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2004 COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOFTBALL Final Standings - Includes Playoffs
(thru 05-08-04)
Conference Overall
W L W L T
Palomar 14 1 25 12 1
Grossmont 11 4 26 14 2
Southwestern 9 6 18 11 1
Imperial Valley 5 10 17 17 0
San Diego City 5 10 17 21 0
San Diego Mesa 1 14 1 34 0
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Griffins season ends with ouster in second
round
Southern California Regional Quarterfinals
By John O. Rollo
Special to EastCountySports.com
BUENA PARK - It was a promising season for
the Grossmont College softball
team. Unfortunately for the Griffins, the end of the season came
too soon.
In the second round of the Southern California
Regional Playoffs the
15th-seeded Griffins were eliminated by the top-seeded Lady Chargers
of Cypress
College, 5-1.
It was a much closer contest than the final score might indicate.
The Lady Chargers (41-3) pounced on Griffins
All-Pacific Coast Conference
freshman right-hander MELISSA BARRON (Monte Vista HS) for single
runs in the
bottom of the 1st and 2nd innings to claim an early 2-0 advantage.
Though they seriously threatened in each
of the first three innings against
Cypress sophomore right-hander Lindsey Klabacha - the Orange Empire
Conference
Player of the Year - it took until the top of the 4th inning before
the
Griffins finally reached the scoring column.
With one out in the inning, freshman ASHLEY
SAMPO reached Klabacha for a
full-count walk. Freshman sacker VANESSA MORENO followed with
a single to left.
A four-pitch walk to sophomore third baseman JESSICA DAVIS loaded
the bases.
Here, 6th-year veteran Griffin head coach
RICK TRESTRAIL took a gamble - and
it paid off. He sent freshman KIM WHITLOW (El Capitan HS) up to
pinch-hit for
freshman left-fielder DANIELLE CARRANZA. Whitlow coaxed a full-count
walk from
Klabacha, scoring Sampo, and the Griffins trailed 2-1.
It was as close as they would get. Shortstop
KARLI BUXTON scorched a
linedrive straight into the glove of Cypress centerfielder Summer
Reynoso.
Tagging up at third too late, Morena was unable to score. The
inning and the threat ended
with Barron bouncing into a fielder's choice against substitute
pitcher
Vanessa Zaboril (7-1).
Cypress put the game out of reach. They
solved a tiring Barron (18-7) for a
single run in the 5th and two very damaging runs in the 6th. The
victory, and a
berth in Sunday's regional third round, belonged to the Lady Chargers.
"They are a real tough team,"
Cypress head coach Brad Pickler remarked after
the contest. "They played us real hard, were very challenging,
and gave us
everything we wanted."
Despite his disappointment over the outcome, Trestrail was proud of his team.
"We had many chances in this game,"
he said, "but unfortunately, we had some
poor base-running execution and it cost us."
"We had a very good season and I'm
thankful for the efforts of every single
player. They were a pure joy to coach."
The Griffins concluded the 2004 season with
a record of 26-14-2.
(05-08-04)
SATURDAY - MAY 8, 2004 EastCountySports.com SoCal Regional Quarterfinals CHARGERS 5, GRIFFINS 1 GROSSMONT ab r h bi CYPRESS ab r h bi Buxton ss 4 0 1 0 Moojen ss 4 0 1 2 Barron p 2 0 0 0 Reynoso cf 4 2 2 0 Kruse p 1 0 0 0 Whitney 1b 1 0 1 1 Shipp c 1 0 0 0 Russo c 2 0 1 1 Gonzales cf 2 0 1 0 Jacques dp 3 0 0 0 Locher 1b 3 0 1 0 Heida 2b 3 0 0 0 Sampo dp 2 1 0 0 Klabacha p 2 0 0 0 Moreno 2b 2 0 1 0 Paxton ph 0 1 0 0 Davis 3b 2 0 0 0 Reinhart 3b 1 2 1 0 Carranza lf 2 0 0 0 Benivedes rf 3 0 0 0 Whitlow ph 0 0 0 1 Perez lf 0 0 0 0 Alford rf 0 0 0 0 Zaboril p 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 21 1 4 1 TOTALS 23 5 6 4 Grossmont (26-14-2) 000 100 0 - 1 4 2 Cypress (41-3) 110 012 x - 5 6 0 GWRBI-Whitney. E-Buxton 2. DP-CC 1. LOB_GC 8, CC 6. 2B-Russo. SB-Reinhart 2, Benivedes. S-Whitney, Barron, Russo, Gonzales. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Barron L(18-7) 5.2 6 5 4 4 0 Kruse 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 CYPRESS Klabacha W(7-1) 3.2 4 1 1 6 1 Zaboril 3.1 0 0 0 1 1 WP-Barron. (05-08-04)
No. 15-seed Griffins stun No. 2-seed Cerritos
in playoff opener
EastCountySports.com
NORWALK - With a hefty No. 2 seeding and having beaten Grossmont
College 5-0 during the regular season, the Falcons of Cerritos
College probably thought they had an easy mark when the No. 15
seeded Griffins came calling in Wednesday's (May 5) opening round
of the Southern California Regional playoffs. Instead of proving
to be the stepping stone to the next round, the Griffins clipped
Cerritos 7-5 to earn a quarterfinal berth against top-seeded Cypress
College Saturday (May 8) in Buena Park at 3 p.m.
Grossmont is not unfamiliar with Cypress, having dropped a 4-3
decision on Feb. 21st to the Chargers in nine innings during a
rain-spattered contest in Orange County.
The Griffins (26-13-2) blew a 5-0 lead at Cerritos (30-8)
but rebounded to snap a 5-5 deadlock in the 7th inning. DONNA
GONZALES doubled over the center fielder's head for the game-winning
RBI and then ASHLEY SAMPO singled to score Gonzales in what could
be classified as Grossmont College's biggest softball victory
in school history.
The Falcons, who had beaten the Griffins 7-0 in 4 1/2 innings
in the final game of the Long Bach City Tournament on April 10,
must have choked on their own bravado.
In the top of the 7th inning, Grossmont pitcher MELISSA BARRON
led off with a base hit. After a pop-up for an out, Barron moved
to second base on a wild pitch. That set the stage for Grossmont's
game-winning rally.
In the bottom of the 7th, Cerritos sophomore first baseman Danielle
Ackland walked with one out. She moved to second base on a two-out
single from freshman left fielder Christina Chavez. That brought
up freshman designated player Cynthia Levya, who drove in the
fifth run of the game to tie the score in the 5th inning.
Barron struck out Leyva this time around to end the game and propel
the Griffins into the next round, where few had given them a chance
to get past Cerritos.
Six Griffins enjoyed multiple-hit games, including VANESSA MORENO,
who was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, one RBI and a run scored.
MELISSA BARRON limited Cerritos - the South Coast co-champions
- to 3 earned runs while striking out 5 and earning her 18th win
in 24 decisions.
WEDNESDAY - MAY 5, 2004 EastCountySports.com Southern California Regionals At Cerritos College GRIFFINS 7, FALCONS 5 GROSSMONT ab r h bi CERRITOS ab r h bi Buxton ss 4 0 2 0 Martin c 4 0 1 0 Barron p 4 2 2 0 Vadgama rf 4 1 1 0 Shipps c 4 0 1 0 Deel 3b 2 0 0 0 Gonzales cf 4 2 2 1 Vasquez 3b 2 0 0 0 Locher 1b 3 1 2 2 Ackland 1b 2 2 1 1 Sampo dp 4 1 2 1 Wilson ss 4 1 1 0 Moreno 2b 4 1 3 1 Chavez lf 4 1 3 2 Davis 3b 4 0 1 2 Byde pr 0 0 0 0 Carranza lf 4 0 0 0 Leyva dp 4 0 2 1 Alford rf 0 0 0 0 Stern p 0 0 0 0 Griffin cf 3 0 0 0 Park 2b 3 0 0 1 TOTALS 35 7 15 7 TOTALS 32 5 9 5 Grossmont (26-13-2) 000 500 2 - 7 15 2 Cerritos (30-8) 000 320 0 - 5 9 0 GWRBI-Gonzales. E-Moreno 2. LOB-GC 8, CC 8. 2B-Gonzales, Moreno 2, Wilson, Chavez, Buxton. HR-Ackland 4th, solo. SB-Park. S-Carranza, Vadgama, Vasquez. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Barron W(18-6) 7.0 9 5 3 2 5 CERRITOS Stern L 7.0 15 7 5 1 4 WP-Stern. PB-Martin 3. (05-05-04)
Griffins make fourth-straight playoff appearance
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Albeit they are facing a tall order, the No. 15 Grossmont
College Griffins (25-23-2), who have claimed a berth in the Southern
California playoffs for the 4th straight season, face No. 2 seed
Cerritos (30-7) in Wednesday's (May 5) opening round at 3 p.m.
