SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : La Habra, Foothill Hit the Road for Round 2

Top-seeded La Habra and second-seeded Foothill take to the road today in the second round of the Southern Section Division 4-A softball playoffs.

La Habra (23-2), the Freeway League champion, travels to Fontana (18-4), the Citrus Belt League winner. The Highlanders advanced by beating defending 4-A champion Irvine, 2-1, in a first-round game last week.

Right-handed pitcher Dani Ortega, third baseman Cathy Turner and shortstop Sara Mallett lead the Highlanders.

Ortega figured in all of La Habra’s decisions this season and had seven no-hitters, 215 strikeouts and a 0.26 earned-run average during the regular season.

Turner, a speedy left-handed batter who stole 26 bases, batted .500 during the season. Mallett followed at .452 with three home runs and 29 runs batted in.

Foothill (22-7), which won the Century League for the second consecutive season, plays at Diamond Bar (15-10). The Knights, who were the runner-up in the division last year, defeated Fullerton, 1-0, in the first round.

Pitcher Leeann Gonzalez, who had a perfect game with two outs in the seventh inning against Fullerton before settling for a one-hitter, is a Foothill mainstay, along with catcher Kelley Green. Gonzalez was 19-5 with a 0.45 ERA, and Green batted a team-high .405.

Also playing today is El Toro (22-8-1), the South Coast League champion and one of the top teams in the county. The Chargers are at home against Covina Charter Oak (16-5), which reached the 4-A semifinals last year. El Toro counts on sophomore right-hander Misty Lauby (15-3), who pitched a perfect game in a 5-0 victory over Villa Park in the first round.

In one of two all-county matchups, South Coast League runner-up Capistrano Valley (12-10-2) plays host to Orange League runner-up Brea-Olinda (18-6). The other has Freeway League runner-up Sunny Hills (14-12) at Mission Viejo (11-15).

Pacifica and Cerritos are scheduled to conclude their first-round 5-A game today at Pacifica. The game was suspended because of darkness last Thursday with the score deadlocked, 0-0, after 20 1/2 innings.

The only two county teams still alive in Division 1-A must travel today for their second-round games.

Arrowhead League champion Calvary Chapel (17-6) plays at Olympic League winner Cerritos Valley Christian (14-3), and Whittier Christian (16-3) plays at San Pedro Mary Star (16-3).