Canyon Invitational Softball Tournament : Edison’s Lyman Shuts Out El Modena

Edison High School’s Joyce Lyman must have figured that turnabout is fair play after all.

She shut out upstart El Modena, 5-0, in a key second-round game in the Canyon Invitational Softball Tournament at Peralta Park Saturday, just a few hours after the Vanguards had shut out Righetti in the first round, 1-0.

Edison was hardly impressed by El Modena’s first-round upset as Lyman scattered five hits over seven innings, not allowing the Vanguards to mount an effective rally.

Using a variety of offspeed pitches, Lyman, a senior left-hander, never gave up more than one hit in any inning and struck out six while walking only three.

Such control was more than enough for Lyman to protect her lead, which was 5-0 after only four innings.

The Chargers scored two runs in the second inning and their final three in the fourth, after which they never got another hit. It wasn’t that they needed more. It seems that the Chargers have a right to relax at the plate when Lyman is pitching.

“She doesn’t have tremendous speed, but the ball really moves around a lot,” said Missy Ford, Edison coach. “That’s what makes her so tough to hit.”

Edison catcher Dena Baker was even more specific as to how Lyman baffled the El Modena batters so easily.

“It’s her curve and her drop,” she said. “Those were her best pitches today.”

Edison’s offensive production largely fell to leadoff hitter Martha Noffsinger, who tripled with two runners on in the second inning.

The victory advances the Chargers to the quarterfinals the weekend of April 4-5, when they will face Sunny Hills.

In other second-round tournament play:

Sunny Hills 4, Kennedy 3--Erin McKenney singled home Catherine Stedman from second base with the winning run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Stedman scored just ahead of the throw to the plate, and the Lancers advance to the quarterfinals against Edison.