Unlike in past regional playoffs, this year's event is single
elimination. Grossmont is coming off its sixth 20-plus win season
in the last seven years.
Nineteen-time Pacific Coast Conference champion Palomar (23-11-1),
ranked No. 11, will travel to No. 6 ranked College of the Canyons
(30-8) on Wednesday.
(05-01-04)
After solid year, five Griffins are tabbed
All-PCC
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Five Grossmont College players were named to the 2004 All-Pacific Coast Conference team, as selected by the circuit's five head softball coaches. The Griffins quintet - all First-Teamers - include pitcher MELISSA BARRON, first baseman HEATHER LOCHER, shortstop KARLI BUXTON, outfielders DONNA GONZALES and DANIELLE CARRANZA.
PCC champion Palomar swept the major awards. Dominique Van Nortwick earned Player of the Year, while pitcher Amanda Martinez was voted Pitcher of the Year, and the Comets' Mark Eldridge, once again was named Coach of the Year.
Grossmont High alum ASHLEY LOVELADY of Palomar was voted the First Team catcher.
2004 ALL-PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Dominique Van Nortwick, Palomar College PITCHER OF THE YEAR Amanda Martinez, Palomar COACH OF THE YEAR Mark Eldridge, Palomar FIRST TEAM Amanda Martinez Palomar Pitcher Melissa Barron Grossmont Pitcher Ashley Lovelady Palomar Catcher Dominique Van Nortwick Palomar First Base Heather Locher Grossmont First Base Kristle Sanchez Palomar Infield Karli Buxton Grossmont Infield Claudia Leano Southwestern Infield Alicia Velasquez Palomar Outfield Donna Gonzales Grossmont Outfield Danielle Carranza Grossmont Outfield Vanessa Juarez Southwestern Utility Elysia King Southwestern Wild Card SECOND TEAM Casey Fry San Diego City Catcher Jessica Conway Imperial Valley First Base Carly White Palomar Infield Adele Ahmu San Diego City Infield Desiree Fajota San Diego Mesa Infield Kristina Melendez San Diego City Outfield Sonya Glasper San Diego Mesa Outfield Meya Baca Southwestern Outfield Ebony Lofton Imperial Valley Utility (04-30-04)
Sampo clears bases with three-run triple
in first as Griffins roll to second place
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - ASHLEY SAMPO's bases-loaded triple in the 1st inning
sparked host Grossmont College to Tuesday's (Apr. 27) regular-season
finale 8-0 Pacific Coast Conference victory over San Diego City
College.
VANESSA MORENO keyed a 2-run 3rd inning with a two-run double
and BREE ALFORD scored DONNA GONZALES from 3rd base with a perfectly
executed squeeze bunt in the 6th as the Griffins (25-13-2, 11-4)
locked up second place in the PCC.
MELISSA BARRON pitched a 3-hit shutout and Gonzales led
Grossmont's 15-hit attack with a 4-for-4 effort. JADE SHIPP added
3 hits for the Griffins, who have claimed a berth in the Southern
California playoffs for the 4th straight season.
Furthermore, Grossmont posted its sixth 20-plus win season in
the last seven years.
(04-27-04)
TUESDAY - APR 27, 2004 EastCountySports.com Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 8, KNIGHTS 0 SAN DIEGO CITY ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi Fry c 3 0 1 0 Buxton ss 4 0 1 0 Martinez cf 3 0 0 0 Barron p 2 0 1 0 Ahmu 3b 3 0 1 0 Williams pr 0 1 0 0 Carrillo 2b 3 0 0 0 Shipp c 4 1 3 0 Lopez ss/p 2 0 0 0 Viets pr 0 1 0 0 Melandez lf 2 0 0 0 Gonzales cf 4 3 4 0 MacDonald 1b 2 0 1 0 Locher 1b 3 2 2 2 Clark p/ss 2 0 0 0 Taggert ph 1 0 0 0 Maund rf 1 0 0 0 Sampo dp 3 0 1 3 Taylor rf 1 0 0 0 Alford rf 1 0 1 1 Moreno 2b 3 0 1 2 Davis 3b 3 0 0 0 Carranza lf 3 0 1 0 TOTALS 24 0 3 0 TOTALS 31 8 15 8 San Diego City (17-21, 5-10) 000 000 - 0 3 1 Grossmont (25-13-2, 11-4) 303 101 - 8 15 1 GWRBI-Sampo. E-Buxton, Carrillo. LOB-SDCC 4, GC 9. 2B-Moreno, Ahmu. 3B-Gonzales, Sampo. SB-Buxton. S-Alford. PITCHING SUMMARY SAN DIEGO CITY ip h r er bb so Clark L 2.1 10 6 6 0 1 Lopez 3.0 5 2 1 2 0 GROSSMONT Barron W(17-6) 6.0 3 0 0 0 2 Lopez pithed to 3 batters in the 6th prior to game stop via run rule. (04-27-04)
Barron's one-hitter too much for Imperial
Valley
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - MELISSA BARRON pitched a 1-hitter as host Grossmont
College blanked Imperial Valley 2-0 in a Pacific Coast Conference
contest Wednesday (Apr. 21) afternoon. Barron missed her
shot at a no-hitter when Ebony Lofton ripped a two-out single
up the middle in the 7th inning.
An RBI double by JESSICA DAVIS and a run-scoring single by KARLI
BUXTON accounted for Grossmont's only 2 runs in the second inning.
WEDNESDAY - APR 21, 2004 EastCountySports.com Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 2, ARABS 0 IMPERIAL VALLEY ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi Lechuga 2b 3 0 0 0 Buxton ss 4 0 3 1 Price lf 3 0 0 0 Carranza lf 4 0 0 0 Lofton 3b 3 0 1 0 Shipp c 4 0 1 0 Chavez p 3 0 0 0 Gonzales cf 3 0 1 0 Conway 1b 3 0 0 0 Locher 1b 3 0 2 0 Frausto c 2 0 0 0 Sampo rf 2 1 0 0 Roche dp 2 0 0 0 Moreno 2b 3 0 0 0 Verduzzo cf 2 0 0 0 Davis 3b 2 1 1 1 Vasquez rf 2 0 0 0 Barron p 3 0 1 0 Alcarez ss 0 0 0 0 Biets pr 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 23 0 1 0 TOTALS 28 2 9 2 Imperial Valley (17-16, 5-9) 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 Grossmont (23-13-2, 9-4) 020 000 x - 2 9 1 PITCHING SUMMARY IMPERIAL VALLEY ip h r er bb so Chavez L(4-11) 6.0 9 2 2 1 1 GROSSMONT Barron W(16-6) 7.0 1 0 0 0 5 HBP-by Chavez (Davis). (04-21-04)
Former Foothiller Lovelady reminds Griffins
of Comet power
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - Former Grossmont High standout Ashley Lovelady, the
Pacific Coast Conference's leading hitter, went 4-for-4 with 6
RBI to propel host Palomar College to a stunning 23-3 rout of
Grossmont College in Friday's (Apr. 16) showdown of conference
leaders.
Lovelady belted a grand slam as part of a 14-run 2nd inning as
the Comets (20-9-1, 10-1) clinched the PCC title. Grossmont fell
to 8-4 in conference play and 22-12-1 overall.
