COUGARS PUSH ON
Lisa Burnett THE FRESNO BEE

Jamie Southern came prepared.

After battling Bullard High for a combined 43 innings in two previous matchups, Southern wasn't taking any chances. The Clovis ace packed a "sack dinner" in a cooler before heading to Bullard for Wednesday's Central Section Yosemite Division semifinal.

Perhaps it was the banana, Rice Krispies Treat and Gatorade combo that kept her energy up for a section-record 24 innings.

Freshman catcher Nichole Willis hit a single to score Kim Synn with the winning run with two outs in the top of the 24th, lifting the Cougars, No. 2 in the section and No. 6 in the state, to a 1-0 victory over the Knights, No. 1 in the section and state and No. 3 in the nation.

Clovis hosts Tri-River Athletic Conference rival Buchanan, which beat Stockdale 3-2 in 12 innings, in Friday's championship.

Southern had a perfect game until Alexis Foth singled with one out in the 11th inning. Southern pitched all 24 innings -- just as she pitched the previous 43 against Bullard -- allowing seven hits and two walks, hit one and struck out 20.

She also had four hits off Bullard record-setting ace Marissa Marzan, becoming the fifth girl in the state to collect 200 career hits while increasing her section record to 201.

"I am so glad because in the previous games I was not hitting good, and I really wanted to get to the 200 point," said Southern, who also walked three times. "I thought maybe Wednesday -- I'll probably get nine chances."

Actually, 10, and she reached base eight times, including a 19th-inning triple.

"I visualized myself up to bat," Southern said, adding that her father, John has always preached visualization. "It works."

Some extra practice laying off the riseball, one of Marzan's specialties, also helped she said.

Marzan, the section record-holder for no-hitters (12) and state record-holder for consecutive pitching victories (42), also went the distance, scattering 12 hits, striking out 17 and walking four. She said she didn't feel sharp.

"I tried to work everything out yesterday, but, unfortunately, if you're not sharp against a team like this, they're just going to jump on you," Marzan said. "I just think both teams gave their hearts out. I think when both teams put that much heart in that much, nobody deserves to lose."

Marzan struck out 40 in a 1-0 22-inning victory in the Easter Softball Classic.

"She can be so dominating," Clovis coach Mike Noel said. "She's just a fighter, and that's what makes her so good. And that's what makes Jamie so good."

Marzan had been masterful at pitching out of trouble the first 23 innings, but Willis made sure she didn't in the 24th.

Kim Synn led off the inning with an infield single. Then, Southern was walked on four pitches. Pam Perez followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. Then, Alex Belardinelli was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Marzan struck out the next batter before Willis' single to right field.

"It felt so good," said Willis, who was 0 for 6 before collecting three hits in her final four at-bats. "Last time we played her, I went 0 for 8 against her. Today, I had three hits and one strikeout instead of eight strikeouts."

In the bottom of the 23rd, it appeared Willis wouldn't get another chance. Bullard put runners at second and third with one out, but Southern enticed the next batter to fly out and put the next out on a comebacker.

Clovis stranded runners at first and third in the 21st.

In fact, the Cougars (32-5-1) put runners on in 12 of the 24 innings, and the Knights, whose only other loss in a 34-2 season was to Clovis West, had runners in 10 innings.

"We both had runners in scoring position each inning, it was just the first person to hit them in," Bullard coach Erika Blanco said. "They put pressure on, we put pressure, and that was that."