Jennifer HatcherSchool: Ocean ViewSport: SoftballPosition: Third baseClass:...

Jennifer Hatcher

School: Ocean View

Sport: Softball

Position: Third base

Class: Freshman

Hatcher, known to many as “Mookie,” has recovered from a back injury that kept her sidelined early this season and helped the Seahawks advance into the semifinals of the Southern Section Division I playoffs. In three playoff games, she had five hits in nine at-bats. Tuesday, Hatcher had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the 11th inning of a 3-1 victory over Newbury Park. Thursday, she knocked fourth-seeded Mater Dei out of the playoffs with a two-run home run in the fourth. Hatcher also made several strong defensive plays at third, including a stop of a potential extra-base hit in the seventh inning. “She’s played on great programs growing up,” Ocean View Coach Doug Myers. “She played on two national championship teams and is going to be a great player. She already is a very good one.”

Other top performers: * Newport Harbor high jumpers Tina Bowman, Michaela Ross and Misty May each cleared 5 feet 8 inches at the Masters track and field meet and qualified for the State meet. Bowman finished in a tie for first; Ross was fourth and May was fifth. * Los Alamitos pitcher Carrie Dolan shut out second-seeded Marina for 22 innings as the Griffins won the Division I playoff quarterfinal, 1-0. Dolan struck out 15 and allowed seven hits. She also had a two-hit shutout of Santa Maria Righetti in a 2-0 victory. * La Habra’s Tawnya Moore prevented a run by throwing out a Long Beach Wilson baserunner at the plate in the top of the sixth inning. She led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to break a scoreless tie and the Highlanders went on to win the Division II game, 2-0. * Canyon’s Kim Nelson won the 3,200 meters at the Masters meet, finishing in 10 minutes 48.13 seconds, despite entering the race as the final qualifier.