SOFTBALL PREVIEW: HART SOFTBALL TEAM STILL SORTING IT OUT : GORDANO INHERITS YOUTHFUL BUNCH.Byline: Brian Dalziel Daily News Staff Writer She's back. Cathy Giordano, who thought she was done coaching high school 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' , has returned as Hart's newly appointed varsity coach. ``I just love coaching,'' said the 48-year-old mother of four, who coached the Hart junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. last season. ``It keeps me healthy and young.'' Interestingly enough, youth is something Giordano inherited inherited received by inheritance. inherited achondroplastic dwarfism see achondroplastic dwarfism. inherited combined immunodeficiency see combined immune deficiency syndrome (disease). from a squad that went 21-7 and captured the Foothill League title (9-1) last season. But the Indians INDIANS. The aborigines of this country are so called. 2. In general, Indians have no political rights in the United States; they cannot vote at the general elections for officers, nor hold office. , with just two seniors, have three experienced arms to override An arrangement whereby commissions are made by sales managers based upon the sales made by their subordinate sales representatives. A term found in an agreement between a real estate agent and a property owner whereby the agent keeps the right to receive a commission for the sale of their youthfulness youth·ful adj. 1. Characterized by youth; young. 2. Of, relating to, or suggesting youth. See Synonyms at young. 3. In an early stage of development; new. 4. . Juniors Amanda Fortune and Lindsey Kontra head the list. Fortune was the league's Player of the Year and an All-CIF selection after posting a 0.48 earned run average earned run average n. Baseball Abbr. ERA A measure of a pitcher's performance obtained by dividing the total of earned runs allowed by the total of innings pitched and multiplying by nine. Noun 1. . Kontra pitched her travel ball squad to two national championships in the last two seasons and hit .406 a year ago. ``They bring you two different things,'' Giordano said. ``Amanda throws everything down and gets a lot of ground balls and makes it easy for my infielders. ``Lindsey has the whole package. She has the defense, offense and the pitches. She throws really hard and has the great change-up and throws it for a strike.'' Two sophomores, Carly Cardanello, who pitched the junior varsity squad to a league championship as a freshman, and Casey Pickard, an all-league outfielder who moves to the mound mound, prehistoric earthwork erected over a burial place as a memorial or landmark, a defensive embankment, or a site for ceremonial or religious rites. Such structures are found in many parts of the world, but the name is applied in particular to those of North , complete Hart's rotation. ``These four pitchers can start on any other high school team in the area,'' Giordano said. ``All four are going to get a real hard look (for the top two spots). It's probably the best pitching staff in the (Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, ) valley. ``With four, I call that good problems. It's a problem anybody would like to have. Hopefully I can bring it together.'' As for the defense behind her four arms, Giordano's still trying to bring that together. Junior Jocelyn Evans played shortstop last season after Kristin Lueke broke her wrist. Evans, though, will play first base or third base, while Lueke, a sophomore, returns to shortstop. If she's not on the mound, Cardanello, who played shortstop on her travel-ball team, may be at second base. Cardanello hit over .500 on the JV last season. Sophomore Lorian Jenkins played first base as a freshman on the JV squad, but Giordano said she'll most likely move to the outfield. If that's the case, Jenkins will join veteran outfielder Kortney Downen, a three-year varsity starter who has a solid arm and can swing the bat. Nicole Delfino, the only freshman on the squad, will be used as a utility player. ``There's a ton of talent,'' Giordano said, ``but it's kind of tough. What I have to do is figure out who the best person is for the job. And that's tough for a first year coach. ``The main thing is to get them in the right spots, but it's taking me a lot longer than I thought.'' AT A GLANCE Team: Hart softball. Coach: Cathy Giordano (first season). 1998 record: 21-7 overall, 9-1 in Foothill League (first place). Top returners: Amanda Fortune, Jr., P; Lindsey Kontra, Jr., P; Jocelyn Evans, Jr., INF INF interferon. ; Kortney Downen, Sr., OF. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO (Color) Pitchers Amanda Fortune, left, and Lindsey Kontra anchor the Indians' staff. Tom Mendoza/Daily News BOX: AT A GLANCE (See text) |
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