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| Emmy Cardenas (6) gets mobbed by teammates after she blasts her fourth home run of the year in the first inning against Morse March 9. (Photo by Ed Piper) |
With the starting lineup against Morse March 9 totalling 45 years of club and travel softball, La Jolla captain Jackey Arias was asked what difference this makes in the team's strength.
"We definitely have the ability with the experience," said the veteran catcher, who tops the list with 10 years club experience along with newcomer Emmy Cardenas, the freshman pitcher, who has nine years of club/travel ball under her belt.
Arias was quick to note, "The newbies are definitely helping."
From an 0-22 record a year ago, with most games being called after five innings under the 10-run mercy rule, to this year's start, with a place in the championship game of the Duds for Dudes tournament March 7, the difference is stark.
Fourth-year coach Andrea Denham's squad, though it lost the title game 7-1 to visiting Holtville, claimed the tourney MVP, Cardenas, as well as three teammates on the all-tournament team: Arias, centerfielder Ava Wittenberg, and second baseman Gigi Smith.
The 45-year total doesn't even include the background of infielder Kelsey DeFalco, a transfer from the desert, with five years of travel ball; infielder Emily Fisher, one year of travel ball; and outfielder Adriana Sanchez, one year of club. That gets us to a total of 52 years.
Before individual statistics were removed from MaxPreps, Cardenas was 16 for 20, an .800 batting average, with three home runs. She hit a high fly for her fourth home run in the opening frame against Morse March 9, the ball bouncing high off the low cement wall in left-centerfield. Wittenberg and Smith were in the high .400's and at.500. It's a potent top of the lineup.
The Vikings, down after Morse scored to open the game on a squeeze bunt in the top of the first inning, came back to win 9-8. La Jolla also beat the Tigers the previous week in the Duds for Dudes tournament 5-2.
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