LJ softball: Photos 6/2

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ assistant coach Matt Pearl (red shirt)

puts out a signal for the next pitch,

seated next to head coach Anthony Sarain.

Viking players put their hands together

and let out a cheer before opening pitch.

LJ softball 16, Franklin (L.A.) 3 - So Cal Regional quarterfinals - 6/2

The Vikes' Melanie Smith (22)

was fabulous from the pitcher's

circle, allowing four hits and

only four walks in the

16-3 win over Franklin.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Tuesday's (June 2) regional playoff game featured some elements you don't see so often in a garden-variety high school softball game, as the surprising Vikings swamped visiting Franklin (Highland Park, Los Angeles), 16-3, to move on to a semifinal today, June 3.

In the fourth inning, pitcher Melanie Smith swung away on an illegal pitch called by the plate umpire and bounced an RBI double over the center-right field fence. La Jolla coach Anthony Sarain then got to choose "result of play"--the run scoring--or a penalty for the illegal pitch by the Panthers' Laura Duarte, and of course, he chose the RBI. The Vikings scored five runs in the inning, after a nine-run explosion in the third, and led 16-3 to threaten to shorten the game (via the 10-run mercy rule, which they did).

The "result of play" rule doesn't exist in baseball.

In the same inning, with La Jolla running around the bases and piling up runs, Emily Hernandez batted after Smith in the sixth spot, instead of Lily Fernandes hitting. Franklin coach Maribel Cortez talked to the umpires, and after a long delay, Emily was called out for batting out of order and her basehit disallowed.

Finally, not quite so unusual, involved all-league catcher Aviv Laska's flyball to short right field in the third inning. Kaela Remias, Franklin's second baseman, drifted back and caught the ball in her glove. But rightfielder Hailey Aguilar bumped into her, and the ball popped out. Ella Pearl scored from first base as the big inning continued--further sealing the Panthers' fate.

Players from the two teams exchange high-five's

after the game.

Outside of all that, very unusual, the visitors failed to win a single game in the Northern League (0-10), yet here they were in the exclusive Division 5 playoffs. Cortez explained: "Our league is tough (including Eagle Rock, 9-1, and Bravo, 7-3). Every team went to the playoffs. One went to Division 1 (playoffs). One went to Division 2."

More importantly, the Panthers were seeded fourth, the Vikings fifth. Franklin traveled 117 miles one way, yet was the home team.

Smith, in the pitcher's circle, hurled an outstanding game, walking only four and giving up three runs. At the plate, she had three hits, including the double. Melanie had three of her team's four hits. The rest of the runs came in on walks, errors, or fielder's choices, not uncommon at this level in softball. The starter only gave up four hits, and the defense limited the Panthers by committing only one error.

The 16-3 win was a celebration point after Saturday's (May 30) disappointment, losing 17-9 to Monte Vista in the D5 championship game for the section.

This afternoon, La Jolla travels two hours-plus to San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino to face number-one seed Arroyo Valley in a 4 p.m. game.

LJ softball: Jacey named Player of the Year

Viking first baseman Jacey Taylor, shown here

batting during La Jolla's game in the Division 5

finals Sat., May 30, was named the Central League

Player of the Year. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Graduated senior Jacey Taylor, who recently set new school records for home runs in a single season (14) and a career (28), was named the Central League Player of the Year in a meeting of league coaches.

The lefthanded power hitter, who started most games for the Vikings this season in the pitcher's circle, even though she doesn't specialize in pitching, led the Vikings in batting average and RBI's, as well. She normally plays first base, when she isn't pitching.

Taylor, who has a supportive family who attends most games, her dad famous for his series of signs that he holds up down the right field line to motivate his daughter and her teammates, plans to enroll at Baylor University in Texas and study kinesiology toward becoming an athletic trainer.

Even though some teams in the CIF playoffs avoided pitching to Jacey, due to her home run productivity, walking her multiple times intentionally, her home run totals can still increase with the Vikings' spot in the Southern California Regionals Tues., June 2, at home.

Taylor looks at an outside pitch during the Vikings'

11-1 win in the semifinals May 27 against

Orange Glen. She hit three home runs in one

game to propel her to the single-season

home run record (13) two weeks ago. The career

record had to wait another few games.

