By Pete Borello

Prep Softball Roundup

St. Francis coach Ivers closes in on 400th victory

Lancers do ‘Barry’ good

Bernie Quintero’s 17-year run as softball coach at Los Altos High is coming to an end.

Quintero announced last week that he will retire from coaching softball at the end of the spring season.

“I’m just tired,” Quintero said. “I’ve been coaching sports for 30 years and it hurts (to leave), but I’ve got to do other things before I die.”

Among those things: playing golf and watching his daughter Samantha play college softball.

Samantha, a sophomore at West Valley College, recently earned All-America honors and is weighing scholarship offers from the University of Arizona and San Diego State.

“I really want to have the time to see her,” Quintero said of Samantha, a 2000 graduate of Los Altos High. “With coaching, I’ve haven’t had the chance to see many of her games.”

During his time at Los Altos, Quintero also spent several seasons as an assistant football coach and two years as girls basketball coach.

But Quintero is best known for his work in softball, especially for developing pitchers. The longtime Mountain View resident coached the Eagles to a pair of Central Coast Section crowns, the last one in 1995. Los Altos also claimed a CCS title in 1992 and reached the finals in ‘91.

“He’s done a good job here,” Los Altos athletic director Monica Lodge said.

Quintero hopes the last game he coaches is in the playoffs.

The Eagles improved their chances of securing a CCS berth last Friday with a 2-1 win at Santa Clara that improved their record to 7-5 in the SCVAL De Anza Division and 14-11 overall. Chrissy Sommer earned the win for Los Altos and Alyce Jorgensen belted a home run.

Kristine Crawford’s seventh-inning single drove in the decisive run in St. Francis’ 2-1 win over Monta Vista last Friday.

The win not only improved the Lancers’ record to 7-5 in the De Anza Division and 14-12 overall, but also put their coach on the verge of a milestone.

“It was my 399th win,” Barry Ivers said. “One more to go for 400 and hopefully that will come (this week).”