SOFTBALL : Fired-Up South Gate Mauls Monroe in City 3-A Semifinal

Don’t keep South Gate waiting.

The bus carrying the Monroe High softball team got lost on its way to play the Rams on Wednesday in the City 3-A semifinal at Carson’s Dolphin Park. The game got under way at 3:15 p.m.--45 minutes late.

That didn’t sit well with South Gate’s Michele Gonzalez.

“I was more upset than anything,� the senior catcher said. “We had to stop and wait and do our drills over again. Everybody kept asking when they were going to be here. I said ‘Just wait for them and when they get here just use it as revenge for them being late.’ �

Gonzalez proved true to her word, going 4-for-4 and driving in two runs as South Gate thrashed the Vikings, 12-3, to earn their ninth consecutive appearance in a City championship game. Monroe finished its season 13-5.

Ivonne Arizaga racked up three runs and Karina Fernandez and Norma Sanchez each scored twice for South Gate, which will face Verdugo Hills, an 8-6 winner over Westchester on Wednesday in the 3-A final at Cal State Northridge.

Jennifer Hyder pitched a three-hitter and retired Monroe in order in the first, fifth and sixth innings to pick up her third playoff victory. Hyder (11-2) will be the starter against Verdugo Hills on Wednesday.

The five-time champion Rams won their 18th in a row, sending 13 batters to the plate during a seven-run fifth inning to open a 9-0 lead. Angie Ramirez, who had two hits, doubled to score two runs and three others scored on bases-loaded singles by Gonzalez, Arizaga and Fernandez.

“We had to wait a long time, but once they got here we felt fired up,� Ramirez said. “Our second warm-up was better than the first.�

The Rams added three more runs in the sixth to extend its lead to 12-0.

Arizaga scored South Gate’s first two runs with the aid of throwing errors by Monroe catcher Maria Cabrera, who overthrew the pitcher’s mound in the second, allowing Arizaga to score from third. In the fourth, Cabrera’s throw in the dirt got away from third baseman Kim Frith-Smith, permitting Arizaga to score after stealing third. In all, the Rams capitalized on five Monroe errors.