The Palomar onslaught didn't stop with Lovelady. Krystle Sanchez
was 4-for-4 with 7 RBI for the Comets.
The lone highlight for Grossmont was DONNA GONZALES' 3-run
home run in 3rd inning.
The Griffins will attempt to get back on track on Wednesday (Apr.21)
when they host Imperial Valley at 1 p.m.
(04-16-04)
FRIDAY - APR 16, 2004 EastCountySports.com COMETS 23, GRIFFINS 3 GROSSMONT ab r h bi PALOMAR ab r h bi Buxton ss 3 1 1 0 Lovelady c 4 4 4 6 Barron p 1 0 1 0 Cutshaw ph 0 0 0 0 McKeever p 2 0 0 0 Velasquez lf 4 2 3 2 Shipp c 2 1 1 0 Ganda ph 1 0 0 0 Alford ph 1 0 0 0 Van Nortwick 1b 3 4 1 0 Gonzales cf 2 1 1 3 Sanchez 3b 4 3 4 7 Viets ph 1 0 0 0 White dp 3 2 1 1 Locher 1b/p 2 0 1 0 Reed cf 3 1 1 1 Taggert ph 1 0 1 0 M.Martinez ph 1 1 1 0 Davis 3b 2 0 0 0 Barber ss 1 2 1 2 Sampo rf 2 0 0 0 Benelli ph 1 0 0 0 Carranza lf 2 0 1 0 J.Martinez 2b 3 2 2 0 Whitlow 2b 1 0 0 0 Jones ph 1 0 1 0 Williams 2b 1 0 0 0 Arakawa rf 3 2 3 0 Hollibaugh ph 1 0 1 0 A.Martinez p 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 23 3 7 3 TOTALS 33 23 23 17 GROSSMONT (22-12-2, 8-4) 0 0 3 00 - 3 7 0 PALOMAR (20-9-1, 11-1) 4(14)4 1x - 23 23 0 Game called after 412 innings - run rule. GWRBI-Velasquez. E-None. LOB-GC 3, PC 4. 2B-Lovelady, Sanchez. HR-Gonzales (1) 3rd, two on; Lovelady 2nd, grand slam; Sanchez 3rd, two on. SB-White, Buxton. S-Carranza. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Barron L(15-6) 1.1 11 10 7 2 0 McKeever 0.2 6 9 7 0 0 Locher 2.0 6 4 3 2 2 PALOMAR A.Martinez W(16-6) 5.0 7 3 3 1 6 McKeever pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd. HBP-by McKeever (Barber). PB-Shipp. (04-16-04)
Playoff possibilities presented after Griffins
knock off pushover Mesa
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - After breezing past host San
Diego Mesa College 5-1 in
Wednesday's (Apr. 14) Pacific Coast Conference action, the Grossmont
Griffins
find themselves in position to lock up a Southern California Regional
playoff berth
if they can knock off front-running Palomar Friday in San Marcos.
The Griffins and Comets have split two previous
meetings. Since Grossmont is
two games behind Palomar this is a must-win situation for the
Griffins if they
have any aspirations of grabbing even a share of the PCC flag.
On the other hand, the Griffins (22-11-2,
8-3) are attempting to hold off
hard-charging Southwestern (16-9-1, 7-4), which is one game behind
them in
third place.
In their latest outing at Mesa (1-31, 1-11),
the Griffins trailed 1-0 after
one inning. Grossmont tied it in the 2nd, as DONNA GONZALES singled,
stole
second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on JESSICA
DAVIS' sacrifice
fly.
Gonzales came up big again in the 3rd as
her bases-loaded single scored KARLI
BUXTON giving the Griffins the lead.
The Griffins extended their advantage with
a pair of runs in the 4th inning.
Davis was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a passed ball and
then cruised
home on a base hit by ASHLEY SAMPO. BREE ALFORD ran for Sampo
and immediately
stole second. After VANESSA MORENO walked, pitcher MELISSA BARRON
singled to
score Alford to make it 4-1.
HEATHER LOCHER closed the scoring with an RBI double in the 5th inning.
Barron pitched a complete game, allowing
just 5 hits while striking out 6
for her 15th win against 5 losses.
(04-14-04)
WEDNESDAY - APR 14, 2004 EastCountySports.com Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 5, OLYMPIANS 1 GROSSMONT ab r h bi SAN DIEGO MESA ab r h bi Buxton ss 4 1 1 0 Fisher 3b 3 0 2 0 Carranza lf 2 0 0 0 Plandor cf 3 0 0 0 Whitlow ph 1 0 1 0 Fajota ss 2 1 0 0 Shipp c 3 1 0 0 Glaspar p 3 0 2 1 Taggert ph 1 0 1 0 Waters c 3 0 0 0 Gonzales cf 3 1 2 1 Budeanlou rf 3 0 1 0 Viets ph 1 0 0 0 Rodriguez 1b 3 0 0 0 Locher 1b 3 0 1 1 Beams lf 3 0 0 0 Williams ph 1 0 0 0 Ingram 2b 2 0 0 0 Davis 3b 2 1 0 1 McKeever ph 1 0 0 0 Sampo rf 2 0 1 1 Alford ph 1 1 0 0 Moreno 2b 1 0 0 0 Barron p 3 0 1 1 TOTALS 29 8 5 5 TOTALS 25 1 5 1 Grossmont (22-11-2, 8-3) 011 210 0 - 5 8 1 San Diego Mesa (1-31, 1-11) 100 000 0 - 1 5 1 GWRBI-Gonzales. E-Davis, Ingram. LOB-GC 5, SDMC 2. 2B-Locher, Fisher, Glaspar. SB-Shipp, Gonzales, Alford. SF-Davis. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Barron W(15-5) 7.0 5 1 0 1 6 SAN DIEGO MESA Glaspar L(1-20) 7.0 5 5 3 4 4 HBP-by Glaspar (Davis). (04-14-04)
Griffins can see post-season after split
at Long Beach invite
EastCountySports.com
LONG BEACH - Grossmont College came out of the rugged Long Beach
Invitational with a split of its four games, which should help
solidify the Griffins position for a post-season berth in
the Southern California Regionals.
GROSSMONT 5, LOS ANGELES VALLEY 1 - MELISSA BARRON pitched
six strong innings and did not allow an earned run as the Griffins
toppled the Monarchs in Saturday's (Apr. 10) second round of the
Long Beach Classic at Cerritos in Norwalk.
The Griffins (21-10-2) barged in front in the 2nd inning as HEATHER
LOCHER singled and scored on ASHLEY SAMPO's triple.
Sampo also had a double in 2 at-bats. KARLI BUXTON and KIMBERLEY
WHITLOW also had 2 hits for the Griffins, who totaled 9 for the
game. Whitlow also had 2 RBI.
CERRITOS 7, GROSSMONT 0 - The Griffins found out why Cerritos
is ranked No. 5 in the state. KARLI BUXTON stroked a double and
a single in four at-bats, as the Griffins (21-11-2) submitted
to a 4-hit shutout.
(04-11-04)
Griffins split pair of shutouts
EastCountySports.com
LONG BEACH - The Grossmont Griffins earned a split of their first
2 games of the Long Beach City College Tournament on Friday (Apr.
8), slamming Antelope Valley 10-0 and before falling to Cuesta
College of San Luis Obispo 3-0 in the nightcap.
Shortstop KARLI BUXTON was 3-for 3 with a double, 2 steals and
a pair of runs scored for Grossmont which broke open the first
game against Antelope Valley with 7 runs in the first inning.
JESSICA DAVIS and HEATHER LOCHER drove in two runs apiece as the
Griffins improved to 20-10-2.
MELISSA BARRON pitched the 3-hit shutout for her 13th win in 18
decisions.
CUESTA 3, GROSSMONT 0 - The Griffins never mounted a serious
threat as they dropped their second game of the tournament.
AURELIA KRUSE allowed only one run through the first four innings
before the Cougars tacked on a pair in the 6th inning.
None of the Griffins six hits went for extra bases.
The tournament continues on Saturday (Apr.,10).
