LeCocq Shoulders Burden and Pitches No-Hitter, 1-0

CHATSWORTH —  Maureen LeCocq of Chaminade High couldn’t convince her coach with mere words, so she did it with her right arm.

One week after suffering a dislocated left shoulder, LeCocq pitched a no-hitter to shut down Crescenta Valley, 1-0, in a nonleague softball game Tuesday at Chaminade Middle School.

“I was very leery about having her throw today,” Coach Steve Harrington said.

Harrington continued to question his decision early in the game, asking his ace after each inning how she felt.

“Maureen has a way of getting stronger as she goes,” Harrington said. “About the fourth inning, I stopped asking her.”

That’s because her effort spoke volumes.

LeCocq (1-0), who retired the first 11 batters, made her biggest statement in the second inning by striking out the side on 11 pitches.

“I felt pretty good,” she said. “I felt like I was on.”

That’s good news to Harrington and Chaminade fans, who watched LeCocq collapse in pain after fielding a line drive against Simi Valley on March 9. LeCocq’s left shoulder popped out of its socket, prompting her parents to rush to her side and pop the shoulder back into place.

“My season flashed in front of my eyes,” Harrington said.

Harrington recalled the incident Tuesday when Ashley Powell of Crescenta Valley hit an easy line drive to LeCocq’s left to lead off the third inning.

“When she caught that ball, my heart just dropped,” Harrington said.

LeCocq stabbed the liner without hesitation, but fans were noticeably concerned.

“I noticed the fans [reaction],” LeCocq said. “Instead of clapping, they all went [quiet with open mouths]. Not the normal reaction.”

Chaminade (1-3) and LeCocq, a Stanford-bound senior who hasn’t given up an earned run in 161 innings, got all the offense they needed in the fifth.

With one out, Lindsey Weinstein reached first on an error and went to second on a passed ball. Meaghan Holbrook followed with a single and stole second base.

Shannon Barceloux hit a ground ball to drawn-in shortstop Melanie McCauley and Weinstein bolted from third on contact.

“Lindsey reads the ball exceptionally well,” Harrington said. “If I had to have anyone on third base, I’m glad it was her.”

Weinstein scored easily when McCauley’s throw to home was late and off target.

Crescenta Valley (3-3), which has one-run losses to Peninsula and Thousand Oaks, was on the wrong end of a great pitching duel.

Meredith Cervenka (3-3) pitched a two-hitter, striking out five and walking three.

“You’re not going to put two or three hits together against these pitchers,” Coach Dan Berry of Crescenta Valley said.

LeCocq threw only 61 pitches and faced one batter over the minimum.

The only Crescenta Valley player to reach base was Melinda Moulden, who twice was safe on errors.

With two out in the fourth, Moulden hit a ground ball to third baseman Erin Taylor, who threw high to first baseman Amy Biersch.

Just as Moulden hit the bag, the ball glanced off Biersch’s glove and the play was ruled an error by Chaminade’s scorekeeper, keeping the official book.