Softball: Ocean View solidifies hold on third place with win

As the softball season edged toward the all-important league season, the consensus was that the top three spots in the Golden West League would once again belong to Loara High, Segerstrom and Ocean View.

That is the way the deck is stacked currently, with the Seahawks having done their part to ensure that it stays that way.

The Seahawks picked up an expected, but nevertheless essential 10-0 victory over Santa Ana in Wednesday’s Golden West League softball game at Ocean View High.

A 3-6 record in nonleague games has forced Ocean View (7-9, 4-3 in league) to earn its playoff spot in league play. In beating Santa Ana (3-14, 2-5), the Seahawks reduced their magic number to two.

Any combination of Ocean View wins or Santa Ana losses adding up to two will clinch a playoff spot for the Seahawks.

“I saw team unity,” Seahawks Coach Liberty McCollum said. “We had bonding on Monday. We had a good practice yesterday. You heard singing in the dugout.

“The girls are coming together as a whole. That’s good because it’s the end of the season. Better late than never. I think we’re in a good spot right now for playoffs.”

Catcher Po Russ and outfielder Kim MacPherson had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Russ helped to set the tone in the first inning, hammering a ground-rule double to left to drive in MacPherson.

“I definitely think the first inning is where...everyone sees where the game is going to go,” Russ said.

The Saints emptied their bench after the first inning, making four changes in an effort to alter the energy of the game.

The moves were ineffective against Seahawks starter Breann Page. The senior struck out nine over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. She allowed just three hits, one each to Ohnaldya Aguilera, Cynthia Ruiz, and Michelle Madrigal.

Ocean View had just six hits of its own, but the Seahawks took advantage of their opportunities with six stolen bases.

In addition, they worked six walks, three by Kari Lane. The senior was the leading goal-scorer for Ocean View’s girls’ water polo team, which made CIF in the winter.

Passivity is not her game plan in the pool, but Lane says that changes at the plate.

“I’m actually very infamous for my walks because last year, I had 18 walks,” Lane said.

“She has always had the most,” MacPherson said of Lane. “She can have two strikes on her, and then she walks. It’s like, ‘OK.’”

Asked about the potential of playing in back-to-back postseasons this year, Lane said, “It means a lot when you can see the team working hard. If you have the team working hard and pushing themselves, then you don’t really have to worry about CIF. You can just tell by how everyone is playing and their attitudes.”

Russ and company seem to agree that the change in attitude came with last week’s close defeat to the first-place Loara Saxons (11-10, 6-1). Ocean View fell to Loara, 3-2, on Friday.

Ocean View lost the first meeting, 12-2, back on April 12.

“I think that the difference between the two games was that a lot of it had to do with the attitude,” Russ said. “It was the way that we came out.”

Underclassmen often want to come together for their senior leaders, and MacPherson confirmed that has become the case.

“We wanted to get that win because it meant a lot to our seniors, and a lot of us wanted to do it for them,” she said.

Cailey Collado and Kaylee Dronzkowski also had singles for the Seahawks.

Golden West League

Ocean View 10, Santa Ana 0

SCORE BY INNINGS

SA 000 00 — 0 3 4

OV 310 6X — 10 6 0

Aguilera and Ramos; Page, Jimenez (5) and Russ. WP — Page, 7-9. LP — Aguilera. 2B — Russ (OV).

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