(04-09-04)
FRIDAY - APR 9, 2004 EastCountySports.com Long Beach City College Tournament Grossmont (20-10-2) 703 00 - 10 7 0 Antelope Valley 000 00 - 0 0 0 (Game called after 5 innings - time limit and run rule.) Barron and Shipp; Laux, Paraoliso (5) and Brandt. WP-Barron (13-5). LP-Laux. - Cuesta 3, Grossmont 0 Grossmont (20-11-2) 000 000 - 0 6 0 Cuesta 000 102 - 3 9 0 (Game called after six innings - time limit.) Kruse, Barron (6) and Shipp; Layton and Sanders. WP-Layton. LP-Kruse (6-3). (04-09-04)
Locher has seven RBI, but Griffins get only
one win in three tourney games
EastCountySports.com
MIRA MESA - Freshman first baseman HEATHER LOCHER enjoyed a big
day swinging the bat for the Grossmont Griffins in final rounds
of the San Diego City College Tournament. The El Capitan High
alum was 7-for-9 with 7 RBI, but the Griffins couldn't follow
her lead as they won only one of Tuesday's (Apr. 6) three games
at Hourglass Park. Locher batted at a .625 clip (10-for-16),
with 3 triples, 2 doubles and 7 RBI overall for Grossmont (19-10-2),
which split six in the two-day event.
COLLEGE OF DESERT 4, GROSSMONT 3 - Locher doubled
home pinch runner ANGELA VIETS and VANESSA MORENO as the Griffins
tied the game in the top of the 7th only to lose it on an unearned
run in the bottom of the inning.
GROSSMONT 8, EAST LOS ANGELES 2 - The Griffins pounded
out 13 hits as they tamed the Huskies, scoring in five of the
6 innings. Locher was 3-for-3 with two triples and a pair of RBI.
Shortstop KARLI BUXTON was 2-for-2 with a triple, 2 runs and a
stolen base. AURELIA KRUSE pitched a complete-game 6-hitter for
her 6th win in 8 decisions.
PORTERVILLE 9, GROSSMONT 8 - A bases-loaded triple
by Locher along with RBI singles by DONNA GONZALES and JESSICA
DAVIS helped the Griffins score six runs in the 5th inning, but
it was too little, too late.
Davis gave Grossmont the early lead with a 2-run triple in the
1st inning, but Porterville countered with 9 uninterrupted runs
for a 7-run cushion.
"We had our chances to win this one," said Grossmont
assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "We had the tying run
at third base with one out in the 5th and couldn't get her in."
Grossmont, which still has playoff aspirations, will participate
in the Long Beach Tournament Friday (Apr. 9) and Saturday (Apr.
10). They play Antelope Valley and Cuesta the first day and Los
Angeles Valley and host Cerritos College on day two. Cerritos
is ranked No. 5 in the state.
(04-07-04)
Griffins triple their fun for two-straight
days at San Diego City Tournament
EastCountySports.com
MIRA MESA - Taking a well needed break from the Pacific Coast
Conference race, the Grossmont Griffins won two of three games
in Monday's (Apr. 5) opening rounds of the San Diego City College
Tournament at Hourglass Park. The Griffins clipped Mount San Jacinto
8-2 and San Bernardino 4-3 before falling to Saddleback 9-3.
The Griffins (18-8-2) will conclude the tourney with another triple-header
on Tuesday (Apr. 7), with games at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
GROSSMONT 8, MT. SAN JACINTO 2 - DANIELLE CARRANZA drove
in 3 runs with 3 singles in four trips to lead the Griffins the
victory over the Eagles. HEATHER LOCHER was 2-for-4 and scored
twice for Grossmont, which received a complete-game pitching effort
from MELISSA BARRON (12-3). ANGELA VIETS swatted a triple for
Grossmont, but did not score as the Griffins stranded a dozen
baserunners.
GROSSMONT 4, SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY 3 - AURELIA KRUSE
pitched the complete-game victory and singled in ASHLEY SAMPO
to break a 3-3 tie in the 4th inning. HEATHER LOCHER followed
a walk to Sampo with a double. Kruse and KARLI BUXTON had 2 hits
apiece, and each scored a run. Only one of the runs allowed by
Kruse was earned as she improved to 5-2.
SADDLEBACK 9, GROSSMONT 3 - KARLI BUXTON keyed a 3-run Grossmont
second with a 2-run single, but Saddleback plated 6 runs in the
bottom of the frame to win the 4 12 -inning game going away.
(04-05-04)
Griffins come back from 9-0 deficit to take
out City, 11-10
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Teetering on the edge of elimination, the Grossmont
Griffins squeezed out an 11-10 Pacific Coast Conference victory
over San Diego City College Friday (Apr. 2) at Morley Field. The
victory snapped Grossmont's three-game losing streak.
JADE SHIPP's double in the 11th inning directed Grossmont down
victory lane. ANGELA VIETS ran for Shipp, advanced to third on
ASHLEY SAMPO's groundout and scored on HEATHER LOCHER's single.
The Griffins recovered from a 9-0 deficit, which was somewhat
miraculous, considering their recent slump.
DONNA GONZALES was 5 for 6 and KARLI BUXTON was 4 for 7 as Grossmont
totaled 22 hits.
MELISSA BARRON came on in relief in the 1st inning with two outs
and pitched the final 10 1/3 innings to earn her 11th win in 14
decisions.
Grossmont (16-7-2), which trails front-running Palomar by two
games in the Pacific Coast Conference race, will compete in the
San Diego City College Tournament beginning Monday when they take
on Mt. San Jacinto, San Bernardino and Saddleback at Hourglass
Park in Mira Mesa. Game times are 11, 1 and 3, respectively.
The tournament continues through Tuesday (Apr. 6) before
the Griffins embark on the Long Beach City College Tournament
on Friday and Saturday (Apr. 9-10).
(04-02-04)
FRIDAY - APR 2, 2004 EastCountySports.com Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 11, KNIGHTS 10 GROSSMONT ab r h bi SAN DIEGO CITY ab r h bi Buxton 3b/ss 7 3 4 1 Fry c 6 0 1 1 Carranza lf 5 0 1 1 Martinez cf 6 1 1 0 Whitlow ph 1 0 0 0 Ahmu 3b 5 1 1 0 Moreno 2b 6 0 2 3 Lopez p 5 2 1 0 Gonzales cf 6 1 5 1 Carrilla 2b 5 2 2 1 Davis rf/3b 5 1 1 1 Jasund ss 4 2 1 1 Shipp c 6 1 3 1 Melendez lf 5 2 1 0 Viets pr 0 1 0 0 MacDonald 1b 5 0 1 5 Sampo dp/rf 6 1 1 0 Clark rf 5 0 2 0 Locher 1b 5 1 3 2 M.Barron ss/p 6 2 2 1 Kruse p 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 53 11 22 11 TOTALS 46 10 11 8 Grossmont (16-7-2, 7-3) 002 503 000 01 - 11 22 4 San Diego City (16-14, 4-7) 630 100 000 00 - 10 11 2 GWRBI-Locher. E-Buxton, Barron 2, Moreno, Ahmu, Melendez. DP-GC 1. LOB-GC 12, SDCC 7. 2B-Davis, Shipp, Sampo, MacDonald. SB-Buxton, Gonzales 2. S-Jasund. SF-MacDonald. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Kruse 0.2 3 6 2 2 0 M.Barron W(11-3) 10.1 8 4 4 3 4 SAN DIEGO CITY Lopez L(8-7) 11.0 22 11 11 1 4 HBP-by Kruse (Ahmu), by Lopez (Davis). PB-Shipp. (04-02-04)
City extends Griffins' losing streak at
wrong time
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - The situation is getting a little more desperate
for the suddenly slumping Grossmont College Griffins. They can
forget about capturing the Pacific Coast Conference championship.
Now it's about survival. Just making the Southern California Regional
playoffs is in jeopardy for the Griffins (15-7-2, 6-3) who suffered
their third straight loss Wednesday (Mar. 31) as they dropped
a 6-3 decision to visiting San Diego City College. This is Grossmont's
longest losing streak of the season.
