SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: DIV. I: CAMARILLO MAKES IT BACK TO SEMIFINALS SCORCHING SCORPIONS ROLL OVER LOS ALAMITOS CAMARILLO 4, LOS ALAMITOS 0.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 LOS ALAMITOS Los Alamitos (lôs ăləmē`təs, lŏs), city (1990 pop. 11,676), Orange co., NE of Long Beach, S Calif., in a suburban area; inc. 1960. Los Alamitos Racetrack and U.S. military installations are nearby. - There were times early on this year when last season's magic seemed to diminish a bit and postseason glory was a quickly fading memory for the Camarillo High 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. The Scorpions lost four of their first 10 games this season after advancing to the Southern Section Div. I semifinals a year ago, and the mediocre start caused a chink in the armor of one of the regions top programs ever year. But how quickly the tough times are forgotten when you reel off 22 victories over your last 24 games, including Thursday's 4-0 victory over host Los Alamitos in the Division I quarterfinals. So much so that when Scorpions' first baseman De Ann Young squeezed shortstop Cambria Miranda's throw at first base for the final out, there was no Scorpion scorpion, any arachnid of the order Scorpionida with a hollow poisonous stinger at the tip of the tail. Scorpions vary from about 1/2 in. to about 6 in. (1–15 cm) long; most are from 1 to 3 in. (2.5–7.6 cm) long. dog pile at the pitcher's circle and no wild celebration in honor of the achievement. In fact, about the only reaction from Camarillo were some hugs between Scorpions' players just before shaking hands with Los Alamitos. Point being, a return trip to the semifinals of the most competitive division in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, was expected, even for a team that lost Daily News Player of the Year Beth Boskovitch to graduation and one that started the year so pedestrian. ``Early on we just didn't have our set defense and everyone had to get comfortable playing with each other again,'' said winning pitcher Stephanie Byrne, who now has a 5-1 career record in the playoffs. ``But now, its all or nothing and were all playing together very well. We really like playing together and none of us want this to be over. Byrne (13-4) will likely get the call again in Tuesday's semifinal at home against Foothill, which upset top-seeded 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. 7-0 on Thursday. Byrne was solid against Los Alamitos, finishing with a three-hitter and allowing only two runners past first base. `She doesn't blow cheese at anybody but she competes better than anybody out here,'' said Camarillo coach Jack Willard. ``She's what our team is all about. Byrne helped her own cause at the plate in the third inning, lining a two-out double into left center field then scoring on Miranda's triple. Miranda was thrown out at home trying to score on the play - Camarillo had two runners gunned down at the plate - but the damage had been done. |
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