THE TIMES 1992 ALL-COUNTY SOFTBALL TEAM : Gonzalez Overcomes Off-Field Problems : Coach of the Year: Injuries and illness plagued Foothill, but he found a way to lead the Knights to the 4-A title.

SANTA ANA —  It was a somber and dejected Joe Gonzalez who left the Mayfair Park softball field in Lakewood last year after Foothill lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Irvine in the Southern Section 4-A championship game.

His mood was much more jovial last Saturday, even though he had been drenched with ice water by his players in a postgame celebration. Defeating Newhall Hart, 5-2, for the title that evaded his team last season did wonders for his disposition.

“What a thrill it was to be in that game two years in a row, and to have won it this year. It’s a great accomplishment for our girls,” said Gonzalez, The Times Orange County softball coach of the year.

Under Gonzalez, who has coached the Knights three seasons, Foothill won its first section softball championship. There was a time during the season, however, when Gonzalez wasn’t sure the Knights would hold together long enough to reach the playoffs.

After winning the Cypress tournament in early April with victories over Mater Dei, Pacifica and Cypress, the Knights took their 11-4 record to the Woodbridge tournament the next week. They lost three of five games there and Gonzalez became worried.

“After the Woodbridge tournament, I thought it would be difficult for us to get off the dime,” he said.

The team’s problems were caused by a lot more than fielding miscues and batting slumps. One player, All-Century League third baseman Melissa Wielandt, contracted mononucleosis and missed eight games.

Then right-handed pitcher Leeann Gonzalez, the coach’s daughter, pulled a thigh muscle and couldn’t pitch for several games. Catcher Kelley Green took a college recruiting trip, which left the team without one of its top players for a few games, and then chicken pox knocked out some of the players for a while.

“We had our fair share of problems this year,” Gonzalez said. “Toward the end of the league season, we finally pulled it all together.”

Foothill entered the 4-A playoffs seeded second. The Knights beat Fullerton, 1-0, in their first-round game; Diamond Bar, 2-0, in the second round; La Crescenta Crescenta Valley, 2-0, in the quarterfinals, and El Toro, 3-2, in the semifinals. They finished the season with a 26-7 record after the victory against Hart in the final.

Gonzalez said the El Toro game was more troublesome for the Knights than the title game.

“We were very, very nervous in that game,” he said. “It reminded us a lot of the way we played in the Irvine game the year before.”

On Saturday night, Gonzalez was finally able to put the memory of that game to rest, replacing it with one far more pleasant.

Name: LEEANN GONZALEZ School: Foothill Position: Pitcher

Gonzalez helped the Knights to the Century League title. She pitched 13 shutouts, including three in the playoffs, and beat Newhall Hart, 5-2, to win the Southern Section 4-A championship. The right-hander was the league’s most valuable player and is a two-time Times Orange County selection. 1992 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 207 24-5 215 19 0.44

Name: TERRI KOBATA School: Mater Dei Position: Pitcher

Kobata, a hard-throwing right-hander who’ll attend Notre Dame this fall, didn’t lose a game this season until Simi Valley beat the Monarchs, 2-0, in the Southern Section 5-A semifinals. One of her best efforts came in the quarterfinals, where she struck out 22 Pacifica batters in an 11-inning, 1-0 victory. 1992 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 89 11-1 167 13 0.24

Name: DANIELLE ORTEGA School: La Habra Position: Pitcher

Ortega dominated opposing batters this season. The right-hander pitched seven no-hitters, including three within 10 days, in leading the Highlanders to the Freeway League championship. Ortega won three Southern Section 4-A playoff games before losing to Newhall Hart, 1-0, in the semifinals. 1992 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 186 25-3 241 33 0.26

Name: JENNIFER SURFACE School: Pacifica Position: Pitcher

Surface was the catalyst behind the Mariners’ drive to the Garden Grove League title. Her most memorable performance this season was a complete-game, 26-inning, 1-0 victory over Cerritos in the first round of the Southern Section 5-A playoffs. Surface is The Times Orange County player of the year. 1992 pitching record

IP W-L SO BB ERA 208 1/3 20-5 279 20 0.07

Name: CHRISTY LUNCEFORD School: Trabuco Hills Position: Catcher

Lunceford makes the first team for the second time. She was second in the county in RBIs during the regular season with 36 and led all full-time catchers in hitting with a .440 average. She also was among the top base-stealers with 31. Lunceford made the All-Pacific Coast League team for the fourth year in a row. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 91 40 3 38 .440

Name: ALLEAH POULSON School: Irvine Position: First Baseman

Poulson picked up her hitting considerably from last season, when she batted .241. This year, the left-hander batted .424 and her glove remained as reliable as ever, making only two errors for a remarkable .987 fielding average. Poulson was voted to the All-South Coast League first team. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 66 28 0 6 .424

Name: NINA LINDENBERG School: Canyon Position: Infielder

Lindenberg, a smooth-fielding shortstop, equaled her batting average from 1991 by hitting .400 this season. She also posted a .955 fielding percentage. Lindenberg is one of two sophomores to make The Times Orange County first team this season. She was also an All-Century League first-team selection. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 90 36 2 9 .400

Name: SARA MALLETT School: La Habra Position: Infielder

Mallett led the Highlanders in home runs with three and RBIs with 29 during the regular season, and made only two errors at shortstop. Her leadership was part of the reason La Habra ran away with the Freeway League championship and advanced to the Southern Section 4-A semifinals. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 69 32 4 32 .464