Perennial PCC champion Palomar (14-8-1, 8-1) now holds a two-game
lead over the Griffins, who were sitting atop the circuit just
a week ago. The Comets don't figure to lose again. The Griffins,
meanwhile, now have Southwestern (15-9-1, 6-4) just one-half game
behind them in third place. Only the top two finishers are guaranteed
post-season playoff positions.
Back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Southwestern's No. 8 and No.
9 hitters enabled the Jaguars to break a 1-1 deadlock in the 4th
inning. The Jags went on to score 5 runs in the inning.
DONNA GONZALES' RBI triple was the key blow for the Griffins,
who attempted a comeback with 2 runs in the 5th inning. Gonzales
also singled in Grossmont's first run that tied the 1-1 in the
3rd inning.
Grossmont eyes to halt its skid when the Griffins travel to San
Diego City College on Friday (Apr. 2) at 3 p.m.
(03-31-04)
Wednesday - March 31, 2004 Pacific Coast Conference JAGUARS 6, GRIFFINS 3 SOUTHWESTERN ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi Baca lf 4 1 2 1 Buxton ss 4 1 1 0 Jones 2b 4 0 1 1 Gonzales cf 4 1 2 2 Leana 3b 4 0 2 1 Shipp c 3 0 1 0 Juarez 1b 4 0 0 0 Alford pr 0 0 0 0 Chavez c 4 2 2 0 Davis 3b 2 0 0 0 Jimenez ss 4 2 1 1 Sampo rf 4 0 0 0 King p 3 0 1 0 Moreno 2b 3 0 1 0 Turner dp 2 1 1 1 Whitlow dp 3 0 0 0 Flores rf 2 0 0 1 Locher 1b 2 1 1 0 Barron p 1 0 0 0 Kruse p 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 31 6 10 6 TOTALS 28 3 6 2 Southwestern College (15-9-1, 6-4) 010 500 0 - 6 10 1 Grossmont College (15-7-2, 6-3) 001 020 0 - 3 6 2 GWRBI-Turner. E-Buxton, Jones, Moreno. DP-GC 1. LOB-SWC 7, GC 7. 2B-Chavez. 3B-Gonzales. SB-Buxton, Baca, Jones, Jimenez. PITCHING SUMMARY SOUTHWESTERN ip h r er bb so King W(12-7) 7.0 6 3 3 2 6 GROSSMONT Barron L(10-3) 3.1 8 6 5 2 3 Kruse 3.2 2 0 0 0 1 HBP-By King (Davis, Shipp). 03-31-04)
Griffins drop second-straight, need to sweep
final seven games to share crown
East County Sports.com
IMPERIAL - Still smarting from Wednesday's (Mar. 24) disappointing
loss to perennial Pacific Coast Conference champion Palomar, the
Grossmont Griffins suffered a second devastating loss Friday (Mar.
26) when they fell 7-4 at Imperial Valley College. It was only
the second time that Grossmont has absorbed back-to-back losses
this season.
Yet, despite their tumble, the Griffins (15-6-1, 6-2) still can
grab a share of the conference crown if they sweep their final
seven PCC contests.
IVC's Liz Leckiaga snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-run single in
the bottom of the 5th inning, after the Griffins had rallied from
a three-run deficit to tie.
Grossmont committed two costly errors that handed IVC three unearned
runs.
JADE SHIPP led Grossmont's 11-hit attack with a pair of triples
and a single, driving in two. VANESSA MORENO was 3-for-3 with
a double, triple and one RBI, HEATHER LOCHER had a double and
a triple for the Griffins.
"We had runners on base all day, but couldn't get any key
hits," said Grossmont assistant coach ANA LANDEROS.
The Griffins will regroup and host Southwestern on Wednesday (Mar.31)
at 3 p.m.
(03-26-04)
Friday - March 26, 2004 Pacific Coast Conference ARABS 7, GRIFFINS 4 GROSSMONT ab r h bi IMPERIAL VALLEY ab r h bi Buxton ss 4 1 1 0 Liekiaga 2b 4 1 1 4 Barron dp 4 1 0 0 Guzman cf 3 0 0 0 Shipp c 4 0 3 2 Lofton 3b 4 2 3 1 Gonzales cf 4 0 0 0 Cuevas p 4 1 2 1 Davis 3b 4 1 2 0 Conway 1b 3 1 0 0 Sampo rf 4 0 0 0 Fraustao c 2 1 2 1 Locher 1b 3 1 2 1 Verduaco rf 3 1 2 0 Alford pr 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez lf 3 0 0 0 Moreno 2b 3 0 3 1 Nocis dp 3 0 2 3 Carranza lf 2 0 0 0 Whitlow ph 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 4 11 4 TOTALS 29 7 12 7 Grossmont College (15-6-2, 6-2) 010 120 0 - 4 11 2 Imperial Valley (13-10, 5-6) 013 021 x - 7 12 3 GWRBI-Leckiaga. E-Locher 2, Liekiaga 2, Conway. DP-IVC 1. LOB-GC 8, IVC 7. 2B-Davism Locher, Moreno. 3B-Cuevas, Shipp 2, Moreno, Locher. HR-Lofton, 6th, solo. SB-Buxton. PITCHING SUMMARY GROSSMONT ip h r er bb so Kruse L(4-2) 5.1 12 7 4 1 2 Barron 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 IVC Cuevas W(3-4) 7.0 11 4 3 0 0 HBP-By Kruse (Fraustao). PB-Shipp 2. 03-26-04)
Comets even up with Griffins after snapping
Grossmont's win streak
By John O. Rollo - Special to
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The Pacific Coast Conference
championship will most likely be
decided on Friday, April 16. That is the day the Grossmont College
Griffins
softball team will travel to San Marcos to face Palomor college
for the third
and final time during the 2004 regular season.
The two squads fell into a flatfooted tie
for the PCC lead Wednesday
afternoon (Mar. 24), thanks to Palomar's 6-1 triumph over the
Griffins at
Grossmont.
Grossmont won the first game between these two teams 5-3 on March
5th in San
Marcos. Today's loss snapped Grossmont's 9-game winning streak.
"Flat" is an apt description of
the Griffins' performance in the most recent
contest. In falling to 15-5-2 overall and 6-1 in the PCC, the
Griffins were
stroked for 10 hits and committed four errors, all by pre-season
all-state
honoree KARLI BUXTON, the Griffins sophomore shortstop.
Freshman pitcher MELISSA BARRON, suffering
her second loss in 12 decisions,
allowed six hits and five runs (three earned) in just four and
two-thirds
innings.
Palomar (12-8-1 overall, 6-1 PCC) broke
open a scoreless tie in the top of
the 4th inning, scoring three runs after Barron had retired the
inning's first
two batters. They added two runs in the 5th inning and completed
the scoring
with a solo tally in the 6th.
Grossmont's lone run off Amanda Martinez
(8-5) came in the bottom of the 6th
inning. Freshman rightfielder ASHLEY SAMPO led off with a double
to left
center. Freshman first baseman HEATHER LOCHER followed with a
bloop double down
the right field line, moving Sampo to third. Two outs later, sophomore
left
fielder DANIELLE CARRANZA's line single to left plated Sampo with
the Griffins'
lone run.
"I'm a little surprised at our effort
today," sixth year Grossmont head coach
RICK TRESTRAIL stated at the conclusion of the contest. "I
thought we were
ready to play today, but obviously, we weren't."
The Griffins travel to El Centro on Friday
(Mar. 26) to face Imperial Valley
College in another PCC contest. Game time is 1 pm.
