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Volume 46, Number 23

Softball steamrolls to state finals

By Salvador Marquez

Open Forum Editor VISTA - Proven last Friday and Saturday at the California state championship softball regionals was that to beat Palomar one must beat IGmWard.

1bree times.

Ward (32-1), the California pitcher of the year, completed all three games as Palomar swept the regionals at Breeze Hill Park. Palomar(4&3)willadvancetothechampionship tournament at Riverside Community College, playing its ftrst opponent at 3 p.m., today.

West Valley (31-13), the fourthseeded team the northern region, will be Palomar's next opponent Palomar, California's top-ranked team, will try to better its second place finish of last year. Its last state championship was in 1989.

Among the fmal eight in the double elimination tournament are Delta, Long Beach, Sacramento City, Orange Coast, Cypress and Napa colleges. Palomar will take Grex Skinner/ SWf Photgr-..11 ... on the winner of the Delta-Long Comets right fielder·Charlene Reyes is tagged out at second by Southwestern's shortstop Darlene Beach game at 8 p.m., today.

Ortega in the second inning of Palomar's 1-0 first round win. Reyes went 2 for 3 during Friday's game.

"It's been a long season, but this

is where we want to be," said Palomar head coach Mark Eldridge.

"We're playing well." · It was an especially long regional tournament for Ward, who pitched 21 innings in two days. Although her numbers validate her successtwo shutouts, one no-hitter, 28 strikeouts and only four hits rendered in three games - it wasn't a free trip to Riverside for Ward.

"I was very nervous," said Ward about the 1-0 victory overfrrstround foe Southwestern (17-16). Ward walked five, including three to load the bases in the fmal inning, in the no-hitter.

"I had a hard time getting my concentration," said Ward.

According to Eldridge, the decision to pitch Ward all three games was based, in part, on the rest amount of rest she had prior to the regional and the fact that she's the best pitcher in California.

"She's at 95 percent, but she's still the best in · the state," said Eldridge. Admittedly, Ward's lack of control in the frrst game worried him.

• see TOURNAMENT, page 3

Shoulder injury troubles Ward Star pitcher's upcoming rotator cuff surgery clouds today's softball finals

By Salvador Marquez

Open Forum Editor Kim Ward's right arm bounces up and down while she sits on a trainer's table as she is strapped to a Richmar "muscle stimulator."

It's after softball practice. On Ward's right shoulder is an ugly clump of ice, covered with ace bandages. Underneath this is a pad that causes her arm to shake.

Two wires connect the pad to the Richmar machine, that slightly resembles R2D2.

This wasn't a regular occurrence, said Ward, but now that the season is winding

•

Inside :When she's not setting records on the diamond IGm Ward enjoys family life. see story page 2

down, this post-practice regimen is becoming more regular.

If Palomar is to capture the California. softball championship, it will be on Ward's arm. Ward is fast approaching, if not already, becoming the best pitcher Palomar ever had- many pitching records are hers; the career strikeout record, total wins and, at 374 strikeouts, she is 11 strikeouts from equaling her single season record of 385.

But recently, some questions have been raised concerning the durability of Ward's right arm. According to an athletic department press release, Ward plans to undergo arthroscopic surgery to mend a tear on her

rotator cuff after this season.

According to the release, Ward willredshirtnext year, forgoing transfer to an university until after she obtains her associated arts degree at Palomar. Meanwhile, Ward will assist the softball team as a pitching coach.

Ward declined to say whether the surgery is exploratory or whether ·there is a rotator cuff tear. According to Palomar head coach Mark Eldridge, Ward is suffering from the effects of stretched out tendons.

• see SHOULDER page 3

Area in detail

There are two ways an athlete can suffer a rotator cuff tear; instant and micro-trauma.

Fire destroys storage area

By Paul Raineri

Staff Writer

Michael Bagstad/StaiY Photographer

Firefighter Scott Wollaston emerges from the smoldering ruins of a paint shed.

Fire ravaged a portion of the facilities department May 16, releasing chemicals into San Marcos Creek, and causing damage estimated at $200,000, according to Safety Officer Kelley Mac Issac.

San Marcos Fire Marshall John Twiman said the blaze that devoured six storage containers and a 30-foot trailer started due to a part failure in the engine compartment of a gas-powered cart parked in the area.

