LJ softball 7, Horizon 12

New Viking head coach Andrea Dunham (L)

goes through ground rules with team co-captains

Sara Tyrus, Josie Sinkeldam, and Linda Brown

(L-R) before the game. (Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

"I haven't pitched in a year," said Kyra Ferenczy in seeming wonderment as she warmed up with La Jolla catcher Hailey Ramos down the left field line.

"There's a pitcher who hasn't pitched in a year. There's a fielder who hasn't fielded or hit in a year," said assistant coach Tracy Brown, referring first to Ferenczy, then to Vanessa Shaffer, as he assessed the Viking softball team three games into the new season. "It's hard to say (how the team is going to do)."

Ferenczy, bringing her expertise to the pitcher's circle, gave up a home run in the early innings against Horizon Wed., March 8. Right fielder Sina Anae, who has never played softball before, fell over the new portable barrier serving as the right field fence pursuing the fly. Fortunately, she wasn't hurt.

But then Kyra, who helped lead the Vikings to the Division 4 title game last year, began to throw her change-up for strikes and get calls on the corners more.

Senior Linda Brown blasted a bases-loaded triple off the top of the left field fence, a foot or so from a grand slam, and La Jolla tied the game up 7-7 with five runs in the bottom of the third.

Though the visiting Panthers scored five more runs to win going away, 12-7, the Vikings basically have the unit together that took them to the brink of the title last Spring. "It's a long season," said Brown. "There's time to get them in a groove. I think by Spring break they could be coming together."

First game back after the La Jolla soccer team played in the Southern California Regionals in Claremont the day before, Shaffer made one of her patented leaping catches in center field in the top of the first to save a run or more. Ferenczy was also at that game. Shaffer was the goalie on the CIF-winning soccer team; Kyra a reserve defender.

Brown also blasted a fly off the temporary barrier in right-center that just missed being a home run. She settled for a double.