(03-24-04)
WEDNESDAY - MAR 24, 2004
EastCountySports.com
Pacific Coast Conference
COMETS 6, GRIFFINS 1
PALOMAR ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi
Lovelady c 3 0 1 0 Buxton ss 3 0 0 0
Velasquez lf 4 1 1 1 Williams ph 1 0 0 0
Van Nortwick 1b 4 1 2 1 Carranza lf 3 0 1 1
White 2b 4 1 1 0 Whitlow rf 0 0 0 0
Martinez p 0 0 0 0 Shipp c 3 0 0 0
Sanchez 3b 3 0 0 1 Gonzales cf 3 0 1 0
Reed cf 3 1 2 0 Davis 3b 3 0 1 0
Martinez dp/2b 4 1 2 1 Viets pr 0 0 0 0
Barber ss 3 1 1 1 Morena 2b 3 0 0 0
Arakawa rf 3 0 0 0 Sampo rf 2 1 1 0
Alford pr 0 0 0 0
Locher 1b 3 0 1 0
Barron p 1 0 1 0
Kruse p 2 0 0 0
TOTALS 31 3 10 5 TOTALS 27 1 6 1
Palomar (12-8-1, 6-1) 000 321 0 - 6 10 0
Grossmont (15-5-2, 6-1) 000 010 0 - 1 6 4
GWRBI-M.Martinez.
E-Buxton 4. DP-GC 2. 2B-White, Davis, Locher, Velasquez, Gonzales.
SB-Velasquez, Reed. S-Reed. SF-Sanchez.
PITCHING SUMMARY
PALOMAR ip h r er bb so
Martinez W(8-5) 7.0 6 1 1 0 1
GROSSMONT
Barron L(10-2) 4.2 6 5 3 2 0
Kruse 2.1 4 1 1 0 0
(03-24-04)
GRIFFINS PRIMED FOR PCC TITLE
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The championship table has been set, so break out the
bunting. Grossmont College bowled over visiting San Diego
Mesa 11-2 on Friday (Mar. 19) to put the Griffins in position
to clinch a Pacific Coast Conference pennant. Standing in
the way of a Grossmont celebration are the Palomar Comets - the
perennial PCC crown winners. The Griffins (15-4-2, 6-0), who own
a one-game lead over the Comets (11-6-1, 5-1) at the moment, host
Palomar on Wednesday (Mar. 24) at 3 p.m. It ought to be a barn
burner.
The highlight of Grossmont's latest conquest was a pinch-hit 3-run
home run by KIMBERLY WHITLOW (El Capitan High), which brought
an end to the game via the 8-run rule and stretched Grossmont's
winning streak to nine.
El Capitan alumni KARLI BUXTON and HEATHER LOCHER combined for
4 hits and 4 RBI for the Griffins.
JADE SHIPP (Mount Miguel) continued her hot hitting with a 2-for-3
effort, while pinch-hitter extraordinaire ASHLEY SAMPO (El Capitan)
doubled in a run and scored on Whitlow's homer.
AURELIA KRUSE (4-1) allowed only 5 hits and one earned run in
her complete-game pitching effort.
(03-19-04)
Friday - March 19, 2004 Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 11, OLYMPIANS 2 SAN DIEGO MESA ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi Fisher ss 3 1 1 0 Buxton ss 3 2 2 2 Beams lf 3 0 1 0 Carranza lf 3 0 0 1 Fajota c 3 0 1 0 Shipp c 3 1 2 1 Glaspar p 2 1 2 1 Gonzales cf 3 2 1 1 Budeanlou cf 3 0 0 0 Davis 3b 2 0 0 0 Rodriguez 1b 2 0 0 1 Alford pr 0 1 0 0 Watizas 1b 1 0 0 0 Locher 1b 2 1 2 2 Ingram 2b 3 0 0 0 Williams pr 0 1 0 0 Plandor 3b 2 0 0 0 Moreno 2b 2 0 0 0 Sherrard rf 2 0 0 0 Sampo ph 1 1 1 1 Kruse p 3 0 1 0 Whitlow ph 1 1 1 3 Viets rf 2 1 0 0 TOTALS 24 2 5 2 TOTALS 25 11 10 11 San Diego Mesa (1-22, 1-6) 011 000 - 2 5 2 Grossmont (15-4-2, 6-0) 320 024 - 11 10 1 GWRBI-Shipp. E-Beams, Budeanlou, Buxton. LOB-SDMC 5, GC 8. 2B-Buxton, Gonzales, Sampo. HR-Whitlow (1) 6th, two on. SB-Buxton, Shipp, Gonzales 2, Alford. S-Carranza. SF-Carranza. PITCHING SUMMARY SAN DIEGO MESA ip h r er bb so Glaspar L 5.1 10 11 5 9 2 GROSSMONT Kruse W(4-1) 6.0 5 2 1 1 4 PB-Fajota 4. 03-19-04)
Barron delivers another shutout as first-place
Griffs win fifth straight
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College's MELISSA BARRON pitched her second
straight shutout Wednesday (Mar. 17), hiking her record to 10-1
while lowering her ERA to 1.42 as the Griffins smothered San Diego
City College 7-0 to retain their perch atop the Pacific Coast
Conference standings.
While the first-place Griffins (14-4-2, 5-0) were rolling to their
8th straight win, Palomar was pasting Imperial Valley 8-0 to remain
one game back in second place. The Griffins host Palomar on Wednesday,
Mar. 24.
Barron has not allowed a run nor a walk in her last 18 innings.
Grossmont took all the suspense out of this one in a hurry, scoring
all 7 runs in the second inning. DONNA GONZALES was the main cog.
She started things with a booming triple over the center fielder's
head. Later in the inning, she doubled in a run.
JESSICA DAVIS, who was selected the Pacific Coast Conference Female
Athlete of the Week, singled to right-center to score Gonzales.
JADE SHIPP followed with an infield hit. ASHLEY SAMPO then singled
to score Davis to make it 2-0.
With 2 outs, KARLI BUXTON walked to load the bases. DANIELLE CARRANZA
singled to score two and VANESSA MORENO singled off the third
baseman's knee pads to drive in a 5th run. After Gonzales
collected her second extra-base hit of the productive frame, Davis
doubled in the final run.
Grossmont, which next hosts San Diego Mesa on Friday (Mar. 19)
at 3 p.m, finished with a dozen hits against the Knights (9-11,
2-4).
(03-17-04)
Wednesday - March 17, 2004 Pacific Coast Conference GRIFFINS 7, KNIGHTS 0 SAN DIEGO CITY ab r h bi GROSSMONT ab r h bi Fry c 3 0 1 0 Buxton ss 3 1 2 0 Martinez cf 3 0 0 0 Carranza lf 3 0 1 2 Lopez 2b/p 3 0 1 0 Williams lf 1 0 1 0 Ahmu 3b 3 0 1 0 Moreno 2b 2 1 1 1 Carrillo ss/2b 3 0 0 0 Whitlow 2b 1 0 0 0 MacDonald 1b 3 0 0 0 Gonzales cf 4 1 2 1 Melendez lf 3 0 1 0 Davis 3b 3 1 2 2 Mange rf 3 0 1 0 Alford pr 0 0 0 0 Clark p 0 0 0 0 Shipp c 3 1 1 0 Jasmuno 2b 2 0 0 0 Sampo rf 3 1 1 1 Locher 1b 2 0 0 0 Taggert ph 1 0 0 0 Barron p 3 0 1 0 TOTALS 26 0 5 0 TOTALS 29 7 12 7 San Diego City (9-11, 2-4) 000 000 0 - 0 5 2 Grossmont (14-4-2, 5-0) 070 000 x - 7 12 0 GWRBI-Davis. E-Ahmu 2. LOB-SDCC 4, GC 8. 2B-Buxton, Gonzales, Davis, Lopez. 3B-Gonzales. SB-Alford. S-Carranza, Martinez. PITCHING SUMMARY SAN DIEGO CITY ip h r er bb so Clark L 1.2 7 7 7 2 0 GROSSMONT Barron W(10-1) 7.0 5 0 0 0 2 HBP-by Lopez (Davis). 03-17-04)
Griffins may just have something here after
1-0 win in 10 innings
East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA - These Grossmont College Griffins are starting to
look more like champions every day. MELISSA BARRON pitched 10
shutout innings and shortstop KARLI BUXTON made the defensive
play of the game in the bottom of the 9th Friday (Mar.
