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A pair of aces from the same travel softball team delivered for their respective high school teams Tuesday in league games.
Tesoro’s Loula-Rae McNamara pitched a perfect game in a 4-0 win against visiting Dana Hills while Esperanza’s Charley Duran struck out 12 in a 7-4 victory at No. 4 El Modena.
McNamara and Duran are teammates on the same Firecrackers’ Rico/Brashear team that includes Zoe Prystajko of Huntington Beach.
McNamara, a left-handed junior committed to Boise State, struck out one as she pitched the second perfect game in school history.
Her effort helped keep Tesoro (12-3-1, 4-1), ranked 11th in the county, in contention for the South Coast League title.
“Loula is one of the most composed pitchers I have seen in the circle and her performance today only exemplifies that,” Tesoro coach Sara Higgins said. “She has control, movement and differing speed. (That) really makes pitch selection hard for batters.”
Duran also showed her composure to keep No. 9 Esperanza (14-9, 4-2) in contention in the Crestview League.
In the fourth, the junior answered a two-run home run by Monica Garcia with two strikeouts to protect a 4-2 lead.
And in the seventh, she responded to a pinch-hit, two-run home run by Julianna Brower by escaping a one-out jam with runners at first and and second and the tying run at the plate.
“I was very pumped to play this team today,” said Duran, who allowed seven hits. “Last time, I didn’t do my job (against El Modena) and I feel I could have contributed more to my team.”
“I was doing my job (today),” she added. “My defense worked. Taylor (Shumaker) got some good popups (in center) and my off-speed (pitch) was working really good and I got ahead of the count often.”
Esperanza, the home team at El Modena, loaded the bases in the sixth and scored three runs to take a 7-2 lead. Duran (2 for 3) singled in the first run, Shumaker plated the second with a walk and Madison Page (2 for 3) followed by drawing another walk.
Shumaker didn’t hit a home run but singled, walked twice and reached on a fielder’s choice. She has 18 home runs, two shy of the county record of 20.
Esperanza’s Jenna Gober, who bats cleanup behind Shumaker, delivered a RBI double in the second inning after Shumaker was intentionally walked. The hit opened a 4-0 lead.
El Modena’s Kylie Tafua went 2 for 3 and snagged a liner with a leaping catch at third base.
In the Trinity League:
Orange Lutheran 9, Santa Margarita 3: Brianne Weiss threw a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts to improve to 14-1 and extend the Lancers’ league winning streak to 22 games. No. 1 Orange Lutheran moved to 16-3 overall, 6-0 in league.
