Softball: Lesovsky’s catch saves Granada Hills

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In team sports, communication is a key component to success and that was proven again at the end of Wednesday’s City Section Championship Division opener between fourth-seeded Granada Hills and 13th-seeded Palisades.

With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, the host Highlanders were clinging to a 2-1 lead when Lily Lack tripled to center field, bringing Palisades’ leadoff hitter Amber Flores to the plate with the chance to tie the score.

Flores hit a hard line drive and Granada Hills right fielder Maddie Lesovsky started moving forward, but the ball’s trajectory was higher than expected and she recovered in time to retreat a few strides, reach up at the last instant and make a one-handed grab for the final out.

Lesovsky credited center fielder Karla Canseco with an assist on the game-winning play.

‘At first, I misread it off the bat,’ Lesovsky said. ‘As I was running up I heard Karla shout ‘Back up!’ so I did. We weren’t expecting this to be quite so close, but we couldn’t get onto their pitching.’

Freshman Tallie Woodson pitched a four-hitter with five strikeouts and was part of a double steal that allowed Sophia Castro to score the winning run from third in the bottom of the sixth. The Highlanders loaded the bases with no outs in the first but failed to score.

Granada Hills (15-17) hosts fifth-seeded Lincoln (27-4) in the quarterfinals Friday.

-- Steve Galluzzo