Saugus’ Gillies Turns Back La Habra

Saugus pitcher Jamie Gillies, banged around for four hits in the first three innings but unscathed because La Habra couldn’t deliver in the clutch, beat La Habra with her bat on Tuesday.

Her triple to lead off the fifth inning preceded Shannon McRoy’s single up the middle as third-seeded Saugus turned back La Habra, 1-0, in the second round of the Southern Section Division II softball playoffs.

“Frankly, they scared the heck out of me,” Saugus Coach Ron Hilton said. “Everyone told me they could hit. We were lucky.”

Saugus (24-4), which went down 1-2-3 in five of seven innings, plays Long Beach Millikan in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Losing pitcher Cristy Turner (10-6) retired the first nine and 12 of 13 before Gillies’ liner down the left field line.

“I thought it was going to go foul,” Gillies said. “It looked like she was going to catch it.”

But freshman left fielder Jennifer Smallwood knew better.

“I thought it was going to be fair all the way,” she said. “I missed it by about three inches. We had the outfield covered--that was about the only place she could hit it.”

Saugus’ luck was La Habra’s misfortune. Gillies, batting fifth, was hitting about .250. Turner made the pitch she wanted (inside fastball) and La Habra Coach Sue Briquelet’s scouting report said “she never turns on the ball.”

But she did. La Habra is 21-8.

Gillies (21-3) also got some breaks in the circle. La Habra’s Jenny Topping hit a two-out double in the first inning, but Shelly Salas was held at third on the ball to the alley and didn’t score. With one out and a runner at second in the bottom of the fifth inning, Salas’ line drive was speared by Gillies, preventing the tying run.