Saugus Season Ends in Controversy

6/1/2005
Cary Osborne [Signal Staff Writer]

SIMI VALLEY — Saugus softball had overcome extra inning obstacles in its previous two playoff games.
But one more obstacle — off the first base line — was more than the Centurions could handle in a controversial CIF-Southern Section Division I Semifinal nine-inning loss to Royal High, 2-1, Tuesday at Rancho Simi Park.
The Centurions quelled a comeback by Los Alamitos in their second-round, eight-inning win and outlasted Laguna Hills in 12 innings in the quarterfinals and were dueling pitcher’s arm for pitcher’s arm late against Royal.
But Saugus starter Ashley Arnett fell into a pit of trouble in the ninth with the bases loaded, one out and the score tied, 1-1.
With Arnett one pitch away from striking out Highlander Kris Lesovsky, the left fielder popped to the first-base side.
Saugus first baseman Sarah Hooper rushed headlong toward the fence and ran into a San Fernando Valley-based newspaper’s photographer in foul ground, but in the field of play.
The ball dropped foul after the collision.
“It was going to be a tough play, but I was confident I’d get it,” Hooper said. “I put my glove out and the photographer was in the way. It was a little unfortunate.”
Saugus players clammored for an explanation.
Assistant coach Bob Koutz protested to the umpires to call the batter out for interference.
“You have to have a designated place for photographers and (the umpires) didn’t go over that (before the game),” Koutz said. “(The home plate umpire) wouldn’t take the protest because it was a judgment call.”
After the game, the field umpire, who was nearest to the play, and home plate umpire said they couldn’t comment about the incident.
Lesovsky had new life.
“I was trying not to let it affect me,” she said about the controversy. “I just wanted to get a hit.”
Arnett, admittedly upset, cooled off and then sifted through the dirt just outside of the pitcher’s circle as if she were looking for gold.
She found that gold in the sixth, working out of a bases-loaded jam, and again in the fourth, turning away Royal with two on.
Arnett toed the rubber and delivered her 136th pitch of the game.
Lesovsky chopped the ball to Kelliann McCarty at second base, who fired home to catcher Tiffany Huff. Huff put as much of her leg in front of the plate as she could to impede a charging Heather Erickson.
But Erickson beat the throw and Royal advanced to the championship game.
Nonetheless, Saugus had its chances.
The Centurions trailed, 1-0, after one inning when leadoff hitter Andi Ramirez tripled and later came around on a Devon Hofland sacrifice fly.
Saugus had two on with one out in the third and failed to score off pitcher Jessi Waers.
The Centurions broke through with a home run by Hooper in the sixth inning, but failed to produce in the seventh after a leadoff triple by Alex Cueva.
Waers held Saugus to six hits while striking out seven in nine innings.
The Centurions struggled to drive Waers’ riseball, getting under it to the tune of 14 fly-ball outs.
“I was surprised. I don’t recall her doing that well against us last year,” Koutz said of Waers. “We hammered her last year, 8-1 (in the Royal Junior Varsity Tournament).
“She’s grown up, she’s come a long way.”
Arnett surrendered seven hits, walked three and hit a batter, but kept herself clean between the second and eighth innings.
When she took the mound for the ninth, she felt strong.
“We’ve been in that, we’ve had a lot of extra-inning games,” she said. “I knew I could have pitched five more innings if I needed to.”
But an infield single followed by a sacrifice and walk put Arnett in a nailbiting situation.
Ramirez followed with a grounder to McCarty at second base, who couldn’t come up with the play as she was bumped by the runner advancing to second base.
Koutz argued the play to no avail, setting up more controversy.
After the foul pop by Lesovsky, Arnett was put in an even tougher situation.
“I was shocked. I was angry. I was in disbelief because it was such a crucial point in the game,” Arnett said.
According to Royal head coach Bill Dishon, Saugus cannot protest the game.
Koutz and Saugus Athletic Director Kevin Miner said they will file some sort of appeal to the CIF, however.