(5-5-08)
El Cajon CA, The girl's softball team ended their conference
championship year with a two game playoff defeats to visiting
Riverside College yesterday.
2008 PCC Standings
(5-6-08)
Team
Conf.
Overall
Grossmont
13-2
27-12-0
Palomar
9-6
28-16-0
SD City
9-6
27-18-2
Southwestern
8-7
18-23-0
SD Mesa
6-9
18-21-0
Imperial Valley
0-15
10-24-0
The Griffins were out hit and out played for the
entire best of three series that included a 8-0 shutout the
first day and 10-2 defeat the second.
The Griffins who normally stake their success on
the sound play of their defense, were everything but this
past weekend. In the two games the Griffins committed a total of
nine error, six of them coming in the pivotal second game.
The offense was not much better. Grossmont
managed only two runs on 11 hits in both games. At times the
Griffins were their own worst enemy. In the third inning of the
second game, after three Grossmont players successfully reached
base, the momentum was quickly swept away on a failed stolen
base and scoring attempt. The Griffins only managed to come away
with one run on three hits, one double, a walk, and a hit
batsman in the inning.
All is not lost. The Griffins had a successful
season earning the Conference Championship finishing 13-2 and
27-12 over all. They also placed four girls on the All
Conference list, six including second team players.
Griffins at home in first round
Knights, Comets on road
Pacific Coast Conference champion Grossmont College
will host Riverside Community College in a best-of-three series next
Saturday and Sunday to begin the California Community College
Athletic Association state softball playoffs.
The Griffins and Tigers will begin the Southern California Regional
series on Saturday at 2 p.m. The second game will be played Sunday
at noon. A third game, if necessary, will follow.
San Diego City College will visit Saddleback and Palomar will play
at Fullerton in other playoff series at the same days and times.
Mottola, Koopman, Utley, Byrne: All Conference
Watch
Highlights
(4-24-08) The news came late this
afternoon from assistant coach Ana Landeros about the women's
softball team earning four All Conference spots in the Pacific Coast Conference, with the honors going to:
Ashley Mottola, Ashley Koopman, Marissa Utley, and Stephanie Byrne.
Just a little over a week ago the girls celebrated
capturing the individual conference championship, outdistancing
Palomar College who had either won outright or shared the
championship for 22 consecutive years.
Freshman third baseman, Katie Thomas, and the
veteran left fielder, Leeann Stroud, both earned second team All
Conference accolades. Stroud, was one of two first team All
Conference players for the Griffins in 2007.
The first place Griffins squad is supported by three
honorable mentions. Second baseman Ashley Marx, sophomore Rebecca
Osborne, and right fielder Nikki Sessions all had great years
helping contribute to the success of the girl's team.
Saturday May 3rd, the girls start their playoff run
starting at 2pm. Sunday's game is scheduled for a 12pm tipoff time.
The Griffin's opponent has yet to be determined, but should be
available latter this week.
ALL-PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
Player of the Year
Erika Rangel, San Diego City
Pitcher of the Year Ashley Mottola, Grossmont
Coaches of the Year Rick Trestrail, Grossmont, and Bob Aguilar, Southwestern
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher – Ashley Mottola, Grossmont
Pitcher – Becky Galindo, Southwestern
Catcher – Ashley Koopman, Grossmont
First Base – Stephanie Byrne, Grossmont
Infield – Andi Anti, Palomar
Infield – Erika Rangel, San Diego City
Infield --- Alexis Coronado, San Diego City
Infield – Shawna Barrow, Palomar
Outfield – Marissa Utley, Grossmont
Outfield – Corey Boss, Palomar
Outfield – Natalie Garrett, San Diego City
Wild Card (Outfield) – Alyssa Cassiple, San Diego Mesa
Utility – Alex Hutchinson, Palomar
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher – Alyssa Cassiple, San Diego Mesa
Catcher – Brenda Gill, Palomar
First Base – Theresa Houle, Palomar
Infield – Katie Thomas, Grossmont
Infield – Katie Schlein, San Diego Mesa
Infield – Autumn Hammer, Southwestern
Outfield – Andrea Nedden, Palomar
Outfield – LeeAnn Stroud, Grossmont
Outfield – Roxy Heshmaty, San Diego Mesa
Utility – Heidi Ferrer, Southwestern
Girls Shine in
Come From Behind Victory
In a back and fourth emotional pitcher’s
dual with visiting Southwestern College, the Conference Champion
Griffins came out on top of a 3-2 ballgame.
With the winning runner on third base and
two outs in the bottom of the seventh, freshman first baseman
Stephanie Byrne laced a pitch over the outstretched glove of
Southwestern’s second baseman, scoring the winning run that
ignited the home crowd.
For four inning Grossmont’s Ashley
Mottola and Southwestern’s Becky Golindo were locked in letting
runners from either team across home plate.
