SHE'S A HOME RUN HITTER WITH A HEART CRESCENTA VALLEY'S KIRKER: A RECORD SETTING CRUNCHER WHO CARES.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News LA CRESCENTA - Baillie Kirker is a prolific softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' slugger who cares. The Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. High of La Crescenta sensation had already set the state freshman home run record, with 15, heading into Tuesday's Pacific League game against Hoover of Glendale. She is within striking distance of the state record (17), set in 2003 by UCLA's Lisa Dodd at University City of San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. . Few have been cheapies. She has hit several mammoth shots, three in a doubleheader at Calabasas that landed on the adjacent baseball field. To hear Kirker tell it, she is as passionate about helping others as hitting tape-measure shots. Kirker works as a volunteer coaching 8- to 10-year-old Little Leaguers. She also spends her free time assisting a visually impaired 92-year-old neighbor, Silvia Gross. Kirker began helping Gross as part of a 10-hour community service project mandated by her school last semester. Kirker has continued to spend afternoons reading to Gross, and says the two have formed a friendship. Kirker says the friendship is reciprocal, noting that she has learned much about American history from someone who experienced it, in way one can't from textbooks. ``She's really funny,'' Kirker said of Gross. ``She has a great sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor" sense of humour, humor, humour , so it makes helping her out a lot easier.'' Kirker said she intends to pursue a career counseling Noun 1. career counseling - counseling on career opportunities counseling, counselling, guidance, counsel, direction - something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action abused children. ``I feel like if I help somebody else, I get something back,'' she said. These days, Kirker is giving all she has to help Crescenta Valley's league title aspirations. The Falcons (19-6 overall, 7-4 Pacific) heading into Tuesday's game against Hoover of Glendale) likely will play first-place Arcadia (17-4, 8-0) for a share of the title Thursday. ``Our goal is to win league and then win (the Southern Section),'' Kirker said. ``Our loss to Arcadia (3-2 on April 25) was really hard for our team, but we're working really hard and, hopefully, we're going to get them back when we play them again.'' Other Crescenta Valley standouts include Emily Hanson, an All-Southern Section Div. II senior third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker , and senior outfielder Sydney Vermillion, a CSUN-bound soccer star. Longtime Crescenta Valley coach Dan Berry says success hasn't spoiled Kirker. Her low-key demeanor and team-oriented persona, he said, have made her a favorite among teammates. She brings to the game a competitive edge. ``It's not a rough, salty edge, but it's a competitive edge,'' he said. Kirker credits private coach Nicole Giordano -- a 2004 U.S. Olympian and Saugus High alum alum (ăl`əm), any one of a series of isomorphous double salts that are hydrated sulfates of a univalent cation (e.g., potassium, sodium, ammonium, cesium, or thallium) and a trivalent cation (e.g. -- with helping her develop a compact swing that produces more power than one might expect from Kirker's 5-foot-7 build. Giordano said she has shortened Kirker's swing, noting that minimizing wasted movements allows her to snap the bat-head through the strike zone, producing more power and affording her more time to recognize pitches. ``She can hit any pitch that's thrown to her,'' Giordano said. ``That's really what's made her so successful.'' It's hard to argue with the results. Kirker is batting .646 and slugging 1.417. ``It's not a very powerful swing -- it's just a nice and easy swing,'' Kirker said. ``I mostly use my legs to get the power going. Instead of trying to take a big old swing, it's just a nice and smooth swing.'' It is precisely at that moment of impact that Kirker experiences the joy of launching majestic blasts. ``When I hit a home run, that makes me feel good, and it helps my team too, so it's kind of a win-win,'' Kirker said. ``Except for the pitcher.'' gideon.rubin@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 LEAGUE UPDATES GOLDEN Quartz Hill (17-3-1, 10-1) has reeled off eight consecutive victories since a 3-1 loss April 7 to Highland of Palmdale and can clinch the title outright with a victory Thursday over Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley of Lancaster. The Rebels are led by junior first baseman Candice Miller Candice Miller (born May 7 1954) is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, currently representing Michigan's 10th congressional district (map) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district stretches from the eastern suburbs of Detroit to the Michigan Thumb. , who is batting .464 and is among the Southern Section's leaders with nine home runs. MISSION Chaminade of West Hills (17-6, 8-1) upset Alemany of Mission Hills (18-5-1, 8-1) Friday to move into a tie for first place. Chaminade's Brianna Barth pitched a five-inning perfect game in Monday's 12-0 mercy-rule league win over Louisville of Woodland Hills. Flintridge Sacred Heart The Sacred Heart is a religious devotion to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of the divine love for humanity This devotion is predominantly used in the Roman Catholic Church and also used in the Anglican Church. of La Canada (11-10, 5-4) clinched third place and secured it first playoff berth in 10 years Monday with an 8-6 triumph over Harvard-Westlake of Studio City. VALLEY MISSION League champion Sylmar (14-1) received a No. 2 seed for the City playoffs largely on the strength of its 2-1 season-opening victory over Banning of Wilmington. Banning shared the Marine League title with City power San Pedro and received a higher seed than the Pirates after winning a coin flip. Sylmar received the No. 2 seed in a contentious seeding meeting Thursday when the moderator broke a 6-6 deadlock. WEST VALLEY Defending City champion 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:
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RED HOT Playing one of the area's toughest schedules seems to have benefited Chaminade of West Hills (16-6 overall, 7-1 in Mission League). The Eagles' losses have come against opponents with a combined 144-16-1 record. Chaminade climbed into a first-place tie Friday by beating Alemany of Mission Hills 6-2. Chaminade has won its past six games, outscoring foes 55-2. Offense has fueled the Eagles' surge, with five players batting over .350. Humboldt State-bound first baseman Joanna McCoy is batting .377 (.521 in Mission play) and has 11 extra base hits in her last eight games. Other contributors include Danielle Zymkowitz, who is batting .406 with 25 stolen bases, and junior pitcher Brianna Barth, who is batting .361 (.483 in league play). MOMENTUM BUILDER Thousand Oaks coach Gary Walin pointed to Saturday's eight-inning 2-1 Thousand Oaks semifinal loss to champion El Camino Real of Woodland Hills on Saturday as a major confidence-builder. The Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. (18-5 overall, 10-2 Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. ) rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Mater Dei Mater Dei is Latin for "Mother of God", referring to the Virgin Mary. The term has been used to name various institutions, often Catholic, including:
Santa Ana (sän'tä ä`nä), city (1993 pop. 129,873), W El Salvador. It is the second largest city in the country and the commercial and processing center for a sugarcane, coffee, and cattle region. 8-5 in the third-place game. Marla Mathews hit a two-run homer to start the Thousand Oaks comeback, and Heather Lucanich delivered a three-run triple to give the Lancers a 6-5 lead. Thousand Oaks moved into a tie for first with Royal of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. (18-4, 10-2) with a 6-0 victory over the Highlanders. CAPTION(S): photo, 3 boxes Photo: Crescenta Valley slugger Ballie Kirker has set a state record for freshmen by hitting 15 home runs. David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: (1) DAILY NEWS TOP 10 (2) SEVEN-DAY FORECAST (3) THEY SAID IT |
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