood in the top of

the seventh inning and visiting Irvine High held on to snap a 14-game

losing streak with a 1-0 Sea View League softball victory over

Newport Harbor Friday.

Senior Ashley Gleason struck out 11 and walked only one in going

the distance, but fell to 7-8 for Newport (13-10-1, 2-6 in league),

shutout for the fifth straight game.

Casey Lucas (double) and Jane Messersmith (single) tallied

Newport’s two hits against starter Regina Loxsom, who struck out

three and walked one for Irvine (3-16, 1-7).

*--*

*--*