ANAHEIM – She had battled a 100-plus degree fever and nagging cough since the weekend, so availability and stamina were two question marks surrounding Maddy Dwyer for Orange Lutheran’s opener in the Michelle Carew Classic.
It took virtually no time for the junior to prove she was more than game despite being under the weather, as she struck out the side in the first inning.
Dwyer went on to pitch a two-hitter and struck out seven as fifth-ranked Orange Lutheran defeated Canyon, 2-0, in a first-round game at Peralta Canyon Park.
The Lancers (14-3) will play the winner of San Clemente and Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. in the second round.
“We didn’t even know coming into today if she was going to pitch,” Orange Lutheran coach Steve Miklos said of Dwyer. “She couldn’t practice yesterday. … We thought she was either going to pitch and not hit, or hit and not pitch. But she did a great job.”
Dwyer recorded six of her strikeouts against Canyon’s 1-2-3 hitters and only allowed four base runners.
“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence and the team some momentum going into our at-bats,” Dwyer said of her quick punch outs to start the game. ”It gave us a boost.”
Mackenzie Boesel went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the third and a double in the sixth. Noelle Hee drove in the Lancers’ other run with a line drive single to right in the sixth.
Orange Lutheran catcher Lauren Espalin threw out a pair of runners for Canyon (6-8), ending the sixth and seventh innings with her throws to second and third.
Also in the Carew Classic:
Kennedy 9, Norco 7: The Fighting Irish (6-7) stunned the defending CIF-SS Division 1 champs and the tournament’s No. 1 seed with a four-run fifth inning that included a two-run single by Veronica Garza and a two-run double by Chloe Lilavois. Kennedy will play Capistrano Valley on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Capistrano Valley 6, Great Oak of Temecula 5: Amanda Gjertsen blasted a solo home run and senior pitcher Jordan Quinn was able to hang on to a late lead as the Cougars (9-4) also pulled off a first-round upset to advance.
Rosary 7, Murrieta Valley 4: The Royals (13-2-1) used a four-run rally in the top of the seventh, highlighted by clutch hits by Mady Christensen and Sarah Ellersick, to advance to the second round.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
