Sports

Softball Notebook: Battle-tested Spartans

LCHS to begin league play next week after a tough non-league slate.

The La Cañada softball team, ranked No. 1 in the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 coaches poll, stepped out of its comfort zone this preseason.

Rather than beat up on teams in the lower rungs of the Southern Section, the Spartans scheduled a number of Division 1 squads to toughen them up for a postseason run. 

The consequence of the Spartans’ scheduling method was a 3-3 record out of the gates, as La Cañada dropped a game to Glendora (ranked sixth in Division 1) in the San Dimas Tournament and then lost two at West Ranch (another Division 1 school) in a doubleheader last Tuesday. The Spartans’ three wins also came against teams from tougher divisions.

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“We’ve definitely stepped up the competition we have faced this year,” La Cañada coach KC Mathews said. “We’ve been playing some really solid teams up to this point.”

“I think the goal is to get your team as prepared as possible, scheduling tougher teams and seeing how the girls handle adversity." 

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Mathews said that he liked how his team has battled against such a competitive slate, pointing out how the Spartans rallied back to score four runs in the seventh inning of a 9-5 loss at West Ranch.

The Spartans are also adapting well to life without ace junior pitcher Lauren Cox, who currently is sidelined with a groin injury.

Cox teamed up with Lauren O’Leary last season to form a potent one-two punch in the circle for LCHS. One would start the game, and the other would come in half way through to slam the door on a win. O'Leary and Cox posted ERAs of 0.61 and 0.35 in a combined 195 innings last season.

But without Cox available, O’Leary has had to shoulder most of the pitching load for La Cañada. O’Leary has appeared in five games and thrown 30 innings, allowing five earned runs for a 1.17 ERA.

“Without Lauren Cox in the mix so far, a bigger burden has fallen on (O’Leary), and she’s done just a fantastic job of stepping up and taking on that added responsibility,” Mathews said. “She’s the reason why we’ve been so successful this year in our games.

“…  She’s very focused — doesn’t get rattled out there. Her mental toughness so far this year has been very impressive.”

Mathews was reluctant to put a timetable on when Cox could return for LCHS. But he did say that once Cox returns, it’s likely the two pitchers will revert to some variation of their tag-team role from last year.

“When you have two outstanding pitchers like we have, in my mind it makes sense (to have them pitch in the same game),” Mathews said. “When a lineup maybe gets one — maybe two — looks a game (at a pitcher) and has to adjust to another talented pitcher who is different.”

La Cañada originally was scheduled to play Temple City on Friday, but that game was rescheduled for March 30. Instead, the Spartans open Rio Hondo League play next Tuesday at San Marino in a battle of two of the top teams in league.

“That’s one that people are looking at as a barometer for where you stand in this league,” said Mathews, whose team has won the past two RHL titles.

Tigers and Titans Open Rio Hondo League Play

San Marino and South Pasadena kick off league play with a 3:30 p.m. at South Pasadena on Friday.


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