LJ softball: Ella, Ellie, Aviv named First Team All-Central League

Shortstop Ella Pearl (30, center left) poses with her

underclass teammates while the seniors get recognition

on Senior Day May 14. On Pearl's right is

another all-league selection, Ellie Thomson

(far left). (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

A trio of Vikings have been named to First Team All-Central League honors, in addition to Player of the Year Jacey Taylor. (See previous entry.) Shortstop/pitcher Ella Pearl, catcher Aviv Laska, and third baseman Ellie Thomson all received the honors, all being underclassmen--Laska a junior, Pearl a sophomore, and Thomson, holding down the hot corner, a freshman.

La Jolla coach Anthony Sarain was proud to share the news of his individual players' recognition, as the 2026 team went 8-0 through the Central League schedule, reached the finals of the Division 5 playoffs, and played into the semifinals of the Southern California Regionals, the last which they have never participated in before.

Catcher Aviv Laska, with shin

guards on, works out at third

base before the Senior Game

May 14.

In addition, two more members of the Viking starting lineup, both seniors, centerfielder Savannah Putnam and second baseman Maddie Ehlert, received Second Team honors.

Pearl, the sophomore, batted .500 at the plate and provided prime leadership of the infield in her position at shortstop. Unfortunately, though successful, Ella had to spend a lot of games as a pitcher, along with Taylor, since La Jolla had no players who specifically are pitchers.

Pearl's gem in the pitcher's circle came in the Division 5 semifinals at La Jolla High May 27, when she put the brakes on an aggressive, optimistic Orange Glen squad coming off an upset win on the same field the day before, when Viking pitchers walked or hit 22 batters to succumb in that contest. Ella, wearing earrings and a double-braided ponytail under a visor, gave up one run and only permitted four hits in a shortened 11-1 win to qualify for a trip to the finals three days later.

Savannah Putnam (far right) stands with fellow

graduating seniors and Emmy Cardenas (in blue

jeans), the former LJHS home run record-holder,

on Senior Day May 14.

Aviv (pronounced "ah-VEEV"), waited a long time for deserved recognition at her favorite position behind the plate. A solid, steady presence in the battery, she provided stability as Sarain cycled through pitchers in trying to find the right combination. Struggling through a 3-11 stretch prior to Central League play, the Vikings suddenly were winning--to the tune of a 12-game win streak into the playoffs. The head coach repeated, "It's all about the walks. We have to limit how many walks we give up."

Finally, Ellie Thomson was an unexpected star as a freshman third-sacker. Her glovework on grounders is flawless, her throws to first base are on target, and with her experience in travel ball, she knows when to make a throw and when to hold onto the ball--not always an easy decision. Sarain batted her in the sixth slot in the lineup, which worked well for her.

On the Second Team, Savannah played four years and was reliable in centerfielder. She batted leadoff, often using her speed to beat out bunts that immediately put the opposition on notice.

Ehlert, another senior, was steady at second base, giving the Vikings an infield unit that held down the defense. Often arriving just before game time during college courses she was concurrently enrolled in, "Maddie E" (the other Maddie is "Maddie Q", Maddie Quach), got ready in a hurry and had a good year offensively, as well.

Maddie Ehlert, rushing to

the field after her concurrent

college class, warms up

before the Senior Game

May 14.

LJ softball: Photos 6/2

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ assistant coach Matt Pearl (red shirt)

puts down 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  after four 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. By then, Maddie Quach, lower in the order, had seen one pitch from Duarte. 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 she and rightfielder Hailey Aguilar bumped into each other, and the ball popped out. Ella Pearl scored all the way 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 had failed to win a single game in the Northern League (0-10) in the Southern Section, 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 to La Jolla, 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 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 San Diego Section.

This afternoon, La Jolla travels two hours-plus to San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino to face number-one seed Arroyo Valley (3-5 in the San Andreas League, 11-14 overall) in a 4 p.m. semifinal. The Hawks are a Division 7 team in the Southern Section.

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.