SOUTHERN SECTION 5-A SOFTBALL ROUNDUP : Buena Bunts, Bounces Barons From Playoffs

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Little ball paid big dividends for Buena High School, as the Bulldogs bunted and bounced their way to a 2-0 victory over Fountain Valley in the semifinals of the Southern Section 5-A playoffs Tuesday at Golden West College.

Buena (22-6) will meet Camarillo (24-2) for the 5-A title Saturday at 8 p.m. at Mayfair Park in Lakewood. The Bulldogs will be making their third trip to the final in four years, and their first in the 5-A Division.

Pitcher Kristi Parcel and an airtight defense combined to eliminate Fountain Valley (21-5), ending the highly successful four-year prep career of Baron pitcher Rae Rice.

Parcel (18-3) yielded only three hits, struck out two and walked none in outdueling Rice (17-4), who struck out four and gave up three hits. Rice held Buena hitless until Julie Hardy’s one-out single to left in the top of the fifth, the only Buena ball hit out of the infield.

Buena scratched out its runs in the sixth inning on two infield hits, two errors and a wild pitch.

Mary Campos came in to pinch-run for Amy Henry, who bunted past Rice for a single. Marie Goulette’s two-strike bunt bounced off Rice’s glove to shortstop Shannon Dolan, whose rushed throw to first was wide, sending the runners to second and third.

Campos scored on Rice’s wild pitch, and Goulette came home on another throwing error after Lianne Ishikawa hit a bouncer to short.

“They did what I heard they do,” Fountain Valley Coach Cary Baker said. “They hit the ball on the ground until the pressure mounted in the late innings. They’re a fiery little team. They made a lot of good plays.”