The Griffins struck first in the fifth
after Rebecca Osborne walked, stole a base, and was knocked in
by Nikki Sessions who doubled to deep right center field.
Southwestern responded quickly in the
sixth putting two runners across the plate after a costly bases
loaded throwing error by second baseman Osborne. Attempting to
notch the second out of the inning by getting the force at home,
Osborne’s throw was in the dirt with catcher Ashley Koopman
unable to corral the ball.
Osborne made up for the error by getting
on base in the next inning and scoring the winning run.
Griffins Claim PCC Championship
For the first time in 22 years the Pacific Coast Conference has
a new champion standing alone atop of the podium in the form of
the Grossmont Griffin’s softball team.
For 22 consecutive seasons Palomar had either won or shared the
conference title until Grossmont mathematically eliminated them
with a victory over Southwestern last Wednesday.
“We were tri-champions last year with City and Palomar but we
beat Palomar twice head to head in two of three games, so in
reality we were ahead of Palomar in the elite standings,” coach
Rick Trestrail said.
The Griffins will be gearing up for the playoffs starting later
this month. The Grossmont squad could be bolster by as many as
four All Conference players along with the strong possibility
that Ashley Mottola will win for Pitcher of the Year. “Our
defense is unbelievable and Ashley (Mottola) was just
phenomenal,” exclaimed coach Trestrail.
In a preview of what’s to come, the girls beat up on Palomar in
their final head to head game yesterday. In the last two frames
the Griffins hung 12 runs on the board, enacting the mercy rule,
and solidifying their come back after being down two runs for
most of the game.
The girls face Southwestern in an important match up on Tuesday
where consequences for a loss could mean the loss of a home
field game and poor seeding.
Marx honored by PCC
(4/7) Grossmont's Ashley Marx and Palomar softball
player Alex Hutchinson were honored by the Pacific Coast Conference
as Women’s Athletes of the Week for the week that ended Sunday.
Marx, a freshman infielder from El Capitan High
School, went 3-for-3 and scored the tying run on LeeAnn Stroud’s
squeeze as the first-place Griffins moved another step toward a
conference championship by beating San Diego Mesa 6-3.
Grossmont (23-9, 9-1) leads the conference by three
games entering the season’s home stretch.
Punching across seven runs before winning pitcher JANELLE HAVENS
took the field Wednesday (Mar. 26), Grossmont steam-rolled past
Imperial Valley College, 12-4. The victory maintains the team's
2-game lead, but now over only one team.
While San Diego City kept pace by nipping San Diego Mesa, 5-4,
elsewhere, Palomar slipped out of its tie with the Knights into
fourth place, dropping two spots after Southwestern went 8 innings
to tip the Comets, 2-1.
"It's all been so automatic -- it's making the coaches nervous,"
said Griffins assistant coach ANA LANDEROS. "Just watching the
demeanor of the girls, it's like nothing can go wrong."
Grossmont continues its cruise-control trek to the top of the
Pacific Coast Conference standings, capturing its 11th consecutive
ballgame after downing second-place Southwestern, 6-1. Winning
pitcher ASHLEY MOTTOLA tossed a 3-hitter, getting staked to an early
4-0 advantage. Read more
Mottola also carried her defense, which committed four errors.
The pitchers" duel saw Grossmont go down in order through three
innings, but finally got to the Knights during the second time
through the order in the 4th inning for the game's lone run.
Read more.
Remarkably, for a team that finished at the top of
the standings, the Griffins only had a trio of All-PCC players as
selected by the conference coaches.
Infielder Nichole Bouchereau and outfielder LeeAnn
Stroud were first-team selections, while infielder Kyrstin Gemar was
a second-team pick.
(5/7) The Griffins remarkable 2007 season came to an
end at the hands of #4 Cerritos.
The powerful bats continued to come through for the
Cerritos College softball team on the second day of the Southern
California Regional Playoffs. The Falcons (32-9-1), winners over
Grossmont College (24-9), 9-0 in six innings on Saturday, needed
only five innings on Sunday to post a 10-1 win.
The series victory advances the #4-seeded Cerritos
team into the Super Regional next weekend against an opponent to be
determined. The next round of the playoffs will also be a best
two-out-of-three series and will take place at Nancy Kelly Field
next Saturday and Sunday.
Softball
draws #4 Cerritos in first round
(4/30) The Grossmont women, seeded #13 in Southern
California Regional Playoffs will travel to #4 Cerritos College for
a three-game series.
Game 1 - Saturday 5/5 2pm Game 2 - Sunday 5/6 12pm Game 3 - Sunday 5/6 2pm (if necessary)
(4/26) Grossmont has earned a share of the Pacific
Coast Conference Title. They will play in a tiebreaker game today
versus the winner of an earlier contest between S.D. City College
and Palomar.
