Laurie Fritz

School: Kennedy High

Sport: Softball

Position: Second base

Class: Sophomore

Fritz batted .306 during the regular season for the Fighting Irish but she’s batting 1.000 in clutch situations in the Southern Section Division 5-A playoffs. Tuesday, in the ninth inning of a scoreless tie, Fritz drove in a run with a single to give Kennedy a 1-0 victory over Huntington Beach. Fritz had two of Kennedy’s seven hits against Huntington Beach pitcher Stefanie Noffsinger. Thursday, in the top of the seventh in another scoreless game, Kennedy loaded the bases with one out against Cerritos Gahr. Fritz then hit a line drive into the gap in left-center field for a grand slam--her first home run of the season--that gave Kennedy a 4-0 victory. “She’s just a good clutch player and she’s really starting to come through now, obviously,” Kennedy assistant coach Pat Lucey said.

Other top performers:

Carrie Garritson, a Sunny Hills distance runner who won the Division 2-A 3,200-meter race in 10 minutes 55.07 seconds, the second-fastest time of the day, and finished second in the 1,600 meters in 5:06.92.

Monica Jimenez, who allowed one hit over two 5-A softball playoff victories for Cypress. She pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over Camarillo and a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Ventura Buena.

Misty Lauby, who pitched a perfect game and struck out nine in El Toro’s 4-0 victory over Villa Park in a 4-A playoff softball game.

Shelley Taylor, an Edison distance runner who won the 800 and 1,600 meters at the 3-A championships. She finished the 800 in a personal-best 2:11.59 and finished the 1,600 in 4:55.58.