Chaminade Lets Nothing Get in Way

CHATSWORTH — The Mission League softball race became a little less tangled on Wednesday, even as the players became entwined.

Chaminade High defeated Alemany, 1-0, after a controversial call on the final play in a game between the league’s leaders.

Alli Guglielmino scored with two out in the bottom of the seventh when shortstop Kaitlin Reiss of Alemany collided with baserunner Kelly Musgrove while trying to field a slow grounder by Kaiulani Welch.

Alemany coaches vigorously appealed that Musgrove had obstructed Reiss, preventing the shortstop from making a play, but the umpires allowed the run to stand and walked off the Chaminade Middle School field.

“[The umpire] said that, in his opinion, [Musgrove] made an attempt to get out of the way,” Coach Charlie Briere said. “He said it was a judgment call.”

According to National Federation of State High School Associations rules, it wasn’t a judgment call. There was contact. Musgrove admitted that.

Rule 2, Section 5, Article 2 states, “Offensive interference is an act, physical or verbal, by a member of the team at-bat who interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.”

There are no references to a runner’s intent.

“I’m not sure where the ball was, I wasn’t watching it,” Musgrove said. “I was looking at third base and I was thinking I was almost out of the way. As I was passing her, she clipped my foot.”

Said Chaminade Coach Jessica Creith: “Up at the Righetti tournament [last week], we didn’t get any breaks. It’s nice to get one here because we played hard and deserved to win.”

Chaminade (8-6-1, 4-0 in league play) took sole possession of first place and the Indians (10-7, 3-1) fell to third, a half-game behind Notre Dame (14-4, 3-0), which plays Chaminade on Friday.

Almost forgotten in the uproar was an impressive duel between pitchers Christina Lupacchini (7-3) of Chaminade and Christie Sotelo (8-7).

Lupacchini struck out 11 and allowed only two baserunners, a third-inning walk to Katie Yazgulian and a single by Rose Ramirez in the fifth. Sotelo had a two-hitter--both hits by Lindsey Weinstein--until the seventh, when Lupacchini led off with an infield single.

Guglielmino, running for Lupacchini, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Shauna Johnson and to third on a single to left by Musgrove, who took second on a groundout.