Buchanan goes out with a top effort

By: GIDEON RUBIN - For The Californian | Saturday, June 3, 2006 12:15 AM PDT ∞

IRVINE ---- Karissa Buchanan has been Temescal Canyon's catalyst throughout her distinguished softball career.

The senior shortstop's spark was evident despite concluding her career in a disappointing 4-2 CIF-Southern Section Division II championship game loss to Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night at Bill Barber Memorial Park.

Buchanan, who led the Titans to their first championship game appearance in school history, went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, putting the finishing touches on a season that will almost certainly lead to her being named to the All-CIF first-team for the third consecutive season.

"I just tried to play hard and do what I know how to do, that's basically it," said a tearful Buchanan after the game, her uniform coated in mud.

Buchanan got things started for the Titans early, manufacturing the game's first run in the top of the first.

After drawing a leadoff walk, Buchanan advanced to second when sophomore left fielder Lauren Lackey beat out a bunt single, and then beat a throw to third on senior Amanda Littlejohn's fielder's choice sacrifice bunt.

Two batters later, on junior Candace Eden's flyout to left, Buchanan's alertness on the bases paid off for the Titans, when she scored after noticing a throw from Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Courtney Conrad got away from catcher Melissa Gregson.

Her role in that inning typified her game.

"All year, she's really been the one who picked us up when we needed it," Littlejohn said. "She was always the one who always came through when it counted."

She beat out an infield single leading off the third, and legged out another infield hit in the fifth with runners at first and second with no outs that gave Temescal Canyon a bases-loaded, no-outs situation the Titans were unable to capitalize on.

Buchanan was also involved in a late rally, singling to right center with one out in the seventh, advancing pinch-hitter Lauren Holmes ---- who reached on a one-out single ---- to third. She was thrown out at the plate in the seventh for the game's last out, trying to score all the way from second on a Littlejohn's infield single that UC Berkeley-bound shortstop Vernae Sevilla made a great play on.

Typically, her career ended with her forcing the issue.

"She'll probably leave our school the best player Temescal Canyon has ever had," Temescal Canyon coach Kevin Simpson said. "If you coached football, you would probably want her playing middle linebacker."