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For the first time in five seasons, the Monta Vista softball team is playing without Danielle Brown and Sarah Taylor, but the defending league champion still has pitcher Jessica Iwasaki.
Brown and Taylor, team leaders and all-leaguers at Monta Vista, now are starting infielders for San José State University. Iwasaki, though, is back for her senior season, and she is already giving opposing batters fits. In fact, the left-hander fired a no-hit shutout against Aragon of San Mateo last Tuesday. She struck out 11 in the 10-0 win.
With Iwasaki in the pitching circle most of the time, the Matadors won their first seven games before North Salinas and Monterey both managed 1-1 ties in the Circle of Champions Tournament last weekend at Twin Creeks.
Coach Debie Smith has the luxury of calling on another good pitcher, senior Jennifer Sparks, who had an 11-2 record with 10 complete games in 2005. Although she has spent most of the early season as an outfielder, Sparks did pitch five innings of shutout ball and earn a decision in a 10-0 win over Fremont.
Two other seniors, outfielder Britney Sanford and catcher Amanda Cagan, return from last year's squad that reached the Central Coast Section Division I semifinals. Other returnees are junior Anneliese Fetterman and sophomores Sarah Hassman, Kelly Martino and Jessica Barry. Four newcomers to the varsity are sophomores Dana Pollack and Dana Mack and freshmen Ashley Vernazza and Whitney Bradford.
Sparks, Sanford, Cagan and Hassman have been the heaviest hitters thus far. In the first five games, Hassman drove in eight runs with 10 hits, including three triples and two home runs.
Monta Vista had outscored its foes 51-8 entering the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League opener March 22, against visiting Los Gatos. Two days later, the Matadors travel to Milpitas. Both De Anza Division games begin at 3:30 p.m.
Lee leads Matadors
Led by junior Phil Lee, Monta Vista's golf team has won three of five SCVAL El Camino Division matches, including the team's most recent contest at the Deep Cliff Golf Club on March 16. Lee's 36 on the par-30, nine-hole course was the best score of the day during the Matadors' 189-199 triumph over Lynbrook.
Two days earlier, Lee shared medalist honors with two Saratoga golfers, but the Falcons won 200-228 at the par-34 Saratoga Country Club.
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