Softball: Simi Valley picks up first hit; Valencia still ahead, 1-0

Simi Valley has yet to really figure out Valencia pitcher Jessica Spigner, who figures to be a third baseman -- not a pitcher -- at the next level. The Pioneer's did get a hit, their first of the game, but no more.

Heading into the top of the fourth, Valencia is holding on to a 1-0 lead in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship game at Barber Park in Irvine.

-- Jaime Cardenas

Softball: Valencia still up, 1-0, heading to bottom of third

Tennessee-bound Jessica Spigner, pictured, got a hit in the top of the third inning, but Simi Valley manged to get out of the inning without allowing a run. My colleague Martin Henderson says that if Valencia continues to get runners on base like they are doing so far, they'll eventually blow the game open.

The Pioneer's are at the plate now.

Heading into the bottom of the third, Valencia is ahead, 1-0,
in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship game at Barber Park in Irvine.

-- Jaime Cardenas

-- Image by Jaime Cardenas

Track and field: Cathedral's Carroll doubles pleasure with 200 victory

Task completed. Randall Carroll of L.A. Cathedral motored to victory in the 200 meters Saturday evening, clocked at 20.91 seconds, the top time in the state and fourth-fastest in the country. Carroll pulled away down the stretch, as if the rest of the field was standing still. Carroll also won the 100 in a state-leading 10.42 at the CIF state championships at Cerritos College

Joey Hughes of Long Beach Poly finished fourth in 21.53, leaving Poly two points behind Dominguez heading into the final event, the 1,600 relay. Poly needs to win and hope the Dons finished third or lower. That's the only way the Jackrabbits can win the team title outright. Unfortunately for Poly, Dominguez owns the top time in the nation in the event.

Softball: Valencia scores first and leads, 1-0, after two innings

Valencia struck first. Simi Valley looks nervous. The Pioneers commited a costly two-out error in the second inning that led to a run-- the game's only so far. Shannon Fitzgerald, who reached second on a fielding error by the first baseman, scored on a single to right by Alyssa Garza.

Heading into the third inning, Valencia is up, 1-0, in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship game at Barber Park in Irvine.

-- Jaime Cardenas

Softball: First inning in the book, and score is tied at 0-0

Valencia's Tennesse-bound Jessica Spigner took care of Simi Valley in 1-2-3 style in the first inning. Simi Valley's Amanda Oliveto, pictured, gave up two singles to the Vikings but got out of the inning without giving up a run.

Heading into the second inning Saturday night, Valencia and Simi Valley are tied, 0-0, in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship game at Barber Park in Irvine.

-- Jaime Cardenas

Track and field: Claremont's Carter comes up big in 300 hurdles

Kori Carter of Claremont won the girls' 300 hurdles in a personal-best 41.28, which remains the No. 3 time in the nation this season. Carter, just a sophomore, also finished fourth in the 100 hurdles.

Anna Jelmini of Shafter becomes the second double winner of the day, taking the girls' shot put with a mark of 48-3 1/2. Jelmini won the discus earlier. Jelmini has personally put Shafer in a tie for second place in the team competition with 20 points. Long Beach Poly leads with 28. With two athletes remaining in the triple jump and a strong 1,600 relay team, the Jackrabbits could be tough to catch at this point.

Dayshan Ragans of Bakersfield Foothill also won both the weight events in the boys' competition. His winning throw in the boys' discus was measured at 202-6, seventh best in the nation this season.

Even two wins in field events doesn't better what Harrison Steed of San Juan Capistrano JSerra accomplished in the boys' high jump. He couldn't clear 7-3, but his winning effort of 7-1 is easily the best boys' field event mark of the day, especially considering he's only a sophomore.

-- Dan Arritt

Note: For up-to-the-minute results of the CIF state championship meet, check here.

Softball: Valencia vs Simi Valley about to get under way

Simi Valley (30-0), the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, according to StudentSports.com, and Valencia (28-5-1) are set to meet in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I championship game Saturday night at Barber Park in Irvine. The premise for this matchup up is simple: If Simi Valley wins, it will cap off an undefeated season with a mythical national championship.

To find out more about this game, read my colleague Martin Henderson's preview.

-- Jaime Cardenas

Track and field: JSerra's Steed flying high in boys' high jump

Harrison Steed, a sophomore at San Juan Capistrano JSerra, just cleared a personal-best 7 feet 1 inch in the boys' high jump Saturday afternoon at Cerritos College. No athlete has gone higher than 7-0 at the CIF state meet since Jason Howard of Bakersfield Ridgeview went 7-1 in 1997. Steed is now taking aim at 7-3.

Good race in the girls' 800, as Anniya Lewis of Culver CIty made a big move with about 300 meters remaining and held off Mia Lattanazi of Palo Alto to win in 2:10.29. Lewis was in midpack on the final backstretch but moved into first with about 50 meters remaining. It appeared she had the victory sewed up, but out of nowhere, Lattanazi moved up on the inside and nearly outleaned Lewis at the finish. Lattanazi finished second in 2:10.32.

Charles Jock of Pacific Beach Mission Bay made a similar move in the boys' 800 and sped to victory in 1:51.64. I bet when kids at his school call him a Jock, he doesn't mind.

--Dan Arritt

Note: For up-to-the-minute results of the CIF state championship meet, check here.

Softball: Grandioso grand slam for Ocean View's Cutspec

Do yourself a favor and just watch the video.

Here's the set-up. The score was 2-1 in favor of Bishop Amat. The inning was the sixth. There are no outs and the bases were loaded for Ocean View. Junior Brandice Cutspec, the seventh batter in the order, came up to the plate. She swung at the first pitch she saw.

Ocean View went on to beat Bishop Amat, 8-3, winning its first softball title since 1985.

-- Jaime Cardenas

-- Video by Jaime Cardenas

Track and field: Cathedral's Carroll takes top honors in boys' 100

Randall Carroll of L.A. Cathedral is officially the fastest high school runner in the state. Carroll just blazed to victory in a wind-legal state-leading 10.42 seconds, and it wasn't even close Saturday afternoon at the CIF state championships at Cerritos College. Carroll, third in state in the event last season, finished well ahead of runner-up Charles Saseun of Rancho Cucamonga (10.63), who finished second last season as well.

Let's see if Carroll can get that second victory in the 200. He'll have tough company in Joey Hughes of Long Beach Poly, who will not only be running for individual honors, but also for key points in the team title race.

Everybody can't be fast today, though. Ashton Purvis of Oakland St. Elizabeth won the girls' 100 in 11.92, the slowest time since the meet went to the metric system in 1980. Purvis, who has a best of 11.74 seconds this season, ran into a pretty stiff headwind of -1.9 meters per second.

Jessica Davis of Highland, another sophomore, was second in 11.97, setting up a great rivalry for years to come. Top qualifier Valexsia Droughn, a freshman at Rio Mesa, got off to a poor start and finished eighth in 12.30.