The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Champ: Willow Glen's Niki Garcia earned a place on the all-tournament team at the Charlie Miguel Tournament co-hosted by Pioneer and Santa Clara.

WG's Garcia on Miguel list

She makes all-tourney team despite WG loss

By Dick Sparrer

The Willow Glen girls' softball team's Niki Garcia has earned a place on the Charlie Miguel Tournment's all-tournament team, despite her club's early exit from the Mission College tournament. The Rams lost two straight, falling to Notre Dame Belmont and Soquel.

The tournament was a boon for the Westmont Warriors, who made quite a comeback.

The Warriors were off to a dismal start in the 1998 season, winning just six of their first 13 games. But faster than you can say Lisa Chapman, they turned their season around.

Chapman, a freshman pitcher for Westmont, won five straight games in a weekend, and the Warriors won six games in all as they turned their season record from 6-7 to 12-7 almost overnight.

Westmont fought through the loser's bracket of the tournament with six straight victories to move into the finals against winner's bracket champ Santa Teresa.

"That gave us a real boost," said Westmont coach Todd Lafferty of the string of wins. And Chapman was responsible for much of the Warriors' success.

Her five victories helped Westmont into last Saturday's title game against Santa Teresa. The Warriors dropped a tough 4-2 nod to the Saints in the finals, but that didn't keep Chapman from raking in post-tournament honors.

Chapman was named the most valuable pitcher in the tournament after helping the Warriors reach the title game.

Laura Nunez was tabbed the most valuable player of the tournament after leading Santa Teresa to the team championship in the event that lasted some three weeks due to inclement weather.

Rounding out the all-tournament team were Brooke Charland of Del Mar, Sheila Hess of Fremont, Shawnti Bortoli of Homestead, Nancy Mills of Los Gatos, Angela Locke of Lynbrook, Jenny Reyda of Monta Vista, Mariah Fike of Mountain View, Jessica Busick of Piedmont Hills, Lindy Tintelnot of Santa Teresa, Shelley Bruno of Valley Christian, Jessica Cobillas of Westmont and Vicky Doane of Wilcox.

Santa Teresa won five straight games to finish along in the winner's bracket. The Saints beat Gunderson, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Piedmont Hills and Fremont, but then lost to Chapman and the Warriors in the first championship game to force the tournament's "if necesssary" game.

But along the way, Westmont had eliminated Mt. Pleasant (3-0), Monta Vista (5-1), host Pioneer (4-3), Del Mar (5-4), Piedmont Hills (4-3), Wilcox (6-4) and Fremont.

"We had a lot of close games," said Lafferty. "But they really put everything together. They're all young kids, but they can all play."

In regular season action last week, the Willow Glen Rams were pounded 29-2 by unbeaten Del Mar. Willow Glen slipped to 0-2 in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League with the loss.

Freshman Desirae Dagnino slapped a two-run double to account for all the Willow Glen scoring in the game.

The Dons held a 7-0 lead at three innings before unloading for 13 runs in the fourth.

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