El Dorado Beats Kennedy for Division II Title

Placentia El Dorado on Saturday became one of the Southern Section’s most unlikely softball champions.

Twice beaten in the Empire League by rival La Palma Kennedy, facing a pitcher who had shut them out twice and had allowed only one run in her previous 129 innings, the Golden Hawks found a way to defeat Kennedy, 2-1, for the Division II title at Barber Memorial Park in Irvine.

It is El Dorado’s first championship since 1977, which was also its last appearance in a section final.

The victory was hard-earned for El Dorado (21-9). The Golden Hawks got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth inning with a 1-2-3 double play, scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double by Heather Martin, and clinched the title when third baseman Kristi Durant speared a drive that would have scored the tying run.

Kennedy (24-6-1), ranked fifth in the state, had UCLA-bound Michelle Turner pitching, but sophomore Amanda Watkins (12-4) got the best of the pitching duel, including retiring Turner (23-5) for the last out with a runner on second base in the seventh.

Turner’s smash down the third-base line was caught off the dirt by Durant, who threw the ball to first base. Umpires didn’t rule whether Durant caught it or not--she said she did--but it was moot when Martin grabbed Durant’s off-line throw and stepped on the bag ahead of Turner.

Kennedy beat El Dorado in league, 4-0 and 2-0.

“We’re a different team than when we played them before, and we’re becoming somewhat of a powerhouse,” said Watkins, who gave up six hits, hit a batter and struck out one. “The mystique surrounding Michelle sometimes freezes teams.”

Turner gave up seven hits and struck out five.