1 week Ago
TORRANCE While there isn’t a scoreboard installed at the West Torrance softball field, the Warriors players paid no attention to the zero in the hit column while in the dugout Thursday. West Torrance pitcher Audrey Lopetegui, some good fortune and savvy base-running were enough to take advantage of costly mistakes by the Fullerton defense and advance in the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. Lopetegui tossed a five-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in the Warriors’ 3-0 quarterfinal win over the Tribe, who committed four errors over the first and third innings and were unable to support starting pitcher Katelynn Mathews’ equally-masterful performance.
West (24-4), the top seed, will host Etiwanda in Saturday’s semifinals at 3:15 p.m. “I’d say that all my pitches were working, but I couldn’t have done it without my catcher (Raleigh Chung),” Lopetegui, who didn’t allow a walk, said.
“It was a team effort and my defense did well behind me, as well. “The defense did awesome, he had no errors. So that really helped me and I’m so grateful for this team.
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I felt very relieved once my team got those three runs for me.” Fullerton (23-8) was unable to do the same for Mathews, who threw five hitless innings and struck out three to go with two walks. All three of the freshman’s runs allowed were unearned.
A pair of errors at shortstop, including the second with two outs in the bottom of the first, allowed Warriors second baseman Iliana Gallegos to sco.
