SOFTBALL BEAT : R-E-S-P-E-C-T.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Few assistant coaches get the type of respect from their players that Monroe's Carlos Vargas does. A former Marine sergeant and current L.A. County fireman, Vargas (pictured) brings a unique perspective as an assistant to Vikings 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' coach Jodi Ferry. Vargas cuts an imposing pose, from his 17 tattoos to his intense, can't-stand-losing attitude. The intensity seems to rub off to clean anything by rubbing; to separate by friction; as, to rub off rust s>. See also: Rub on the Vikings, who have enjoyed a nice year while winning seven of eight Mid-Valley League games. Vargas thinks his experience in the military and with the fire department is an asset. ``I think it helps the girls, absolutely,'' Vargas said. ``In terms of teamwork and following direction, it definitely helps.'' Ferry agrees. ``One day one of the girls showed up to practice without her cleats,'' Ferry remembered. ``And Carlos said that, as a fireman, there is no way he could ever show up to a burning house without his hose or a piece of equipment that he needs. He wants them to always be prepared.'' With or without Vargas, the Vikings are a talented team. Senior pitcher/shortstop Cori Jordahl leads the way. Like Vargas, she brings a hard-nosed approach that rubs off on the rest of the team. ``I'm very competitive and a bad loser and she's the exact same way,'' Vargas said. ``Her attitude and toughness makes her a fantastic player.'' In 10 games, Jordahl has a 1.40 ERA. She's also batting .540 Others who are contributing are seniors Noel Miranda (2B) and Xochitl Velasquex (3B) and junior first baseman Vanessa Vargas, the daughter of Carlos. Head first It was just a lark, a chance to break up a mundane practice and cool off on a hot, steamy day. Little did Chaminade coach Steve Harrington realize that breaking out a slip-and-slide mat for his players to enjoy last week would be such a revelation. Harrington saw his players actually dive on the ground. Previously, some had been hesitant to do that to convert plays defensively. Now, they don't have any excuses. ``I told our second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker (Meghan Holbrook) that she can't fool me anymore,'' Harrington said, laughing. ``In the past, she had the desire to do it, but maybe she wasn't ready. But now I've seen her dive.'' Lo and behold, Holbrook made a few outstanding defensive plays last week in which she had to dive for the ball. Needless to say, the slip-and-slide will be a regular feature at Chaminade practices from now on. On your Marco Kristi DiMarco is considered the region's fastest baserunner. The senior center fielder is batting .465 and has 33 stolen bases this season. She has stolen 122 of 131 for her career. ``There's no doubt Kristi is as fast as Palmdale's varsity baseball players,'' says father Pete DiMarco, a Palmdale assistant coach. ``I would say some of the boys are faster just because of the male-female thing, but in a race, Kristi certainly wouldn't embarrass embarrass /em·bar·rass/ (em-bar´as) to impede the function of; to obstruct. em·bar·rass v. To interfere with or impede (a bodily function or part). herself.'' Warming up Boron's Summer Richardson, by far the area's most dominating small-school pitcher, had some rough outings (for her) early in the season but appears to have returned to form. It turns out that Richardson had an injury (pulled muscle near her rib cage rib cage n. The enclosing structure formed by the ribs and the bones to which they are attached. ) that she did not disclose. ``I guess she was hurting but wouldn't say anything about it,'' coach Mick Van Horn said. ``I never knew until I found out from her father.'' Richardson, already committed to Cal State Northridge, is 13-4 with 212 strikeouts and two earned runs earned run n. Baseball A run scored without the aid of an error, used in computing earned run averages. Noun 1. earned run - a run that was not scored as the result of an error by the other team in 105 innings (0.13 ERA). She is batting .423. ETC ETC - ExTendible Compiler. Fortran-like, macro extendible. "ETC - An Extendible Macro-Based Compiler", B.N. Dickman, Proc SJCC 38 (1971). . Golden: Palmdale High pitcher Mikki Goldwater (15-4) has lost her four games by a combined five runs. On a roll: Chaminade's Maureen LeCocq has not given up a run in 33 straight Mission League games. In that time, the Eagles have outscored opponents 25-0. Ships ahoy: Sylmar coach Chuck Miller wasn't very confident that the Spartans could get their game in against Monroe Tuesday with all the rain. ``Maybe if we had some boats,'' Miller said. DAILY NEWS TOP 10 (Records through Sunday) No. School Record LW 1. 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. 20-4 1 Lost to 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:
2. Camarillo 15-4 3 Big win against Righetti at T.O. tournament 3. La Reina La Reina (Spanish: "The queen") is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It consistently ranks in the top five communes with the best quality of life in the Metropolitan Region. 20-2 4 All hail all hail interj. Used to express acclamation, a welcome, or a greeting. Paraclete tournament champs 4. Quartz Hill 17-2-1 4 Nice win over Saugus 5. Hart 19-3 2 How telling was 10-0 loss to Mater Dei? 6. 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:
Picking up steam as the playoffs approach 7. Kennedy 17-5 7 On a roll lately 8. Newbury Park 18-4 10 Can still win the 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. 9. Highland 19-4 8 Falls to La Reina in Paraclete tournament final 10. 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. 19-5 8 Were rolling until Newbury Park beat them 6-4 CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO Monroe's Carlos Vargas Gene Blevins/Daily News BOX: DAILY NEWS TOP 10 (see text) |
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