Thursday Tiebreaker
(Courtesy of EastCountySports.com) Wednesday night
-- The conference, following a review of its by-laws, determined
that tiebreaker games will be necessary to designate which school
would get the conference's top seed for the COA playoffs. Thus, a
2-game, 3-team playoff format was devised.
Through a blind draw, Grossmont received a bye into the final, and
Palomar earned the right to hosts two contests. San Diego City and
Palomar will play in the "semifinal" Thursday (Apr. 26) at 1 p.m.,
with the second game against the Griffins starting 30 minutes later,
following the conclusion of the opener.
The use of the tiebreaker is the first in the PCC since 2003, when
City and Mesa held a 1-game playoff to determine third place in the
conference and priority entrance into the postseason.
Photo
Gallery (3/30) PCC Report
(4/2) The Griffin women fell out of first place with consecutive
losses at Mesa (3/28) and Palomar (3/30).
The Griffins lost a 4-7 decision on Wednesday at Mesa College. They
then suffered a 6-19 blowout at the hands of first place
Palomar.
Grossmont looks to rebound by hosting Imperial Valley Wednesday
(4/4) at home at 1pm.
(3/13) Facing nonconference foes Santiago College
the Griffins registered a solid 7-2 victory. Jesse Peterson got the
win to move to 6-1. She also struck out five and drove in a pair of
runs. Kyrstin Gemar knocked a pair of doubles and Marissa Utley
added an RBI single as did Ashley Koopman.
(3/9) Grossmont moved into a first place tie with
perennial champion Palomar College by beating the Comets 10-7 at
Grossmont.
Palomar has won the PCC softball title 21 straight
seasons, but the Griffins, who sport the conferences top overall
record (15-3), appear to be a threat to that domination.
The usually potent Grossmont offense came through
again led by Kyrstin Gemar (3-3, 2 RBI) and Marissa Utley added a
solo homer.
(3/6) Grossmont rallied late to avoid a loss to
last-place Southwestern, winning 6-5.
Grossmont entered the seventh and final inning trailing 4-5 before
scoring twice and earning a walk-off win.
It was Kyrstin Gemar's RBI double off the fence to drive in Lauren
Hastings with the winning run.
(2/25) Courtesy of East County Sports --On
Saturday, Ventura and Glendale colleges came to town and swept 3-way
doubleheaders from San Diego City and San Diego Mesa. But when the
invaders from the north visited the Griffins on Sunday (Feb. 25), it
was Grossmont which secured the sweep, rallying in both contests to
top Ventura, 4-2, then Glendale, 10-6.
(2/17) Grossmont shortstop Nicole Bouchereau had a monster
day in a doubleheader sweep of visiting Barstow collecting 10
RBIs in a pair of blowouts, 12-1, and 18-0. The transfer from
Santa Barbara CC went 3-for-3 with three RBI in game one, but
saved her best for game two. In the second contest the
All-American from a year ago had a pair of three-run homers and
seven RBI.
(2/9) Grossmont pitcher Jesse Peterson's no-hitter
in game two completed a doubleheader sweep of Orange Coast College
9-3 and 9-0.
Peterson fell just two walks shy of a perfect game.
For her efforts Peterson has been named a PCC Athlete of the Week.
In game one Ashley Mottola was the winning pitcher,
and smoked her fist home run of the season.
(2/7) The Griffins got off to a quick start and held on to win
10-8 against visiting Saddleback College Wednesday (2/7.)
First batter Marissa Utley (right) put Grossmont on the board with a
leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning.
That was just the start. The Griffins would bat around in the first
frame to push their record to 4-0.
Lauren Hastings scored on Nicole Bouchereau’s sacrifice fly, then
Kyrstin Gemar, who had singled, scored on Stephanie Roberts’ base
hit.
With the bases loaded, Rebecca Osbourne doubled, pushing the
Grossmont lead to 6-0.
Ashley Mottola was solid on the mound, with the 8 runs being widely
attributed to defensive miscues.
Griffins out to 3-0 start
(2/3) Grossmont got of to a slow start, trailing at
El Camino College 2-8 after two innings, but came back for the win,
10-9.
Heading into the top of the 7th, Kyrstin Gemar hit her 2nd homerun
of the game, bringing the Griffins within two, down 7-9.
Later in the 7th Nicole Bouchereau got on base with a walk and then
Stephanie Roberts, with 2 strikes drilled a homer to dead center
field to tie the game 9-9.
The next 2 batters were retired before LeeAnn Stroud got on with a
single.
Marissa Utley then doubled over the the left
fielder's head to score Stroud, putting Grossmont up by 1.
The Griffins still needed three more outs to secure the victory, and
after the leadoff batter walked the Griffs were on the ropes.
But it was Gemar to the rescue once more. With one out, Gemar,
patrolling center field snared a line drive and fired a strike to
first base to double off the leadoff batter ending a thrilling
comeback win.
Mottola tosses 1-hitter