Jacey (far left) speaks on Senior Day May 14

alongside her family, including her brother,

who competes in sports at Cathedral Catholic.

LJ softball 9, Monte Vista 17 - CIF D5 Finals - 5/30

Sophomore Ella Pearl (30) reaches third base,

standing up, on a booming triple in the bottom

of the seventh inning as Monte Vista third baseman

Alina Rodriguez (20) holds the throw from left field.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Give Monte Vista the credit--the Monarchs delivered hitting throughout their lineup, and freshman pitcher Luanne Castillo sufficiently throttled La Jolla's offense to maintain a lead from the get-go.

But in the Vikings' second straight appearance in the Division 5 Finals Sat., May 30, you always walk away with the what-if''s. What if they hadn't started off the game with a couple of walks to gift Monte Vista with early baserunners? What if the defense had played a little tighter?

In all, it has been quite a run for Coach Anthony Sarain's red-and-black, winning 12 of 13 to get to the title game at UCSD before the big crowd, the immaculate playing surface, the game announcer.

Senior Jacey Taylor, the school's newly-crowned home run record-holder, and sophomore shortstop Ella Pearl have helped lead a unit that has shown plenty of pop in the lineup--also Aviv Laska, the backstop, comes to mind--and savvy on the basepaths and in the field--senior Savannah Putnam, patrolling centerfield, and freshman Ellie Thomson, at third base, come to mind there.

The Monarchs scored four in the top of the first and two in the second, jumping out to a 6-2 lead they would never relinquish. The Vikes seemed a little awed by the bright lights, struggling as Monte Vista continued to spray hits and built leads of 8-2 (after 2 1/2 innings) and 13-4 (3 1/2 innings).

La Jolla faced early elimination under the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth, trailing 14-4. Fortunately, they scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to stave off extinction: Laska led off with a double. Senior Maddie Ehlert, already gaining simultaneous college credits and no longer stepping foot on campus as seniors enjoyed the last week out of school, hit a grounder to short and the throw was mishandled at first, allowing Aviv to score.

Catcher Aviv Laska drove in a run in the third

inning and scored a run in the fifth, both with

doubles. The junior also had an RBI in the

sixth for a productive day.

After the steady Thomson popped out to pitcher Castillo, Melanie Smith, in the seventh spot, lined a single to center. Lily Carnaje drew a rare walk from Luanne Castillo with the bases loaded, forcing in Laska and staving off extinction.

Maddie Quach, the fourth already-graduated senior with Taylor, Putnam, and Ehlert, hit a groundball to shortstop Olivia Mendham, who got the force at second on Carnaje but "Maddie E." scored another run to make it 14-6. Savannah ended the inning with a groundout to shortstop.

With the Monarchs scoring three more runs in the top of the sixth, 17-6, Sarain's minions once again faced the mercy rule, requiring another run to extend the game to seven innings. They did so, by plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Pearl got aboard with a walk. Jacey boomed a double over centerfielder Reena Del Rosario's head in deep left-center, nearly reaching the wall, moving Ella to third. Laska, the catcher, singled to bring in Pearl, placing runners at the corners.

That run knocked out Castillo, Monte Vista's starting pitcher, who lasted five-plus innings. Coach Fili Tavarez did a double-switch, moving Del Rosario, a senior, in from centerfield to pitch and placing Luanne in center. Ehlert popped out to second for the first out.

Thomson grounded to second, but that brought in Taylor, and the Vikings were safe from the 10-run rule at 17-8. With two outs, Melanie Smith, who had to come in and relieve Jacey, who was relieving Ella, in the top of the inning, singled to left. That drove in Aviv, before Carnaje grounded out. 17-9, the final margin.

LJ softball: Photos 5/27

Photos by Ed Piper

The two Charlotte's--Putnam (L) and Vargas--

display their self-chosen nickname during

the 11-1 semifinal.

Third baseman Ellie Thomson, a freshman,

gloves a grounder in the bottom of the first...

...then makes an accurate throw to first

to retire Erandi Perez (not in view) of

Orange Glen to end the inning.

Ella Pearl pitched a one-run gem for six innings,

allowing four hits and striking out four.

