Southern Section 4-A Softball : Mater Dei Beats Foothill, 2-1, With a Run in the 12th Inning

Mater Dei High School scored a run in the top of the 12th inning to break a 1-1 tie and defeat Foothill, 2-1, Thursday afternoon in opening-round CIF Southern Section 4-A softball action at Santa Ana.

Dana Fite singled in Geri Gainey with the winning run. Gainey walked to open the 12th, moved to second on a fielder’s choice and stole third.

Both teams scored in the 11th.

Freshman pitcher Beth Lomeli (12-3), who tripled and scored in the 11th for Mater Dei, pitched a complete game for the Monarchs (19-6-1).

Mater Dei plays No. 1 seed Fountain Valley Tuesday. The Barons beat Wilson, 6-0.

In other 4-A playoff action:

St. Paul 2, Cypress 0--The Swordsmen upset the No. 4-seeded Centurions (22-6) with two runs in the second. St. Paul freshman Keri Kropke (13-5) pitched a two-hitter and worked out of a bases-loaded one-out jam in the sixth for the victory.

Kropke opened the second with a single for St. Paul (15-7), stole second and scored on an RBI single by Lisa Gandara. Michelle Moreno followed with an RBI triple off losing pitcher Nicky Loce (22-6), who finished with a three-hitter but took the loss. The defeat snapped the Empire League Champion Centurions’ nine-game winning streak.

El Dorado 1, Rolling Hills 0 (11 innings)--Junior right-hander Suzi Bradach (20-5) had 19 strikeouts and gave up only two hits for the Golden Hawks (20-5). El Dorado broke the scoreless tie in the top of the 11th. Jenni Bishop was hit by a pitch and went to second on a wild pitch. She was sacrificed to third by Nicki David and scored on a single by Kris Glomboske. El Dorado plays Dos Pueblos in the second round on Tuesday. Rolling Hills ends its season 19-4.

Gahr 8, Canyon 0--DeDe Weiman came within one out of a perfect game for the Gladiators (22-0). She walked Celeste Collins with two out in the seventh on a 3-and-2 pitch. The Comanches end their season 15-11.