SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Sunny Hills Upsets El Toro to Advance

Sunny Hills’ season has read like the line on a seismograph--down and up and down.

Now, up again.

Sporting the worst record in the Southern Section Division II softball playoffs, the visiting Lancers struck a blow for the lowly Wednesday, jolting El Toro, 2-1.

The wild-card victory gave Sunny Hills (9-11) a spot in the first round against third-seeded Rosary (20-6), another team the Lancers are supposed to lose to. El Toro, the third-place team from the Sea View League, finished 17-14.

Although El Toro lost three of its last four games, falling from first place to oblivion, the Chargers had more victories than 17 of the 36 playoff teams. Coach Jim Daugherty didn’t think his team should have had to play a wild-card game.

“I tried to approach it philosophically,” he said. “I’d rather play a game than wait around until Friday to play Rosary. But if we couldn’t beat Sunny Hills, we didn’t deserve to make it. I don’t mean it as a slam, but they had an 8-11 record. If you can’t beat a third-place team . . .”

If you can’t beat a third-place team, you can’t play anymore. Sunny Hills is just happy to still be playing after a season in which Coach Kathy Bevill said, “It’s always something.” The Lancers lost their captain because she was academically ineligible, always seemed to have someone out of position because of illness, and their pitcher was in an automobile accident that left her winless in her last three starts.

But Jennifer Deane (8-10) was in total control against the Chargers. She allowed only two hits, both by Jennifer Hamer, walked one and struck out seven.

“We didn’t really have anything to lose,” Deane said. “No one expected us to win, so we could relax and not worry about anything. Today was as good as we’ve played all year.”

Catcher Megumi Takasaki admitted, “I think we’ve been a disappointment to ourselves.”

Sunny Hills was 1-7 to open the season, won its first six games in the Freeway League and then lost three of its last four. It fell from first place into a tie for second, then lost a coin flip to La Habra to set up the wild-card game with El Toro. Now, the uplifting upset.

“By winning today, we salvaged some pride, some self-esteem,” Bevill said. “They were emotionally ready to win for themselves. I heard them before the game telling each other, ‘Let’s win it for us. ‘ “

It was the bottom of the lineup that really came through. Sunny Hills got eight hits, and six of them were timely--and five came from the No. 6, 7, 8, 9 spots in the lineup. Consecutive two-out singles in the second inning by Stephanie Newhouse, Jody Brooks, Amanda Orr and Annie Sharp gave the Lancers a 1-0 lead. They added to it in the sixth--again with two outs. Takasaki stole second, Deane’s line drive into left field put her at third, and then Newhouse scored her with a line drive past the shortstop.

El Toro mounted its most serious rally in the bottom of the seventh. Hamer’s RBI single--El Toro’s only clean hit--scored Alicia Groshon. After stealing second, Hamer was stranded when Rachel Wennekamp grounded to second.

In another Division II wild-card game:

Westminster 2, Long Beach Wilson 1--Brenda Quinn tripled and Kelly Hauxhurst homered for Westminster (14-8), which plays Woodbridge Friday at Alton Park. Quinn (10-4) pitched a four-hitter, striking out six.

In a Division V wild-card game:

Calvary Chapel 3, Whitney 0--Calvary Chapel (13-14) will visit Sunshine League champion L.A. Notre Dame Academy on Friday.

In a Division VI wild-card game:

Southern California Christian 18, Los Angeles Le Lycee 0--Anne Cunningham had three hits, three RBIs and scored three runs for Southern California Christian (10-9). Melanie Hovsepian pitched a three-hitter and struck out eight. SCC plays at Avalon Friday.