LJ softball: Sinkeldam sets career records

By Ed Piper

Country Day's Lauren Dvorak limited La Jolla to seven hits and the Torreys edged the Vikings, 6-5, in a CIF Division 3 play-in game Tues., May 15.

But Viking shortstop Josie Sinkeldam sealed her outstanding four-year high school career by ending up with 52 doubles, good for second all-time in San Diego, and 177 hits, enough to rank her 10th in county history, according to Gary Sinkeldam, La Jolla's statistician.

The sure-fielding leadoff hitter for Coach Andrea Denham's squad, which went 5-3 in the Eastern League this season, 16-11 overall, compiled a .472 batting average for her career. She received a half-scholarship to play at Cal State Dominguez Hills next year.

"Oh, boy," reacted the shortstop, not with enthusiasm, when a photographer trained a camera on her from closer up in the on-deck circle as her team prepared to go up 5-3 in the fifth inning, partly due to Sinkeldam's triple. She never has been thrilled with photos being taken of her.

Three-year teammate Kyra Ferenczy, the team's pitcher and third-slot hitter, followed with a triple of her own to drive in Sinkeldam and set up her own run scored in the two-run inning.

Host Country Day, which moves into the regular bracket Wed., March 16, by virtue of the sudden-death win, responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame, then pushed over the deciding run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

But putting bat on ball is to her liking: Josie hit 21 two-baggers in 2018, fourth all-time. She ranks in the career top 20 in runs with 135, 46 this season.

She set the La Jolla High school record in hits a couple of weeks ago, surpassing Linda Brown, who graduated last June with 150. Her other marks pretty much qualify as school records, as well.

Ferenczy is not too shabby at the plate herself, leading the team with a .512 average, with five home runs and 37 RBI's, all team highs.

Sinkeldam, Ferenczy, with a year to go as a junior, and Brown are all Hall-of-Fame worthy. Another recent worthy would be Stephanie Alvarez, a catcher/third baseman who attended the game at Country Day Tuesday to watch her sister, Viking first baseman Emily Alvarez, in her final high school game.

Emily Alvarez hit .407 this season, batting in the fourth slot in the order.