HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL : Benn’s 12th-Inning Single Gives Notre Dame 1-0 Win

Tracy Benn, who batted .250 during the regular season, drove in the winning run with an infield single in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Notre Dame a 1-0 victory over Antelope Valley in the first round of the Southern Section 2-A playoffs at Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park on Friday.

With two outs, Lisa Freitas singled to center, Trina Koenig walked and Julie Feezor reached on an error to load the bases. Benn then hit a hard shot to third and beat the high throw to first as Freitas scored from third.

Freshman right-hander Becca Berline (16-5) scattered seven hits, had 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter in her complete-game victory. Berline also threw out an Antelope Valley runner at the plate in the ninth to help send the game into extra innings.

The victory marked the first time a girls team from Notre Dame advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs. Notre Dame will play Mary Star in the second round.

SOUTHERN SECTION 2-A

Canyon 1, California 0--Canyon had only two hits but scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning in the first-round game. Lisa Stanley singled and was sacrificed to second. Stanley attempted to take third on Karen Bachle’s ground out and scored when the throw eluded California’s third baseman.

Toni Gutierrez struck out seven in five innings of relief to gain the win and had the only other Canyon hit, a single in the seventh. Canyon (13-8) will face Alemany in the second round.

Arroyo 1, Saugus 0--Cathy Lewis (13-10) had 16 strikeouts, but Arroyo scored the game’s only run in the 12th inning of the first-round playoff game.