Panthers Win Softball Title

Back-to-back shutouts by DeDe Weiman and Lisa Fernandez led Gordon’s Panthers of Cypress to the championship of the American Softball Assn.’s 19-and-under tournament Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Panthers worked themselves out of the losers’ bracket and beat the California Raiders twice for the championship in the double-elimination tournament.

Weiman pitched a two-hitter in a 6-0 victory over the Raiders to force a second game. Fernandez pitched a one-hitter to defeat the Raiders, 2-0, for the title.

In the first game, Kristy Howard had a home run and Kelly Inouye singled and tripled. In the second game, Fernandez had a double and a single against the Raiders.