'There were six investigators on the scene, and they all agreed that was where the fire started," Twiman said. "We can't narrow it down to anything specific. We just know it started on that cart; it could have been anything."

Ed Slater, an investigator from the San Diego County Division of Hazardous Waste Management, determined that paint materials were swept into the creek at the

front of the campus by water used to contain the blaze. ''We've found water -based paint in there, but so far that's all," Slater explained.

Waste from the creek was pumped out

by Disposal Control Service tanker 'trucks and processed by a San Diego municipal treatment plant as industrial waste, not hazardous waste.

'They (Palomar staff) did an excellent job of blocking off the creek to keep mate· rials from spreading," Slater added. .

Kelley Mac Issac said that insurance should cover replacement of items lost in the frre, including four carts, a large inventory of paint and related equipment, as well as a trailer used for office storage.

Also lost in the frre was a boat owned by Vice President of Finance Mike Gregoryk.

The storage of the boat on public property · had been challenged one year earlier by The Other Voice, an alternative school paper produced by ASG Senator Garret Collins.

2. Friday, May 21, 1993 The Telescope

Hitting star caps ·return with Player of the Year honor

By Kristian Pope

out to be her future mentor gave his sales pitch and hoped it would work. While Marrone was willing When Alicia Marrone gradu- . to give up the game, Eldridge ated from Rancho Buena Vista wasn't so hasty at seeing Marrone's High School three years ago, not "natural abilities" go to waste.

"He told me I had a lot of poteneven the satisfaction of being on a championship team kept her inter- tial," said Marrone.

Eldridge elaborated that she had ested in softbalL She had had it with the sport more than just potential.

"She has all the attributes of a and preferred to be outdoing things young adults want to do. Hey, great player," said Eldridge. "She's you're only young once; take ad- very physical. She has the speed vantage of it while you have the and quickness, and she works hard." Eldridge's pitch worked and chance.

That was Alicia Marrone then. he found himself a flrst baseman.

After a relatively quality freshThree years later, in her sophomore season as a member of the man season, her lack of focus for Comet softball team, the older and the team was becoming appart<Dt, wiser first baseman is the presti- and it got her into trouble.

On the brink of seeing her colgious California Player of theYear.

She has a batting average Tony lege career come to a screeching Gwynn would kill for and leads the halt, Eldridge salvaged her career team in virtually every hitting cat- - for a second time. This time, egory. Most of all, it has come however, the circumstances weren't so from maturing pleasant. into a focused, STA TS: Alicia Marrone ''The Coach quality At-bats 129 Runs 18 basically gave ballplayer.

Average .442 Hits 57 me an ultimaThis is 21Doubles 13 tum," said year-old Alicia Triples 5 Marrone.

Marrone now.

Homeruns3 In what is· Eldridge, pullStolen bases 18 for 21 ing out the last now her 13th straw, told the year playing the sport, Marrone has traveled the her to either get her act together or bumpy road of maturity. As are- get off the team. "He was tired of sult, her team reaps the benefits giving me second chances," said while opposing pitchers watch their Marrone. "He just had to put his ERAs balloon into the stratosphere. foot down."

For~e,thissecondchance "She's our leader by example," said Comet softball coach Mark quickly became her last chance.

"At flrst I said 'no way,"' reEldridge.

A lot happened between called Marrone. Fed up with it all, Marrone's stint in high school and Marrone was willing to forget the her current season at Palomar. For potential everyone said she had a young adult who recently moved andjustforgetthegame. "Butafter from the hustle and bustle of big- a while," she said, "I thought about city life in Los Angeles, Marrone it and thought he waS right."

Upon her return, Marrone laid had plenty of things on her mind in herpre-collegedays. Unfortunately down two goals for herself: to play for local coaches, softball wasn't to her potential and to get accepted to play at a 4-year program. one of them.

Marrone's comeback year was Marrone was about to call a third strike on her sport of choice capped off by being chosen Caliwhen she met Eldridge for the first fornia Player of theYear. Her statime. The person who would tum tistics speak for themselves. She

Staff Writer

!

Michael Bagslad/SiaiT Pbotographer

Alicia Marrone led the state in hitting and was named player of the year. leads the Comets in four different categories.

Her .442 batting average stands head and shoulders above the team average of .321. She leads in hits with 57, and she is No.2 with three borne runs. She is also leading the team with 18 steals.

