Erik Boal
Entering the fourth annual San Fernando Valley Victory Spring
Classic, the Crescenta Valley High softball team owned the
distinction of being the only team in tournament history to have
qualified for the Gold Bracket the previous three seasons.
And even though the Falcons -- the all-time winningest squad in
tournament history -- were facing the second-most successful team in
Westlake on Saturday, they weren't going to let a shot at a fourth
straight trip to the final four go down without a fight.
Thanks to a pair of clutch two-out hits by Heather Grossnickle and
Emily Hanson in the bottom of the seventh, CV rallied to force extra
innings in its Pool B contest, but a bizarre play in the eighth wound
up lifting the Warriors to a 3-2 victory at the Hjelte Sports
Complex.
*--*
BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Cres. Valley 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 -- 2 9 5
Westlake 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 -- 3 2 1
*--*
*--*
Cres. Valley IP H R ER BB K
Strangis 7.1 2 3 1 3 3
*--*
*--*
Westlake IP H R ER BB K
Amini 2.1 3 1 1 5 1
Rehm 5.2 6 1 1 0 3
Totals 8 9 2 2 5 4
*--*
*--*
WP-- Rehm (6-3).
LP-- Strangis (12-3).
2B: CV-Burke.
SB: CV-Feterl, Sardo; W-Amini 2, Gonzales.
*--*
With Westlake beginning the inning with a runner on third, Falcon
Coach Dan Berry elected to intentionally walk the bases loaded to set
up a force play. But with one out, Megan Shie hit a ground ball to
shortstop Heather Burke, who tried to cut down Taylor Minas at the
plate.
Unfortunately for CV, Burke's throw caromed off the back of
Minas' helmet and rolled up the first-base line, allowing the runner
to score, thus bringing an end to CV's six-game tournament winning
streak.
"We got everything we wanted out of loading the bases, but what do
you do?" said Berry, whose squad suffered just its second loss in 14
tournament games, the other coming in a 2-1 setback against La
Canada in the 2002 Gold Bracket semifinals.
"When you're in a [tiebreaker] situation like this, the visiting
team is at a distinct disadvantage.
"But we look at this as a learning experience. I think this game
showed a lot about the character of our team."
CV's character was never in question Saturday, especially after
rallying from a 2-1 deficit to tie it in the seventh, as Burke -- who
reached base in all four plate appearances -- delivered a one-out
double, advanced to third on Grossnickle's single to left, and scored
on Hanson's single to right.
But unfortunately for Berry, the Falcons' inability to
consistently deliver the timely hit was, as they stranded 14 runners
