SOTBALL NOTEBOOK: WIND BLOWS QUARTZ HILL'S WAY, SAVES DAY AGAINST LANCASTER.Byline: Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Staff Writer Quartz Hill High athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Coy Ray has been around the area long enough to know nearly every nuance nu·ance n. 1. A subtle or slight degree of difference, as in meaning, feeling, or tone; a gradation. 2. Expression or appreciation of subtle shades of meaning, feeling, or tone: of the local weather. So when Ray, who coached the 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' team until last season, says there's something odd with the weather, it's not to be taken lightly. Such was the case Thursday, after Quartz Hill's 2-1 victory over Lancaster that gave the Rebels a two-game lead in the Golden League. It was extremely windy at the softball field, but instead of blowing out from home plate toward center field, the wind was gusting in from the outfield toward the first-base line. ``There's about one or two days a year it blows in like that,'' Ray said. For Lancaster, the wind's direction might have been the difference in the game - and perhaps the season. Lancaster's Ashley Stevens and Katie Cornelison hit deep flyballs that likely would have cleared the fence on a windless day. With the wind blowing out, both easily would have been home runs. As it was, Stevens' drive went for a double to left-center, and she was stranded on the bases. Cornelison's drive was caught against the fence in Verb 1. fence in - enclose with a fence; "we fenced in our yard" fence inclose, shut in, close in, enclose - surround completely; "Darkness enclosed him"; "They closed in the porch with a fence" 2. right-center field. ``I think the wind probably helped us today,'' Quartz Hill co-coach Ben Meyer said. The loss was devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. for Lancaster. The Eagles dropped to 2-2 in league, two games behind In sports, the phrase games behind, often abbreviated as GB in tables, is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. Quartz Hill (11-5, 4-0) with six games remaining. --Making amends: Quartz Hill's streak of three league championships was ended last year by Highland, and the Rebels weren't very pleased. ``We were disappointed,'' senior Nicole Torres said. ``We feel a lot of pride playing for Quartz Hill. We have five seniors this year, so we want to win it.'' Quartz Hill is the team to beat for this year's title after beating its top three challengers, Highland, Littlerock and Lancaster. ``We like the position we're in now,'' Meyer said, ``because everybody has to chase us down now.'' --Spring break: Lancaster is the only Golden League team in action during spring break this week. The Eagles, who lost twice Saturday to Redondo of Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. , play host to Harvard-Westlake of Studio City at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Knight also played Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader with Rosamond. Ramona Shelburne, (818) 713-3617 ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: KATIE CORNELISON Lancaster High slugger's long flyball was held up by the wind, and Quartz Hill won, opening a two-game league lead. |
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