Softball

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — A quick glance at the boxscore and a casual observer might infer that one big inning did in Crescenta Valley Western on Wednesday night. While a seven-run sixth inning by the visiting Burbank Diamonds was game-deciding, it was a miscue in the fourth inning which put Western in a deficit it would not overcome as it fell, 9-2, in the championship game of the District 16 Junior Softball Tri-Cities Tournament of Champions at Scholl Canyon. "In softball, you can't make any mistakes, especially against a good team like Burbank," Western assistant coach Mike Meyer said.

In the aftermath of a memorable season, which culminated in one of the bigger upsets in NCAA softball history, Kirsten Whitt is now in scenic Amsterdam. Fresh off earning a bachelor's degree in natural science from Loyola Marymount University and helping the school's upstart softball program advance to the championship game of the Los Angeles Regional, Whitt's now in Europe attempting to compete for a spot on the Olympic stage. It's been a whirlwind month for Whitt, the former Crescenta Valley High star who helped the Falcons win four Pacific League championships from 2000-2003.

Much like many of the CIF Southern Section-record 18 home runs she belted, there was no doubt Baillie Kirker was the area’s best softball player this past season. Her often-overlooked defense was impeccable, her offense was powerful, clutch and record-breaking and the Crescenta Valley High squad she led was one of the best softball teams the area’s seen in years, perhaps ever. So, it was without hesitation that the greatest slugger the area has ever seen was unanimously voted by the sports editors and writers of the Crescenta Valley Sun, Burbank Leader and Glendale News-Press as the 2008 All-Area Softball Player of the Year.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan The Crescenta Valley High softball team finally has a field that it can call its own. On Saturday, the Falcons held a field dedication ceremony in front of supporters, alumni, administrators, past and present coaches and their current players. The festivities concluded with the CV junior varsity and varsity teams squaring off in an exhibition game. "It's an honor to be here and be a part of this," said Falcon Coach Dan Berry, whose squads used to play its home games at Two Strike Park in La Crescenta from 1983-87, before moving to Montrose Park from 1988-2002.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan LANCASTER -- The Foothill-Tujunga majors softball all-stars might have lost the battle, but it definitely didn't lose the war. After losing to Temple City Wednesday night to force a Little League Section 1 Tournament final game on Thursday, the District 16 champs responded with fire and defeated the District 18 title holders, 21-3, at Parkview Little League in Lancaster. The game was called after four innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Defeating West Hills, 5-2, last Sunday, the Crescenta Sports Association 14 and Under Softball Team won its second tournament championship of the season. The CSA team broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the score tied, 2-2, three straight singles were hit by Brigitte Marlatijalian, Amber Insalaco and Sofie Munoz. Samantha Yzaguirre then came to the plate and stroked a triple to drive in three runs and give the title to the CSA team. CSA pitcher Megan Martin kept the opposing bats in line and got good defensive play from Breanna Klein, Natalie Honda and Mahaeli Portilla.

The CV girls' varsity softball team defeated host Arcadia, 4-1, on May 12 to capture its eighth Pacific League Championship in a row. Heading into the CIF playoffs this week, the Falcons improved to 19-7 overall and finished 9-1 in league CV will host Culver City today (Friday) at 3:15 p.m. in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. The contest was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when the Falcons scored two runs to move into a 2-0 lead.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan At least for the moment, Ciri Bryan is not playing for the La Canada High School softball team, Spartan Coach Brock Turner said. Turner offered no other details on the circumstances surrounding Bryan's departure from the team, and declined to say whether she'll play again this season. "All I can say is she currently is not playing," Turner said of his two-sport star and 2003 News-Press All-Area first-team selection. "That's all I can say. I wish I could say more, but it's not in my control."

LA CRESCENTA - In Tuesday afternoon's CIF Southern Section Division III softball wild-card outing, Crescenta Valley High came out swinging and so too did Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Problem for the host Falcons was, the Knights were sending line drives into the outfield, while the Falcons countered by swinging at bad balls out of the zone. It amounted to a four-run deficit for CV after an inning that ultimately set the tone throughout the Falcons' season-ending 9-4 loss to Notre Dame.