She gave up one walk and one intentional walk

after the Vikings allowed 22 walks the day

before. Pearl hit two home runs in Tuesday's

game, a 14-8 win by the Patriots, setting up

Wednesday's winner-goes-to-the-finals thriller.

Ella Pearl (30), hitting in the second slot, blasts

a drive to right-centerfield (to right of palm trees

in the photo) that bounces over the outfield fence

for a ground-rule double, driving in Savannah

Putnam with the Vikings' first run. The action

came in the bottom of the first.

LJ leadoff hitter Savannah Putnam beats out

a grounder to third baseman Maribel Rodriguez

in the bottom of the first inning. The hit came

off Addie Bruzzi (11, background far right), a senior

who was a one-person show for the Patriots:

she pitched a 14-8 win Tuesday and hit a home run

Wednesday.

LJ softball 11, Orange Glen 1 - 10-run mercy rule - LJ goes to title game

Emily Hernandez rounds third base as Viking

coach Anthony Sarain (arm on left) points for her

to keep going and score at home plate. The action

took place in the bottom of the second inning,

La Jolla building a 5-0 lead against Orange Glen.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla coach Anthony Sarain said two weeks ago that his Vikings, having won 10 in a row through the Central League season, should go through the playoffs without too many obstacles and keep the streak alive.

Well, on Wednesday, May 27--after a 14-8 bump in the road against Orange Glen the day before--La Jolla returned to form behind the excellent pitching of sophomore Ella Pearl and downed the Patriots, 11-1, on the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Sarain's squad, led by senior Jacey Taylor and Pearl, now moves to the Division 5 CIF championship game at UCSD Sat., May 30 at 1 p.m.

The Vikings' offense scored three runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the second to regain familiar ground with an early lead. They added three more in the fourth, then, fittingly, on a single by graduating senior Savannah Putnam, ended the game with three runs to reach the 10-run margin (after five innings, it is automatic).

After giving up 22 walks to Orange Glen in an upset Tuesday, requiring another game under the double-elimination format, La Jolla settled into a healthy pattern. Patriot pitcher and captain Addie Bruzzi clubbed a solo homer in the top of the second, but that was the only run the visitors scored.

Several fine defensive plays kept the Vikes on track. Freshman Ellie Thomson was steady at third base. Senior Maddie Ehlert snagged a line drive out in the fourth. Shortstop Melanie Smith and Taylor combined on one play that consisted of good glove work, then Jacey digging out the throw on the other end of the sequence.

LJ baseball 3, Ramona 13 - CIF D3 semis - ends season

Viking Reed Turner (14) scores as teammate

Oliver Obler (6, behind umpire) gives him

the signal to come in standing up. The two

runs put La Jolla on the board in the top

of the fifth inning Tues., May 26.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, several youth-to-high-school baseball careers ended, as La Jolla dropped a 13-3 decision at Ramona in a double-elimination semifinal situation.

With overcast skies and a 10-mph wind chilling spectators, the Vikings fell into a 7-0 hole. The defense let down starter Charlie Smith in the first and second innings, before catcher Colton Simpson crushed a two-run home run over the left field barrier in the bottom of the third.

But La Jolla coach Gary Frank wasn't giving up yet. In the top of the fifth, four pinch-hitters tallied three runs against Bulldog right-hander Alex Wilson, and the Vikings were on the board.

Oliver Obler, going to the plate for Hunter Durfee, drew a walk. After a fielder's choice moved him to second, Reed Turner got aboard on an error, putting runners at the corners.

Senior Harper Lane sees the pitch and will

drive it into centerfield for a two-run single

in the top of the fifth against Ramona starter

Alex Wilson.

In the one-slot, Carter Strauss got his second walk of the game to load the bases. That set up senior outfielder Harper Lane's two-run single to center.

Fellow senior Charlie Martin hit another ball into the middle of the infield, and that ball's mishandling brought in Strauss.

Luke Cripe, another late insert, walked to load the bases again, but the Vikings couldn't capitalize and failed to score again. Wilson, the Ramona starter, was replaced the next inning, but the hosts, undefeated in the playoffs, punched their ticket to Friday's Division 4 final.