They dedicated this game to him Friday, and St. Joseph softball coach Greg Guerrero's players could not have played much more crisply for him.

Guerrero's mother, Tita, passed away earlier this week, and the Knights gave their coach a superb effort against Morro Bay Friday. The Knights rapped out eight hits, their fielders were errorless and threw with snap and accuracy. Meanwhile, Kailey Snyder pitched a three-hit complete game as St. Joseph beat the Pirates 4-1 at St. Louis de Montfort.

Snyder said, “We know it was an emotional time for him, but we were proud of the way he stayed strong. He was there, he didn't miss the game.” Guerrero left soon after the last out for a memorial service for his mother.

The Knights played one of their best games of the year in their biggest game of the year. St. Joseph (4-1, 10-7) stayed in a first-place tie with Templeton in the Los Padres League. Morro Bay (3-2, 12-7) dropped out of a share of first place.

Morro Bay plays at Templeton at 4 p.m. Tuesday. St. Joseph hosts Templeton at St. Louis de Montfort at the same time next Friday to open the second round of league games. The Eagles beat the Knights in a league opener.

Morro Bay junior Kim Dauer is one of the best pitchers in the area, but the Knights jumped on her offerings quickly. Dauer escaped unscathed after Caitlin Voss and Melissa Armero singled with two outs in the first inning, but Samantha Hughes delivered in the second.

The Knights' No. 9 hitter whacked an 0-2 pitch over Pirates center fielder Sami Carvalho's head for a double that scored Michaela Valencia and pinch runner Alexis Dudley with no outs.

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Hughes said with a chuckle, “I think that was my second game-winning hit this year. It was long overdue.

“I was just looking for a pitch to hit, and I got one that was up.”

St. Joseph center fielder Mariah Cochiolo whacked what looked like a sure double to lead of the bottom of the fifth. Then she tried for third base. The relay throw looked to be well ahead of her, but it got past the third baseman and Cochiolo was safe.

The next batter, Alexa Sanders, grounded out to PIrates shortstop Cori Gacad, and Cochiolo broke for home on the throw. First baseman Ciara Ramos' throw home was on the money, but Cochiolo slid in safely under the tag.

Morro Bay's attack, previously dormant since Gacad led off the game with a single, came to life in the sixth. Gacad singled with one out, then eventually scored from second base on Claire Hoose's two-out single.

With clean-up hitter Dauer up, Voss fired a strike to shortstop Armero to get Hoose as she tried to steal second base.

Valencia tripled to lead off the sixth. She scored on Snyder's single to left.

Snyder , who came in with a .788 earned run average but just a 6-5 record, kept Morro Bay's hitters off balance. She struck out 10.

Snyder said, “I was just trying to keep the ball low in the strike zone, toward the inside or outside part of the plate. I was able to do it.”

Hughes said, “She's a great pitcher. It felt good to be able to back her up today.”

The last out came when Armero backhanded Sabrina Hammerlund's hard-hit ball and threw it on a line to first baseman Hughes. Hammerlund and the ball appeared to arrive at first base simultaneously, but the umpire called Hammerlund out.

That play, however, didn't seem to be on Morro Bay coach Randy Aispuro's mind.

“(The Knights) were sharp,” he said. “They swung the bats really well. They flew to the ball.

“We were a step slow, a little out of sync.”

Lompoc 3, Cabrillo 0

The Braves (2-3 LPL) won with three runs in the fifth inning.

Jeanna Carrillo pitched a two-hit complete game for Lompoc. She struck out 14. Adriana Segura allowed just seven hits, all singles, but the Conquistadores dropped to 3-3 in the LPL.

Paso Robles 1, Righetti 0

Taylor Kelly doubled home the only run of the game at Righetti, in the sixth inning.

Jackie Kleinsmith and Destiny Lopez singled for Righetti's only hits off Paso Robles ace Michelle Moses. Righetti's Alexa Garcia pitched a two-hit complete game herself.

Paso Robles kept its hold on first place in the PAC-7 League. Righetti fell to 1-4, 3-13.

Maricopa 12, VCA 7

VCA's Krista Hall went 3-for-4 at the plate with a solo home run in the third inning as VCA lost to Maricopa, dropping to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in league.

Jessica Sendejas hit a double in the win.

April 11, 2008