CYPRESS - As bitter as the ending was, the Glendale Community College softball team couldn't help but see its season as sweet. This year marked the first time the Vaqueros had ever reached the California Community College Athletic Assn.'s Southern California Super Regionals and Glendale nearly took it a step farther, as it came nine outs short from advancing to the Super Regional championship round before it was eliminated by Mt. San Antonio College,...

CYPRESS - A flawlessly placed bunt down the third-base line from Glendale Community College sophomore Nancy Pinedo broke up what was a perfect afternoon for the Cypress College softball team. The single ended the perfect-game bid of Chargers pitcher Stephanie Luhmann and proved one of only a few highlights for the visiting Vaqueros, who struggled in Friday afternoon's California Community College Athletic Assn. Southern Super Regional at the hands of the two-time defending state champs via 7-1 defeat.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE - A ground ball to the right side of the infield or a fly to the outfield, either way, Meghan Spencer was sprinting for home. Those were the instructions given to the Glendale High softball player by Nitros Coach Chris Paknik. All Glendale's Janette Avina had to do was make contact. Avina lifted a flyball to shallow center field and to Hoover's surprise, Spencer went for home, testing the arm of Tornado Kenya Buckley. Spencer beat the throw, sidestepping the Hoover catcher and touching home plate to give Glendale a 4-3 Pacific League victory in the season finale for both teams on Thursday at Glendale.

ARCADIA - After a disastrous shutout loss to Glendale High a week earlier, Crescenta Valley High's softball was looking to gain some positive momentum heading into next week's CIF postseason. It found it in the form of a 13-2 five-inning rout of archrival Arcadia on the road Thursday in both teams' Pacific League finale. "We wanted to get this game over and get into CIF," said senior catcher Allison Lacey, who went two for two with a pair of runs batted in and two more runs scored.

Currently enjoying a run to the Southern California Super Regionals, the Glendale Community College softball team earned its postseason berth with an outstanding campaign in the Western State Conference. The Vaqueros (27-13) locked up their first playoff appearance since 2002 by going 12-6 in the conference's Blue Division to finish second behind College of the Canyons. As a result, the team garnered a considerable share of conference accolades, as voted on by the conference's coaches, led by a trio of first-team selections for pitcher Brandy Morin, first baseman Kitty Nguyen and outfielder Nancy Pinedo.

VENTURA - A melange of errors joined by timely hitting and solid pitching proved enough to propel the Glendale Community College softball team in the first game of Saturday afternoon's California Community College Athletic Assn. Southern California Regional at Ventura College. The visiting 10th-seeded Vaqueros took advantage of five errors from the No. 7 Pirates in scoring a 6-2 victory to go up, 1-0, in the best-of-three-game series. The second game of the series is set for this morning at 11 at Oxnard College, with an if-necessary deciding third game starting half an hour later.

LA CRESCENTA - All smiles and walking to the team bus, Glendale High softball player Esmeralda Winland looked at teammates Meghan Spencer and Janette Avina and rhetorically asked, "Did we just beat CV?" They absolutely did. For the first time since March 31, 2005, Glendale defeated Crescenta Valley, handily upending their Pacific League rival, 6-0, on Friday at CV. "I feel like I could conquer the world," Winland told her teammates. Her teammates, one with her armed taped with ice and the other still in disbelief, were the leaders of a team that stunned the Falcons and all but knocked CV out of the race for the league championship.

BURBANK - It was a quick start, a furious finish and in between there was nary a dull moment as Pacific League heavyweights Crescenta Valley High and host Burroughs locked up on Tuesday afternoon. It was the furious finish that saw the Falcons plate four seventh-inning runs before withstanding an Indians rally to further complicate the league race down the stretch, as Crescenta Valley continued its surge with a 7-4 victory at Olive Park. "Obviously, it's huge," said Falcons interim Coach Mark Samford of the win, which is the sixth straight for CV and puts it a game behind first-place Burroughs in the league standings.

For the Glendale Community College softball team, the postseason will begin much the same as the regular season did - with an early matchup with Ventura College. The first meeting carried little importance - Ventura edged Glendale, 2-0, for its first loss of the season in a Vaquero Softball Classic contest, but the Vaqueros still advanced anyway when the Pirates were unable to play in the tournament finals. The stakes are much higher now, as the teams are now set to do battle in the opening round of the 2012 California Community College Athletic Assn.