Name: STACY THURBER School: Sunny Hills Position: Infielder

The speedy shortstop finished third in the county in batting with a .523 average, one of only seven local players to surpass the .500 plateau. She stole 39 bases to also rank among the county leaders in that category. Thurber made the Freeway League first team for the second consecutive season. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 88 46 0 0 .523

Name: LISA DACQUISTO School: Ocean View Position: Outfielder

Dacquisto, a left-handed hitting center fielder with exceptional speed, was the top batter in the county with a .552 average. The junior also led the county in stolen bases with 46 and in hits with 48. She also scored 19 runs. This is the second consecutive year for Dacquisto on The Times Orange County first team.

1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 87 48 0 11 .552

Name: ALISON JOHNSEN School: Woodbridge Position: Outfielder

Another one of those speedy leadoff batters and the only other sophomore on the all-county first team besides Lindenberg, Johnsen paced the Warriors in batting with a .493 average. She stole 35 bases during the regular season, despite missing 11 games early in the year because of a pulled hamstring. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 67 33 1 7 .493

Name: ROBYN YORKE School: Marina Position: Outfielder

Yorke finished second in the county in batting during the regular season with a .532 average. She led the Vikings in runs scored with 26 and in stolen bases with 17. Her hitting helped Marina claim second place in the Sunset League, where she was the MVP. Yorke was an all-county second-team selection last year. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 67 35 0 5 .522

Name: LEAH BRAATZ School: Estancia Position: Designated Hitter

Braatz, the Pacific Coast League MVP, compiled some impressive numbers this season. During the regular season, she batted .475, was third in the county in RBIs with 35 and first in home runs with seven, four more than her nearest competitor. The junior, who stole 21 bases, was walked intentionally six times. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 59 28 7 35 .475

Name: CHERYL DUNMEYER School: San Clemente Position: Utility

Dunmeyer was a reliable player for the Tritons all season, both with the bat and defensively. The senior was second on the team in batting with a .397 average and first in hits (25) and stolen bases (26). She also had a .952 fielding average. Dunmeyer is a two-time All-South Coast League selection. 1992 batting record

AB H HR RBI BA 63 25 0 19 .397

The Roster

FIRST TEAM

Player School Yr. Position Leeann Gonzalez Foothill Sr. Pitcher Terri Kobata Mater Dei Sr. Pitcher Danielle Ortega La Habra Jr. Pitcher Jennifer Surface Pacifica Sr. Pitcher Christy Lunceford Trabuco Hills Sr. Alleah Poulson Irvine Jr. First Baseman Nina Lindenberg Canyon So. Infielder Sara Mallett La Habra Sr. Infielder Stacy Thurber Sunny Hills Sr. Infielder Lisa Dacquisto Ocean View Jr. Outfielder Alison Johnsen Woodbridge So. Outfielder Robyn Yorke Marina Jr. Outfielder Leah Braatz Estancia Jr. D. Hitter Cheryl Dunmeyer San Clemente Sr. Utility

Player Comment Leeann Gonzalez Won Southern Section 4-A title game. Terri Kobata Lost only one of 12 decisions. Danielle Ortega Pitched seven no-hitters. Jennifer Surface Helped Mariners to league title. Christy Lunceford Outstanding run producer. Alleah Poulson Good glove and steady bat. Nina Lindenberg One of best shortstops in county. Sara Mallett Had a .758 slugging average. Stacy Thurber Third leading hitter in county. Lisa Dacquisto Stole a county-high 46 bases. Alison Johnsen Among area’s fastest players. Robyn Yorke Scored a team-high 26 runs. Leah Braatz Led county in home runs with seven. Cheryl Dunmeyer Headed for Georgia State.

SECOND TEAM

Player School Yr. Position Monica Jimenez Cypress Jr. Pitcher Misty Lauby El Toro So. Pitcher Michele Ponce University Sr. Pitcher Alison Ward Woodbridge Sr. Pitcher Kelley Green Foothill Sr. Catcher Marie O’Beck Mater Dei Jr. First Baseman Debbie Nasitka Woodbridge Jr. Infielder Cathy Turner La Habra Sr. Infielder Melissa Wielandt Foothill Sr. Infielder Lana Jimenez Kennedy Jr. Outfielder Danelle Lovetro Fountain Valley Jr. Outfielder Alycia Stevens Laguna Hills So. Outfielder Kim Kallemeyn Westminster Jr. D. Hitter Beth Queypo Western Sr. Utility

Player Comment Monica Jimenez Had five shutouts in playoffs. Misty Lauby Helped Chargers to 4-A semifinals. Michele Ponce Left-hander won 17 games. Alison Ward Finished with a 19-2 record. Kelley Green Led Knights with 22 RBIs. Marie O’Beck Batted .320, fielded .993. Debbie Nasitka Among county leaders in hits with 37. Cathy Turner Batted .500 during regular season. Melissa Wielandt Excellent all-around player. Lana Jimenez Speedy center fielder batted .379. Danelle Lovetro Her team’s top hitter at .437. Alycia Stevens Connected for 40 hits. Kim Kallemeyn Led Lions in batting at .466. Beth Queypo Was Orange League MVP.