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.

(Photo 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.

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 another 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.

LJ track: Janae takes 3rd in CIF shot put

Photos by Ed Piper

Junior Janae Stanley-Castillo makes

her second throw in the finals of the

CIF San Diego Section championships.

Her put of 39'2" at Mt. Carmel High

placed her third in the section, qualifying

for her first state meet Sat., May 30.

Stanley-Castillo gets input from her throws

coach at LJHS, Darius, before the

competition.

Her dad Ivan (center, in gray shirt) watches

her performance closely from high above

the shot put area on the trail above.

Janae and her coach, Darius, arrive before

8:30 for the shot put, whose first flight kicks off

at 9 a.m. The second flight, with the qualifiers

with longer distances, doesn't begin until 9:40 a.m.

LJ track @ CIF Finals 5/23

Photos by Ed Piper

LJ's Chiara Dailey (L) begins to pull away

on the turn of the fourth and final lap

in the 1600 as second-place Ayanna Hickey

of Bishop's looks back to see who is close

(no one) to the front-runners.

Anchor Leed Smoole (L) takes the baton

from Asher Sternberg in the 4x100 relay.

The Vikings foursome took fourth place.

LJ softball 14, Kearny 0 - 5 innings - 5/22

Jacey Taylor takes a walk in the bottom

of the first inning. Three innings later,

she hit the 28th home run of her career.

The big question had been whether she

would see any pitches in the strike zone

as she pursued the single-season (now 14)

and career (now 28) school records.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla advanced in the Division 5 playoffs with a dominating 14-0 win over Kearny Fri., May 22, and Viking senior Jacey Taylor swatted her 28th home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to set a new LJHS record for career homers.

The two recent times the first baseman/pitcher has set the single-season record (three home runs May 14) and career mark have come in "mercy rule"/five-inning shortened games, a hurry-up situation when you didn't know if she would get enough at-bats or enough pitches in the strike zone to have a chance to hit a homer.

Jacey upped her single-season mark to 14, after breaking Emmy Cardenas' record of 12 a week ago. She had tied Emmy for the career record with the three-dinger onslaught, at 27, and sat there for eight days, until Friday's contest at home.

Coach Anthony Sarain's title hopefuls scored five runs in the first, five in the second, and added a pair of runs in each of the next two frames to terminate the game against the over-matched Comets. Coach Aryn Hamilton readily admitted before opening pitch, "We're the underdogs. Most of our girls have never played softball before."

The Vikings extended their winning streak to 12 games. Sarain said last week that "we should continue winning" with that streak well into the postseason, as they are the top seed in a Division 5 that doesn't present a lot of obstacles.