12) as the Griffins edged host Southwestern 1-0 in 10 innings
for their seventh straight win to remain atop the Pacific Coast
Conference standings.
Barron (9-1) rationed the Jaguars (8-5-1, 2-3) to six hits. She
relied heavily upon her error-free defense as she did not record
a single strikeout. Nor did she issue a single walk.
Buxton ignited the winning rally with her third single of the
game leading off the top of the 10th. Buxton stole second and
advanced to third on DANIELLE CARRANZA's bunt single. Carranza
moved to second on VANESSA MORENO's ground out.
Then, with two outs, JESSICA DAVIS singled to left center scoring
Buxton with the game's only run.
Southwestern nearly spoiled the Griffins' party an inning earlier
when Vanessa Juarez stroked a two-out single and looked as if
she was going to score the winning run when Vanessa Chaldez doubled
over the center-fielder's head.
When Grossmont center fielder DONNA GONZALES retrieved the ball
at the fence, her relay throw sailed over the head of cutoff man
VANESSA MORENO. But Buxton was there to back up the play. Buxton
picked up the ball, turned and tossed a strike to catcher JADE
SHIPP, who applied the tag on Juarez for the inning-ending out.
Shipp was also 2-for-3 for the second game in a row.
Grossmont next plays San Diego City on Wednesday (Mar. 17) at
3 p.m.
(03-12-04)
Ranked Griffins win sixth-straight game,
move to 3-0 in conference
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - JESSICA DAVIS drove home three runs, including a booming
two-run double in the 1st inning, powering Grossmont College to
a 4-2 Pacific Coast Conference triumph over visiting Imperial
Valley on Wednesday (March 10). The Griffins (12-4-2, 3-0) have
won six in a row and are ranked No. 15 in The JuCal Transfer/CCCSIA
(California Community College Sports Information Association)
Super-15 Fastpitch Softball Poll.
Davis, a right fielder, sent a two-out blast to the outfield fence
to open the scoring, pushing across DANIELLE CARRANZA and DONNA
GONZALES, who both singled.
Pinch-hitter ASHLEY SAMPO slugged an RBI double in the fourth,
then Davis lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 4-0 lead in the
5th, scoring Gonzales, who opened the frame with a triple. Sampo
has three pinch hits and 4 RBI in the last three games.
JADE SHIPP was 2-for-3 for Grossmont as was Gonzales.
Griffins pitcher AURELIA KRUSE struck out 4 and yielded just 5
hits for the victory, as IVC only got to the right-hander for
a pair of runs on a Conway home run in the 6th to cut the lead
in half.
Grossmont next plays at Southwestern on Friday (March12) and then
returns home next Wednesday (March 19) to tangle with San Diego
City. Both contests start at 3 p.m.
(03-10-04)
Griffins post major upset of powerhouse
Palomar
East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS - Maybe these Grossmont College Griffins are for real.
They certainly made an impression on perennial state power Palomar
in Friday's (March 5) Pacific Coast Conference encounter, dealing
Comets a 5-3 defeat. Such results between these schools are rare
to say the least. Grossmont, in fact, has won only 3 of 15 bouts
from Palomar in the last seven years.
"This was a huge win for this team and for our program,"
Grossmont coach RICK TRESTRAIL said. "This is the first step
to a great season."
Speaking of great starts, Grossmont freshman pitcher MELISSA BARRON
posted her 8th win in nine decisions, scattering 6 hits and rationing
the Comets to just 2 earned runs. She struck out 5 and walked
one.
"Barron threw 50 strikes and 23 balls," Trestrail said.
"She doesn't get rattled."
Grossmont broke a 1-1 tie with 4 runs in the 6th inning. ASHLEY
SAMPO's pinch-hit single gave the Griffins a 2-1 edge. JADE
SHIPP's infield singled loaded the bases . Walks to KARLI BUXTON,
DANIELLE CARRANZA and VANESSA MORENO handed the Griffins a 5-1
lead.
Shipp was the only Grossmont batter to enjoy a multiple-hit game,
going 2-for-3. Carranza notched 2 RBI.
The Griffins (11-4-2, 2-0), who have won 5 in a row, now lead
the PCC. They'll host Imperial Valley College on Wednesday (March
10) at the unusual time of 1 p.m.
(03-5-04)
Barron forces Mesa to hand over victory
East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO - If Grossmont College is able to win a Pacific Coast
Conference softball championship, freshman right-hander MELISSA
BARRON will certainly have a major hand in it. The Monte Vista
High product turned in an overpowering performance in Wednesday's
(March 3) league opener as the Griffins smashed host San Diego
Mesa 9-1.
Barron pitched a complete-game 5-hitter, while striking out 10
and walking none. She also contributed with the bat, collecting
two singles and a double - scoring once - in as many at-bats.
Grossmont (10-4-2, 1-0) broke open a 1-0 game with 5 runs in the
4th inning. The crushing blow was JESSICA DAVIS' bases-loaded
double off the top of the fence in left-center field, scoring
DANIELLE CARRANZA, VANESSA MORENO and DONNA GONZALES. Davis
finished the day 2-for-2 with 4 RBI.
Carranza and Moreno had two hits and one RBI apiece, while ASHLEY
SAMPO had two RBI.
The Griffins, who have won four in a row and six of their last
seven, face a major showdown with perennial state-power Palomar
on Friday (March 5) in San Marcos at 3 p.m.
(03-03-04)
Barron, Kruse dominate in sweep
of preseason finale
East County Sports.com
COSTA MESA - The visiting Grossmont College Griffins displayed
a pair of powerful pitching performances as they swept a non-conference
doubleheader Wednesday (Feb. 25) at Orange Coast College, winning
4-2 and 6-0.
MELISSA BARRON, a freshman out of Monte Vista, spun a 5-hitter
while striking out 10 in the first game. She blanked the Pirates
for six innings before surrendering a pair of markers in the bottom
of the 7th. The win was Barron's sixth in seven decisions.
It was AURELIA KRUSE's turn in the nightcap, as she fired a 2-hit
shutout. The sophomore right-hander struck out 4 and walked only
one, while improving her record to 2-1.
Grossmont hammered out 10 hits in game one with KARLI BUXTON and
DONNA GONZALES each picking up two safeties. One of Buxton's connections
went for a double. Gonzales had a stolen base. JESSICA DAVIS'
RBI double ignited a 2-run second inning for the Griffins, who
made it 4-0 in the 5th frame and then let Barron handle the rest.
HEATHER LOCHER ripped an RBI double in the opener and lined a
2-run home run in the second game. Buxton stroked her second double
of the day in the nightcap, while ASHLEY SAMPO hit an RBI triple
in the finale.
Grossmont wraps up its preseason schedule with a 9-4-2 mark. The
Griffins open the Pacific Coast Conference campaign on Wednesday,
March 3 at San Diego Mesa College at 3 p.m.
(02-25-04)
Former Vaquero Buxton is Griffins' catalyst
at top of lineup
By John O. Rollo - Special
to EastCountySports.com
The 2004 season has barely begun for the
Grossmont College women's softball
team. For Griffins' shortstop KARLI BUXTON, the honors are already
arriving.
Buxton, a 2000 graduate of El Capitan HS was named to the 2004
Pre-Season
All-State Fast Pitch team, as announced by JuCalTransfer.com.
Buxton is the Griffins' lead-off batter
and its offensive catalyst. She
entered the 2004 season following a freshman campaign that saw
her post a .430
batting average (fourth in the state, with 9 doubles, 2 triples,
2 home runs
and 30 RBI). She was successful in 21 of 23 stolen base attempts
and struck out
only five times in 105 official at-bats.
A Business major with a 3.74 grade point
average, Buxton is off to a good
start in 2004. In 13 games for the Griffins (7-4-2), she has a
.465 batting
average with 20 hits, including 3 doubles, 4 triples, a home run,
21 runs
scored and 11 RBI. She has been successful in 10 of 12 stolen
base attempts.
"I was kinda surprised," Buxton,
whose career plans include owning her own
business one day, said of the honor. "It's really cool and
a great honor."
