Upstart Weil Deals Alves, Burroughs a 7-3 Loss

When Kim Weil struck out the side in the first inning Thursday, teammate Roxana Marta saw it as a sign of things to come in Hart High’s softball game against Burroughs.

“She’s a great pitcher,” Marta said. “She just takes charge out there. When she did that, we knew we were going to win.”

And, indeed, Weil threw a four-hitter and struck out 13 as she outdueled Burroughs ace Christy Alves and led Hart to a 7-3 victory that clinched the Foothill League championship at Olive Park in Burbank.

Alves, a senior right-hander who recently signed a letter of intent to play at Cal State Northridge, viewed Weil’s performance as a sign of things to come, too.

In the not-too-distant future.

“She’s young,” Alves said, “and she’s going to be good. She’s going to get better.”

Weil is a sophomore, and the idea of the right-hander getting better doesn’t appeal at all to Burroughs’ Jen Matheson.

“She’s doing great now, “ said Matheson, who struck out all three times she faced Weil. “She’s a good pitcher.”

Alves (13-3), who has a high school career record of 58-13 and 13 no-hitters, did not feel she was doing particularly well for Burroughs.

She allowed seven hits and five walks and struck out four.

“I pitched OK, but I wasn’t at my best,” she said. “Usually, I do better against Hart.”

The loss dropped Burroughs to 17-5, 5-3 in league play. Hart is 19-4-1, 8-0, with two games remaining.

Weil (18-4) struck out four of the first seven batters before giving up two runs in the third on two hits, an error and two wild pitches.

Hart rallied and took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, however, on one hit, a fielder’s choice, an error and two wild pitches by Alves.

In the fifth, Hart picked up two more runs on a walk, a fielder’s choice, an error and three hits, including a run-scoring double by Marta, who was 2 for 3.

Kim Lovetro scored Burroughs’ final run in the bottom of the inning on a dropped third strike after she had singled to center and advanced on a two-base throwing error by Hart catcher Angie Gorski.

That pulled Burroughs to within 5-3, but Hart scored twice more in the seventh. Alves gave up a bases-loaded walk to Kris Yeates and Gorski scored from second on a single to left by Nikki Fox.

And thoughts of a Burroughs rally in the seventh died quickly as Weil retired the side in order.