Softball: An opportunity foiled, but Canyon isn't an underachiever

With four freshmen and three sophomores in the starting lineup, 2010 looks as if it should be a very good year for Anaheim Canyon. But how good 2008 is may have been affected by a 1-0 loss to El Modena on Thursday that cost the Comanches the Century League title. You can read Carlos Arias' account here.

Ranked No. 11 by The Times and No. 4 in Southern Section Division II, Canyon missed its chance to be the surprise champion of the league. Where it falls in the pairings process when the playoff brackets are released Monday is anybody's guess.

"All things considered, if you had told me in January we were going to be 22-7 overall and 8-2 in league,  we'd take it," said Canyon co-Coach Lance Eddy. "I don't think anybody gave us a real shot to do anything."

Um, Coach, being ranked No. 17 in the preseason by The Times isn't the same as calling you hopeless.

Canyon has had a terrific season so far. It was beaten Thursday on a play at the plate on Anissa Zambrano's run-scoring double. It lost to a team currently ranked No. 12 by The Times that began the season ranked No. 5 with much loftier expectations.

Unlike senior Kylie Wagner, who pitched a one-hitter and struck out seven Canyon batters, the Comanches have a freshman, Cheyanne Tarango, in the pitcher's circle. She threw a five-hitter and struck out 11.

"For a freshman, she pitched well," Eddy said, "but Wagner was nailing the outside corner, and we couldn't do anything about it."

Who knows, if Canyon (22-7, 8-2) had been able to get down a few bunts -- Eddy said his team failed five times to do so -- maybe the outcome would have been more like its 2-0 victory over El Modena (21-8-1, 9-1) on April 22.

"As much as anything," Eddy said, "I think it was the case of freshman jitters on our part."

-- Martin Henderson