Being the No.1 hitter on the state's No.1 ranked team is a testament to her success, but she takes it all in stride.

"It's a group effort," said Marrone. ''Everyone on this team has a role. On a team like this, you know you can't slack off."

So what was it that got Marrone

back in gear?

Marrone and Eldridge insist it was simply maturity that brought her talents to the spotlight "She needed to keep her priorities in order," said Eldridge. The coach did what he could within his power to make a strong statement to Marrone to straighten up and fly right "Becausel'mher~hprob­ ably helped a lot," he said. "That carries a lot of leverage."

Marrone would have to agree.

"I would've had an average season without him (Eldridge)," said Marrone. "I began to see things differently."

Marrone proved what she meant to the No. 1 seeded team this year in last weekend's first round of the state playoffs. She led the Comets with two RBis in a 5-3 win against Mt San Antonio College to advance to the second round in Riverside May 21.

With a stellar season under her belt, Marrone reached both goals she set out to accomplish. She played to her potential, yet she believes she can play even better next year as a member of Long Beach State's softball team.

For Marrone, her second chance turned out to be a new beginning.

Ward balances life on and off the field Star pitcher is able to juggle athletic stardom with family life.

By Stacy Alessio

Staff Writer

Michael Bagstad/SiaiT Photographer

Kim Ward was named California pitcher of the year.

There is some good news and some bad news for Palomar softball fans.

The good news is that Palomar has for the California State Championships.

The bad news is that it is time for Palomar to say goodbye to their star pitcher Kim Ward.

Ward, 27, has been the pitcher for Palomar's softball team for two years.

After getting her associate of art in general education and winning the titles State Pitcher of theY ear and All Conference Player of the Year,itistimefor Ward to move on.

Ward has applied to UC Riverside on a full softball scholarship and is still waiting to hear back. ."It's little sad," said Ward. "I will

a

miss the teachers and my friends; it can get lonely out there."

Ward has not made the fmal decision on her major, but she said she was thinking about health or physical education. She and her family are planning to move to Riverside.

To Ward who has been playing ball since she was seven, softball is a way of life. Her father was a coach, her motherwasamanager, and all three of her sisters played softball.

"Out of the four of us, I wanted it most," said Ward. "Everybody. has their ~assions and mine has always been softball."

Ward grew up in Escondido and attended Orange Glen High School where she was a pitcher. After graduating, Ward came to Palomar but dropped out during her first semester.

"I just didn't know what I wanted yet," Ward said, Ward left the world of books and studying and moved into the world of baby bottles and diapers.

Ward has two children: Sarah, 7,

and Adam, 6. Along with her husband Rex, they make their home in Vista "I was very happy with my family," said Ward, but she explained that it was time for her to get an education. Ward came back to Palomar in the fall of 1991 to continue her education.

Ward attends school, raises a family, plays softball, and runs the family business with her husband. How does shedoit?Whenaskedliow she does it, she replied, "good question."

Ward's average day starts with her and hei: children getting ready for school. Then she goes to her classes and, later, to softball practice for two hours, and then its back home to the family and homework. whenever she can flnd the time, she helps· her husband with their business.

"Rex helps a lot." said Ward. "He is proud of me and very supportive."

When Ward does have some free time, she likes to spend it with her

• see WARD, page 3

The Telescope

Friday, May 21, 1993

3

TOURNAMENT . -con-tinue~dfr~om-pa-ge1~----"Kim's tired and she's not 100 percent healthy, but she's still very good," said Eldridge.

Whatever concentration Ward lost during the ftrst game, she regained it for ihe Friday night game against Mt. San Antonio College (21-16), who defeated Moorpark 1-0.

Ward shutout Mt. SAC 3-0 on one hit, striking out 11 and walking only one. It was until the next morning that Mt. SAC accomplished something that the rest of California had failed to do in 121 innings - score, Errors by Palomar second baseman Paloma Vanderzanden and third baseman AliciaFerracone in the sixth inning of the third game putMt SAC's Jen Schaetzel and Nikki Brashear on base.

Singles by Terri Mistretta and Michelle Dadonna brought Schaetzel and Brashear home.

Since runs - because of the errors- were unearned, Ward's ERA dipped further down to a stateleading 0.033.

