Throwback Thursday Championship Edition: 2001 Softball

In the Throwback Thursday Championship Edition Series, the Vikings are revisiting different championships throughout Long Beach City College history. In this fifth installment, the Vikings go back to 2001 for the championship from the softball team featuring the Vikings very own Megan Martinez. 

Long Beach Blanks Santa Ana For State Title:
All-American pitcher Nina Distefano throws her fourth shutout of the championships, lifting the Vikings to their second state crown.

Written By Chris Ruiz
www.coasports.org

Long Beach pitcher Nina Distefano was in a familiar spot at Fresno State's Bulldog Diamond.

Just one year before ­— almost to the day — Distefano and her top-seeded Vikings needed one victory on the season's final day to win a state championship.

But, Palomar College would upset Long Beach twice with Distefano on the mound, to complete a two-game Sunday sweep from the loser's bracket, and with it, a state title.

Same place, different opponent and different outcome this time.

Distefano led Long Beach to a 3-0 victory over Santa Ana, on Mother's Day, to win the 2001 Hyundai-California Community College Softball Championships in Fresno.

The right-hander limited a strong Santa Ana lineup to just two hits, striking out five along the way.

Distefano (24-3) earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors with her fourth shutout of the championship and, more importantly, gave Long Beach its second state title.

The Vikings opened the scoring in the second inning when Sha Oliver's double down the left field line scored Monique Palacios. Becky Schueller followed suit with an RBI-single to plate Oliver, giving the Vikings a 2-0 lead.

That was all Distefano needed, as the All-American sophomore kept the Dons off-balance and let her teammates play solid defense behind her.

Palacios, who led all tournament players with a .583 on-base percentage, went 2 for 3 and drove in the game's final run in the third.

Long Beach shortstop Ana Velazquez earned the state championship's Golden Glove Award, while teammates Palacios (2B), Oliver (LF), Julie Jaime (DP) and Tara Drinkwater (C) were voted to the all-tournament team.