Youth softball: Riptide rides to victory

The Pacific Coast Riptide 12 and under girls fastpitch softball

team defeated Hartwell Park N’Sanity, 1-0, to win the Fall Travel Ball

Championship in Buena Park Sunday.

The championship is the first for the team in 10 years.

In the third inning, K.T. Molinaro was hit by a pitch, then stole

second and third while teammate Amanda Billing was at bat. Billing swung

and missed a pitch on a 3-2 count, but the catcher failed to hold on to

the ball and Billing headed to first.

When the catcher threw to first, Molinaro came home for the only run

of the game.

With Holly Van Hiel on the mound and a defense that had not made an

error in 20 innings, no opposing base runner made it past second base.

One did come close. After walking a batter in the bottom of the third,

catcher Amberlyn Munnelly threw out a runner at second on a precise throw

and tag to Catherine Dailey.

The Riptide allowed one earned run in 24 innings at the tournament.

Pacific Coast outfielders Billing, Amber Vitalo and Michelle Tolfa made

no errors in the tournament. The Riptide pitchers contributed with a

combined ERA of 0.90.

In Sunday’s tournament games:

* Pacific Coast Riptide 7, West Anaheim 6 - Tolfa had a double to help

the Riptide take a 7-1 lead, but Anaheim had four hits to pull within one

run. With the tying run on third, Dailey made a key catch and throw to

first to end the game.

* Pacific Coast Riptide 1, Navajo 0 - In the bottom of the final

inning, Van Hiel scored after reaching base on a bunt. Vitalo sacrificed,

allowing Van Hiel to advance. Van Hiel also contributed to the win on the

mound, pitching a no-hitter.

* Pacific Coast Riptide 4, Hartwell Park N’Sanity 0 - Pitchers Van

Hiel and Christie Hamers combined to shut out Hartwell Park. Jamie Heenan

made key plays at third base.

In Saturday’s tournament games:

* Pacific Coast Riptide 4, Santa Monica 1 - Munnelly singled and later

scored on a fielder’s choice. Heenan and Chelsea Kaplan reached on errors

and three batters later Van Hiel doubled to drive in two runs. Hamers,

Tolfa and Kaplan combined to throw a one-hitter.

* Navajo 5, Pacific Coast Riptide 2 - Pacific Coast threatened in the

third and sixth innings with runners on second and third, but couldn’t

capitalize.