Despite the runs, Mt. SAC still off hitters, Suzi Esposito and has plenty of respect for Ward, Justine Smith, wentadismall-11 who is pitching her ftnal season at combined at the plate. Despite the Palomar. lack of numbers, Eldridge is not "Because we don't see a lot of disappointed. pitchers with Kim's velocity," said "What they're asked to do is said Mt.· SAC Jennae Lambdin, bunt and slap and the (other) de"we've had to step it up a notch. fense knows that," said Eldridge.

Her pitches move and tho·se in our · "We real! y force them to work and, conference don't." even more importantly, they really For ftve innings, Ward had been force the other pitcher to work. coasting through a one-hit perfor"Sometimes when they don't mance. After surrendering the two get on they still take a lot of out of runs in the sixth, Ward retired the the pitcher." last four of ft ve batters to finish the For all of Ward's success, the game. regional tournament had a hard Itsoutcomewashardlyindoubt luck pitcher, Mt. SAC's Terra - Palomar broke through the Midget. She started twice against fourth inning with ftve runs and Moorpark, twice against Palomar, won the game 5-2. in two days.

Offensively, Palomar had an "Terra has a lot of guts, a lot of even hitting attack that was paced heart, and she wants to be here,"

by Vanderzanden's .600 batting said Lambdin about her durable average. Five of the nine starting freshman pitcher. players hit over .300 (Kelley S urnMt. SAC hasn't played in a mers ,500, Ward .444, Alicia back-to-back game situation this Marrone .375 and Charlene Reyes season, which is why they don't .333). stock second starting pitcher, said Unfortunately, Palomar's lead- Lambdin.

Michael Bagstad/Stafl' Photographer

Kim Ward drove in the first run of the championship game .

WARD continuedfrompage2 family going to the park where her kids practice playing ball.

Yes, the kids play too, and so does her husband. In fact, Ward met Rex when she was ftfteen and he was her softball coach .

According toWard, her family is the most important part of her life and her biggest source of motivation. "I want to show my kids how important it is to fmish what they start," she said.

The team plays games twice a week and on weekends, and Ward's family attends every game she plays.

According to Ward, this year's team has a lot of talent and plays very well together. But the team's success does not make her any less nervous before a game.

What kind of ritual does the star pitcher have before every game? ''Last year I used to have a hot fudge sundae before every game, but now I just have a Dr. Pepper," said Ward.

It was hard to get Ward, who pitches a softball at 65 mph, to brag about her talent Buthercoach

Mark Eldridge doesn't seem to have a problem doing it for her.

"She practices hard," said Eldrige, "but she was also born with natural talent" Where does Ward see herself in 20 years? "I don't plan to change theworld,"Wardsaid. "Ijustwant to be a success with my business and my family."

Softball is a strong part of the War-d household.

SHOULDERcontinuedfrompage 1 "She's got some stretched out tendons since high school," said Eldridge, who said that Ward will start as many games as possible today's championship double elimination tournament in Riverside.

"I've had rotator cuff problems for a while," said Ward. "We've been basically nursing it and working it."

Eldridge's decision to stay with Ward, the California pitcher of the year, will leave the number-two pitcher Audrey West on the bench.

Eldridge will use West, however, if Palomar loses in the opening round or in relief if Palomar has a large lead.

West's numbers are impressive; she is 10-2, with a 0.488 ERA, has struck out 135 in 86 innings while walking only six (one was intentional). However, the freshman has no prior playoff experience, unlike Ward.

This recent rash of arm soreness sparked up .after the last week's regionals at Breeze Hill Park, Ward

said. At the regionals, Ward pitched three complete games in two days.

Ward insists that this year was less of a strain on her arm than last year.

"I went through basically the whole season without shoulder problems," said Ward. "This year I was a lot stronger than last year.

Last year was the ftrst year back after not pitching for seven years."

According to Palomar athletic trainer Bruce Swart, rotator cuff problems occur when the subcapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor muscles become strained. These muscles serve as brakes to stop the arm's motion.

Rotator cuff tears can happen in two ways; an instant tear and micro-trauma(themostfrequent) said Swart Micro-trauma is a gradual erosion of the four braking muscles.

This type of injury usually occurs when the arm is engaged in repetitive motion (such as pitching) and when the shoulder muscles are not fully conditioned.

4 Friday, May 21, 1993 The Telescope CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS FROM "MAYBERRY MELONPOOL"'

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