CLEAR HEAD PREVAILS FOR ECR'S BLUMFIELD : ECR 1, SAN PEDRO 0.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer Just prior to the most important at-bat of her El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
``I did a lot of pacing but I wasn't thinking about anything,'' said Blumfield, a senior who lined a two-strike single into center field to score Kristi Nicklaus and give ECR ECR Efficient Consumer Response ECR European Congress of Radiology ECR Electron Cyclotron Resonance ECR El Camino Real (Kings Highway; California) ECR Electronic Cash Register ECR East Coast Radio (South Africa) a 1-0 victory in 11 innings INNINGS, estates. Lands gained from the sea by draining. Cunn. L. Dict. h. t.; Law of Sewers, 31. over San Pedro in the City Section Championship semifinals Tuesday. The Conquistadores (23-3) advanced to their third consecutive City Championship final. They play Carson on Tuesday at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , hoping to win the title that eluded them last year, when they lost 7-0 to San Pedro. ECR, which hasn't lost to a City Section team in 18 games this year, has five City titles this decade (1990, `91, `94, `96 and `97). ``It never gets easy, and it never gets old, no matter how many times we do it,'' Conquistadores coach Neils Ludlow said. Senior Ashley Redlin pitched her third consecutive shutout to get the win. Redline red·line v. red·lined, red·lin·ing, red·lines v.intr. 1. To refuse home mortgages or home insurance to areas or neighborhoods deemed poor financial risks. 2. , who struck out nine and allowed just five hits, pitched out of a bases-loaded situation in the second, then stranded a Pirate runner at third base in the eighth and ninth. Blumfield may have had a clear head in the 11th, but there was concern everywhere else. Ludlow wondered if his base-running decision in the fourth inning in·ning n. 1. a. Baseball One of nine divisions or periods of a regulation game, in which each team has a turn at bat as limited by three outs. b. innings (used with a sing. was going to cost the Conquistadores. Redlin said she was thinking how much she would cry if ECR lost. There was reason to worry. ECR couldn't do anything against San Pedro (22-6) pitcher Natalie Tam, who entered the 11th with a 17-inning scoreless streak against the Conquistadores; she beating them in last year's final. In the fourth, two ECR runners got thrown out at home plate. Ludlow was still wondering about it in the 11th. ``I kept thinking if we lost this game I'd be haunted by (the fourth) the rest of my life,'' Ludlow said. Then he reminded himself that Blumfield was at bat. So did Redlin. ``I mean, she's so lucky and good,'' Redlin said. ``So I knew she'd do it. She could be 0-for-whatever then come up in the 50th inning and get the hit.'' ECR didn't have to go that long, but the Conquistadores did go 16 innings in a 2-1 semifinal win over Banning last year on the same field they won Tuesday. ``I'm just glad I never have to see this park again,'' Blumfield said. ``To get back to the championship game, that's what this year has been about. I can't wait.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) El Camino Real High softball players celebrate after beating San Pedro on Tuesday. (2--Ran on Page 10) El Camino Real's Kristi Nicklaus scores the winning run in the Conquistadores' 1-0 victory over San Pedro in Tuesday's City Championship semifinals. Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News |
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