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HB off to hot start

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Huntington Beach High girls’ softball continued its strong start to the season Tuesday by picking up another victory.

The Oilers took a 2-0 lead on visiting Capistrano Valley, then went on beat the Cougars, 2-1, for their 11th win of the season.

Sophomore Kristina Inouye hit her third home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning to give Huntington (11-4), the fourth-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 1, a 2-0 lead. Senior pitcher Micaela Vierra held Capo Valley to seven hits and struck out seven in notching her eighth win.

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Senior Sammie Vandiver, freshman Ivy Davis and sophomore Jasmine Melgoza also had hits for the Oilers.

“After scoring nine runs last game, our offense was quiet most of the night but we made the most of an early lead from Kristina [Inouye],” Huntington Coach Jeff Forsberg said. “Micaela Vierra and catcher Callie Saccacio really controlled Capo’s offense from about the third inning on for the win.

“Capo’s pitcher [Amanda Gjertsen] threw a great game against us but we stayed calm all night and delivered.”

In Huntington’s previous outing, the Oilers scored nine runs in Saturday’s title game of the Northwood Tournament but were upended, 12-9, by Dana Hills. Inouye doubled among two hits and drove in a run, Vandiver had two hits, stole four bases and scored twice, Ivy doubled and scored, freshman Chance Burden went two for three with a double, RBI and run scored, sophomore Alyssa Horeczko had a two-run hit and walked, and freshman Taylor Livingstone went two for three with an RBI and run scored.

Inouye, Davis, sophomore Anna Kufta each had RBI hits, junior Maria Steadman doubled, and Vierra got the win in a 5-3 tournament victory over Beaumont.

Inouye and Davis were named all-tournament.

“It was nice to get the tournaments over as we have been on a hectic schedule for four weeks,” Forsberg said. “We had played very well in all three tournaments. But, we came out flat in the first inning of the Dana game but then kicked it up and were right there in the end. Our offense gave us a chance to win but we ran out of time. I am proud on how we came back and that we did not panic and got back to what we do best.”

Ocean View entered the week ranked second in CIF Southern Section Division 4, and the Seahawks lived up to that rating Tuesday by disposing of host Irvine, 7-2, in nonleague play. Billi Derleth led the way by pitching and hitting the Seahawks (9-3) to the victory. The junior dominated on the mound and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing two hits. She struck out 13 to get her fifth win of the season. Derleth also powered the Ocean View offense by belting a pair of home runs to collect five RBIs.

Juniors Olivia Russ, and Anika Ortiz, and senior Emily Long added to Ocean View’s 14-hit attack with two hits each.

In a nonleague doubleheader Saturday at Ocean View, the Seahawks swept Gardena Serra, winning by scores of 12-2 and 8-7.

In the opening game, Derleth threw five innings and allowed four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts to get the win for the Seahawks, who pulled away from the Cavaliers by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Derleth, Russ, Long and senior Tobi Salzman each had two hits.

Sophomore Alyssa Slater pitched the final five innings of a close second game won by Ocean View, 8-7. Slater allowed three hits and two earned runs and struck out six to earn her third win. Ortiz and freshman Grace Mosher had three hits apiece and Russ and sophomore Lacy Combs both had two hits.

“I thought we played well most of the day,” Ocean View Coach Mike McLaughlan said. “We had a hard time closing out the second game. We lost focus in the late innings and let Serra catch up but held on for the victory.”

Marina, the second-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 1, went 4-1 at the Torrance T-N-T Tournament. The Vikings (10-1) crushed both South Torrance (9-0), Bakersfield Stockdale (10-0), dropped a 2-0 game, their first loss of the season, to host Torrance (2-0), and finished with wins against Lakewood (9-1) and Las Vegas Centennial (2-0).

Senior pitcher Tera Blanco, who recorded her fourth shutout of the season and put her ERA at 0.90 at the tournament, and junior Sydney McCollum, were named to the all-tournament team.

CIF Weekly Rankings

Softball: Marina (No. 2, Division 1); Huntington Beach (No. 4, Division 1); Ocean View (No. 2, Division 4).

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