Seven-year Grossmont head softball coach
RICK TRESTRAIL was ecstatic when he
learned of Buxton's selection.
"Karli is, truly, a special player
and a special person," he said. "She is,
without a doubt, the best player I have ever had the privilege
to coach here at
Grossmont."
Grossmont College was Buxton's choice when
she looked to college after
graduating from high school. The choice was very simple, she believes.
"When I was ready to leave El Cap,
I was not really sure what I wanted to do.
I wanted, I knew, to continue working in my father's sheet metal
and
construction business. Going to Grossmont has allowed me to go
to school, work
and play softball - a sport I love because of its competitiveness.
Besides,
Grossmont is such a family-oriented school."
The 5-foot-6 Buxton, the first Grossmont
College player to receive such a
pre-season accolade, is joined by two fellow Pacific Coast Conference
players -
infielder Adelle Ahmu (San Diego City College) and Elicia Velasquez,
an
outfielder from Palomar College. Both are, like Buxton, sophomores.
Buxton, who has been approached by UC San
Diego and Abilene Christian in
regards to continuing her collegiate career after finishing at
Grossmont, will
be back in action when the Griffins travel to Huntington Beach
on Wednesday (Feb.
25) for a double-header against Orange Coast College.
(02-23-04)
Moreno drives in seven as Griffins sweep
MSJC
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - Freshman VANESSA MORENO drove in 7 runs with a three-run
home run and a triple Wednesday (Feb.11) as Grossmont College
swept a non-conference double-header from visiting Mount San Jacinto
College 10-0 and 8-3.
Moreno's inside-the-park homer in a 7-run 3rd inning helped the
Griffins take a 10-run lead in the first game. The Granite Hills
alum went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, a stolen base and 2 runs scored
as Grossmont crushed the Eagles in the opener.
Winning pitcher MELISSA BARRON, who ran her record to 4-0 with
a 7-hit shutout and 7 strikeouts, also helped out at the plate.
The Monte Vista High alum was 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI
and one run scored.
Barron threw only 46 pitches - 35 of which were strikes.
Grossmont leadoff batter KARLI BUXTON also enjoyed another big
day, collecting 4 hits, 3 runs, one RBI and 2 steals in 7 at-bats.
The Griffins (6-3-2) stacked up 5 runs in the 1st inning of the
nightcap. Moreno's bases-loaded triple was the key blow.
Grossmont sophomore AURELIA KRUSE allowed only one earned run
while striking out 3 in a complete-game pitching performance in
the nightcap.
Other Grossmont standouts in the sweep included: MICHELLE BATCHELOR
(2-for-5, triple, 2 runs, one RBI) and JESSICA DAVIS (2 doubles
in game two).
Next up for the Griffins is the Cypress Tournament which begins
Saturday (Feb. 14) in Buena Park.
(02-11-04)
Grossmont strong in abbreviated games, but
can't match COD in tournament finale
East County Sports.com
PALM DESERT - All was going well for the Grossmont College Griffins
in the two-day College of the Desert Tournament this weekend (Feb.
7-8). The Griffins were in fact, undefeated heading into Sunday's
(Feb. 8) championship game against host College of the Desert.
The title tilt proved to be no contest as the home-standing Roadrunners
ran over Grossmont 8-1 to claim the tournament championship.
Nevertheless, the Griffins posted a 3-1-2 tournament record in
games that were handcuffed by a one-hour, 20-minute time limit.
Grossmont, which is better than its 4-3-2 overall record, clobbered
Citrus 14-1 behind a 16-hit attack in the tourney opener on Saturday
(Feb. 7). Freshman catcher JADE SHIPP (Mount Miguel) was 4-for-4
with a pair of doubles and 3 runs scored for Grossmont. KARLI
BUXTON (El Capitan) was 2-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs,
while DONNA GONZALES (Mount Miguel) was 2-for-4 with a home run
and a triple. Grossmont pitcher MELISSA BARRON (Monte Vista) pitched
a 5-hitter and struck out 9 in the five-inning game.
In Saturday's second game, Grossmont settled for a 1-1 tie with
Mount San Jacinto. AURELIA KRUSE pitched a six-inning five-hitter
for the Griffins.
The final game on Saturday resulted in an 8-3 Grossmont victory
over the USC Rec. team. CHELSEA McKEEVER pitched a 5-hitter and
allowed only one earned run to gain the pitching nod for the Griffins.
Grossmont built a 7-1 lead after two innings and never looked
back. VANESSA MORENO (Granite Hills) belted a three-run home run
to spark the Griffins' 5-run second inning.
On Sunday (Feb. 8), Grossmont rallied from a 3-1 deficit to earn
a 3-3 tie with Los Angeles Mission. The Griffins loaded the bases
on singles by MICHELLE BATCHELOR (Valhalla), Gonzales and Moreno.
JESSICA DAVIS walked to force in one run and Barron singled in
another to tie the game at 3-all. Buxton had a lead-off triple
and scored in the 1st inning.
Hard-luck Grossmont pitcher AURELIA KRUSE did not allow an earned
run while scattering six hits, but had to settle for a no-decision
tie.
Buxton (3-for-3, triple, 4 runs scored) keyed a 13-hit attack
as Grossmont whacked Glendale 12-2. Batchelor belted a 2-run home
run, while DANIELLE CARRANZA was 2-for-3 with a double. Barron
was the beneficiary of the onslaught, spinning a 2-hitter and
striking out 3 over 5 innings for her third win without a loss.
In the championship game, the Griffins got a quick start as Buxton
tripled and scored in the 1st inning. But after that, Grossmont's
offense stalled and COD pounded two Griffins pitchers for 7 hits
and 5 earned runs.
Next up for Grossmont is a home double-header against Mount San
Jacinto Wednesday (Feb. 11) at noon.
(02-08-04)
Saddleback thwarts Griffins' comeback with
win in last at-bat
East County Sports.com
MISSION VIEJO - The visiting Grossmont College Griffins overcame
a 5-1 deficit by scoring two runs in the 6th and 7th innings only
to succumb to host Saddleback 6-5 in the bottom of the 7th inning
of Thursday's (Feb. 5) non-conference contest.
Consecutive singles by MELISSA BARRON, KARLI BUXTON and DANIELLE
CARRANZA sparked the Griffins' 6th inning rally, with Carranza
picking up the RBI. Buxton later scored on a fielder's choice
to cut Saddleback's edge to 5-3 in the 6th.
The Griffins (1-2) continued their comeback an inning later. KIM
WHITLOW, who clubbed a solo home run in the 2nd inning, stroked
an RBI single in 7th inning to tie the game at 5-5.
Lynda Green's RBI single in the bottom of the 7th inning gave
the Gauchos the win.
Buxton and Whitlow accounted for four of Grossmont's 7 hits.
Grossmont will compete in the College of the Desert Tournament
this weekend (Feb. 7-8) in Palm Desert.
(02-05-04)
Griffins get split of DH as Gonzales goes
7-for-8
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - Sophomore DONNA GONZALES (Mount Miguel HS) collected
7 hits in 8 at-bats Friday (Jan. 30) to help lead the Grossmont
Griffins to a split of a season-opening doubleheader against visiting
San Bernardino Valley College. The Griffins won the opener 9-6,
but couldn't hold a 7-5 lead in the nightcap, succumbing to the
Wolverines 9-7.
VANESSA MORENO (Granite Hills HS) tripled and scored in the first
game, while MICHELLE BATCHELOR (Valhalla HS) whacked an RBI double
MELISSA BARRON (Monte Vista HS) scattered 8 hits and allowed only
3 earned runs to notch the pitching win in the opener.
Grossmont pounded out 12 hits - 4 of them by Gonzales, who included
a double, 2 runs, one RBI and a stolen base in her second-game
totals.
KARLI BUXTON (El Capitan HS) was 3-for-3 with two doubles and
3 runs in the nightcap. She stole 2 bases in each game.
Moreno whacked her second triple in as many games, and drove in
3 runs.
Grossmont travels to Saddleback on Thursday (Feb. 5) for a 3 p.m.
start.
(01-30-04)