Pacifica Regains Confidence by Defeating Woodbridge

Woodbridge and Pacifica expected to play each other in the championship of the Woodbridge Classic softball tournament, not in the fifth-place game in a remote corner of Irvine’s Harvard Park.

But two of the county’s premier teams met Monday after a tournament gone awry. Fifth-ranked Pacifica beat the fourth-ranked Warriors, 4-0, and regained some of its shattered confidence after two losses in three games.

Pacifica scored its runs in the fifth inning, on Dara Webb’s single, Toni Mascarenas’ triple, a blown pickoff that enabled Mascarenas to steal home, an error, a walk, Natasha Sisco’s RBI single, and a squeeze bunt by Toria Auelua.

Coupled with sophomore Amanda Freed’s two-hit, 14-strikeout performance and Pacifica (17-3)--ranked fourth in the state last week--had a remedy for its blues. The Mariners lost last week to Bolsa Grande, and a tournament game Saturday to La Mirada.

Freed (8-2) took both losses after winning her first 21 high school games, believed to be a state record.

“Her confidence was dropping off a little,” Coach Rob Weil said. “She doesn’t want to let on that she was bothered by [the losses], but she was bothered by it.”

“It gives us some confidence back that we can beat the good teams,” said Mascarenas, who had two of the six hits off Christy Robitaille (7-3).