PREP ROUNDUP : Noffsinger’s Three-Hitter Lifts Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach stayed in contention for the Sunset League’s final Southern Section softball playoff berth with a 6-0 victory over Ocean View Monday at Ocean View.

The Oilers (10-12-1, 6-5 in league), who will finish the regular season Thursday at Edison, moved within a half game of third-place Ocean View (12-11, 6-4). Ocean View has two games left, including a home game today against Santa Ana and a road game Thursday against league-leading Fountain Valley.

Huntington Beach and Ocean View split their two league games, making a one-game playoff for the league’s last Division 5-A playoff berth a possibility if the teams finish tied at 7-5 or 6-6.

The Oilers broke Monday’s game open quickly with four runs in the first inning. Huntington Beach loaded the bases on a leadoff walk to Danielle Bowman followed by consecutive singles by Laura Minard and pitcher Stefanie Noffsinger.

Bowman then scored on April Crosby’s infield grounder, beating the throw to the plate. With the bases still loaded, Minard scored on a wild pitch and Amber Allen’s single drove in Noffsinger with the third run. Shannon Reider’s RBI single brought home Allen two batters later.

From there, Noffsinger (9-9) never let Ocean View back into the game. She threw a three-hitter and struck out seven with no walks.

Ocean View had only two runners advance to second base and went down in order four times. Noffsinger faced 23 batters, two over the minimum.