Mullins tosses Cats to victories
Pugh stars with bat, glove for LG girls
By Dick Sparrer
Melissa Mullins is on a roll. So is Amanda Palasky. So is Virginia Fritsch. So is Kim Pugh ... and so is the Los Gatos girls softball team.
The Wildcats put together a pair of impressive wins last week against the division leaders, blanking first-place Wilcox 6-0 before shutting out second-place St. Francis 3-0.
With the two wins, Gatos improved to 5-3 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. Wilcox is 6-2, and St. Francis has slipped to 5-3.
"We're peaking at the correct time," said Gatos coach Marlo Ann Cortese. "It's the end of league, and [the Central Coast Section playoffs are] coming up."
The Cats are currently riding the hot right arm of Mullins. The sophomore hurler has now strung together five straight shutouts as the Wildcats have moved into the thick of the title race in the division.
"She's throwing the ball real well," said Cortese of Mullins.
Fritsch, Palasky and Pugh are supporting Mullins with their bats. Fritsch is hitting over .500 in league play; Palasky has hit safely in all eight league games, and Pugh has come through with timely hitting for the Cats.
"[Fritsch] is really tearing it up," said Cortese of the hot-hitting first sacker.
Pugh helped the Cats with her bat and her glove against Wilcox. She homered and singled to lead a 10-hit Gatos attack, and she also "made a spectacular diving play," said Cortese.
"She had an awesome week at shortstop ," said Cortese of Pugh.
"Our defense is just solid right now," added the coach.
Fritsch singled twice to knock in a couple of runs against the Chargers, and Palasky also had two hits.
Mullins flipped a four-hitter for the victory.
The soph hurler was even better two days later when she whirled a one-hitter in a 3-0 Gatos win over St. Francis. Fritsch had a couple of hits in the win, and Tara Hodge doubled.
Los Gatos, now 15-9 for the year, will host Los Altos for a league game on April 24, 3:30 p.m., before heading to Monta Vista on Friday for another 3:30 p.m. start.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
Los Gatos sophomore hurler Melissa Mullins blanked both Wilcox and St. Francis last week. She has now flipped five straight shutouts in league play.
