MISSION VIEJO – When Los Alamitos and Mission Viejo met this past Saturday in the Best of the West final, the Griffins were shut out by Diablos ace Kyra Snyder.
The Griffins managed to avoid a repeat of that experience Thursday, beating Snyder and the Diablos, 4-2, in a nonleague game at Mission Viejo High.
The pitching matchup Thursday was the same as Saturday with two of the best pitchers in the county in the circle: Snyder for No. 2 Mission Viejo and Ryan Denhart for No. 3 Los Alamitos.
Los Alamitos (9-2) scored its first runs in 10 innings against Snyder in the fourth when Andrea Gonzalez hit a two-run double to put the Griffins ahead, 2-1.
“We worked on using the entire field and staying back on that changeup,” Los Alamitos coach Rob Weil said. “Andrea (Gonzalez) is a very patient hitter and got a pitch she could drive.”
Mission Viejo (7-4) made Denhart work hard to get a win. Terra McGowan hit a home run in the first to give the Diablos a 1-0 lead.
McGowan went 3 for 3 with a home run and a double.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bella Loya drew a bases-loaded walk for the Diablos to tie the score, 2-2.
The Griffins answered in the top of the sixth. After Snyder hit a batter, Mary Iakopo hit a two-run home run to put them ahead, 4-2.
“Moralewise, the home run was huge,” Weil said. “Mary (Iakopo) is our leader and our catalyst on this team. She leads by example and it was definitely something that motivated us.”
The four runs of support were plenty for Denhart. The senior allowed just one earned run in seven innings and struck out nine.
“When you are talking about two of the top teams in the country battling it out, it’s always good to come out on top,” Weil said.
