Although Louise (Chris) Mazzuca lacked confidence and discipline in the beginning of her softball career, in time she gained the needed confidence and discipline to become one of the outstanding pitchers of her era. Mazzuca participated in six ASA national championships and compiled a 17-11 record with an ERA of 0.64. In 240 innings, she fanned 382 batters and earned ASA All-America honors four times, three times with the Portland Erv Lind Florists and once with Buena Park, Calif. Her pitching led her teams to runner-up positions in 1959 and 1960, fourth in 1961, 1962 and 1966 and tied for fifth in 1958. Carol Spanks, a member of the Hall of Fame and one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, said this about Mazzuca.”In my opinon, Mazzuca was an awesome pitcher. I faced her many time, not only when she played for the Oregon teams but more often when she was Whittier. I always felt that from the standpoint of sheer pitching talent she was in the same league as Joan Joyce. She had as much movement and speed on the ball and was tough to hit. Just a different pitching style (windmill). She didn’t play that many years, but while she did she was a real standout on the mound.” A natural talent who could deliver the ball with overpowering speed, Mazzuca hurled 35 no-hitters and nine perfect games during her career. Three of the no-hitters came in the 1960 ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship as he compiled a 4-2 record, striking out 75 batters. She hurled the Erv Lind Florists to the finals before losing 2-0 to the Raybestos Brakettes.Mazzuca hurled five innings and allowed two hits and two runs (one earned) before Hall of Fame Jackie Rice hurled the last inning. It was the second year in a row Mazzuca hurled the Florists to the championship game only to lose to Hall of Famer Bertha Regan Tickey, 1-0. In the 1959 national, Mazzuca also hurled a pair of no-hitters.. In 1960, she no-hit Vancouver, Pekin, Il and Orange, CA., with the last two in succession. For the year, Louise finished 36-3 with an ERA of 0.10 and 534 strikeouts. In the 1958 national championship, Louise, then 18, struck out 26 Fresno Rockets in a losing cause against Fresno’s Ginny Busick, who fanned 19. Louise finished the tourney 2-2/ In 1960-1962, Mazzuca plated in three Women’s Major Fast Pitch All-Star Series and compiled a record of 2-0-1. In 1960, Louise beat Hall of Fame Joan Joyce 1-0 on a two-hitter. In 1961, she and Joyce battled to a 0-0 tied after 18 innigns with the game called because of darkness. Louise had allowed four hits. In 1962, Louise beat the national champion Whittier Gold Sox, 3-1, on a one-hitter. Born December 23, 1939, Louise began playing softball at age 11 in various leagues in Tacoma, WA. By the time she was 14 she was playing for the Tacoma Shamrocks in the Northwest Major League, which was one of the top women’s leagues at that time. She alos played for the Hollywood Boat and Motor, the Forest Grove Meadowlarks, the Erv Lind Florists, the Whittier Gold Sox, Huntington Park and Buena Park. In 2005, she was elected to the Tacoma –Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame. She is the first Tacoma woman elected to the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame. Mazzuca passed away on March 27, 2018.
