PREP SOFTBALL : Irvine Beats Woodbridge, Discovers a League It Can Own

One small slip in semantics, one giant statement for Irvine.

That is what Lisa Baker made after her team’s 1-0 Sea View League victory over Woodbridge Tuesday at Heritage Park.

“Nothing pleasures us more than to beat Woodbridge,” Baker said.

Upon questioning, she explained--and slipped: “(Woodbridge) is a rival every year, and now that they’re in our league, it’s a little more competitive.”

Actually, former South Coast League entry Irvine is the newcomer to the Sea View League, but Baker is right--now it’s theirs.

The third-ranked Vaqueros (8-2, 2-0 in league) scored a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, then held on in the seventh after they opened the inning with two errors.

Woodbridge (7-4, 1-1), the defending Sea View and Southern Section 3-A champion, was unable to score against Irvine’s Rebecca Smith (7-2), who finished with a three-hitter and retired 13 in a row before the seventh inning. The Warriors watched their own pitcher, freshman Corey Washington (6-3), walk the only batter who scored, No. 9 hitter Jill Sanford.

Smith and Alleah Poulson followed with singles, and then Monika Hollstein’s poorly hit ball--a high bouncer over the mound--scored Sanford. Hollstein (two for three), Poulson and Smith each had two of Irvine’s nine hits.

In other Sea View League games:

Newport Harbor 1, Santa Margarita 0--Bonnie Kirkpatrick scored on an error in the fifth inning for Newport Harbor. Jennie Colclasure (8-2) pitched a two-hitter for Newport Harbor (8-2, 2-0).

In the Sunset League:

Ocean View 1, Huntington Beach 0 (9 innings)--Kathy Ponce (6-0) pitched a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts for visiting Ocean View (10-3, 2-0). Rocky Willson had a sacrifice fly in the ninth for Ocean View.

Fountain Valley 16, Edison 0 (5 innings, mercy rule)--Danny Rodriguez and Debrah Harrelson combined on a no-hitter for Fountain Valley (9-3, 2-0). Rodriguez pitched the first three innings and Harrelson pitched the last two.

In the Olympic League:

Brethren Christian 2, Whittier Christian 0--Brooke Hofstetter pitched her third no-hitter of the season for Brethren Christian (5-6, 2-1). Hofstetter, who has pitched two consecutive no-hitters, struck out nine. Whittier Christian fell to 1-7 and 1-1.

In nonleague softball:

Orange 1, Katella 0--Cheryl Anderson singled in the game’ only run in the fifth for Orange (7-2). Lindsay Huebner pitched a two-hit shutout.

Loara 1, Laguna Hills 0--Laura Blain scored the winning run on a bunt single by Kathy Shirley for Loara (11-1).