LJ softball: Game recap

By Ed Piper

Emmy Cardenas threw a one-hitter and struck out 11 in one of those games that you knew was going to happen after the 5'8 1/2" righthander, who can seemingly throw heat forever, enrolled at La Jolla High back in Fall 2019, long before COVID became a term in our vocabulary.

Cardenas, with her dad watching and recording every out (and I think, every pitch, as well--I could be wrong) from behind the backstop as one of Coach Andrea Denham's staff, toyed with the San Ysidro batters on this warm Spring day on the shaded field in a corner of the LJHS campus. It was April Fool's Day, but no one was playing the fool, and the Cougar batters probably wished that Emmy would play some other role than fast-balling pitcher who was named Freshman of the Year last year by Cal-Hi Sports.

Before the shutdown in 2020, Cardenas clubbed two homers in one game and threw a no-hitter for her school team. But all of that washed away as the end of the school year went in the tank and everybody wondered if the COVID numbers would settle down at all this school year for ball to be played.

The joys and disappointments of distance learning took hold, and from March 16, 2020 (I remember the closing date, March 13, as Friday the 13th), continuing now, Chromebook or laptop, a table at home, pajamas, breakfast, sleeping in until start of class all became a way of life.

I've heard students at the school I sub at (Canyon Crest) bemoan the comfy coronavirus trappings of a stocked refrigerator, a clean bathroom (actually, my neighbor), no mask, and no ride to school missing--on the rare days when they come to campus for in-person teaching via Google Classroom.

But a combination of Governor Gavin Newsom's attempted recall (which won't pass), court injunctions, and the efforts of Let Them Play and other pro-youth-sports organizations led to all the high school sports being opened up or ready for play since February--and most of the kids still at home. Go figure.

Newsom's announcement on a Tuesday that football could begin (resume?) practice that Friday two months ago startled even the most cynical and discouraged of us. Can you believe that even the La Jolla High wrestling team is going to take part in five dual meets coming up here beginning on April 14? What the wonders of political machinations can cause is amazing.

In the most recent La Jolla victory on the field, Cardenas--also a good hitter, if I haven't mentioned that--started off scoring in the bottom of the first against San Ysidro with a two-out single up the middle to drive in fellow captain Jackie Farias (don't forget the "F" before "arias").

In the next inning, Farias doubled to right center on a bounce near the temporary fence in right center. That brought around rightfielder Abby Espinoza and Kelsey DeFalco, again with two outs. 3-0, La Jolla. (As the 7-0 score indicates, the Cougars were never able to complete a threat against Cardenas on the mound.)

Following Farias' blow, Emmy bounced a double off the left field fence, bringing her catcher around to score. The Vikings' lead was 4-0.

To complete the scoring, in the bottom of the fifth sophomore leftfielder Presley Cooper plated Cardenas, who doubled into right center, with another single up the middle. 5-0.

In their last chance for at-bats with the lead in the sixth, La Jolla's Kaitlin Murphy, a freshman first-sacker, scored on an Farias sacrifice fly to right. Then "Coop" banged a two-out single to left, and who else but Emmy Cardenas came around to score.

Emmy finished her one-hitter, 7-0. The poor but well-meaning Cougar batters were swinging behind her pitches all afternoon. And once, she slipped in a changeup for a strike three that totally fooled the batter. Quite a day.

All in all, the Vikings, under Denham, with assistant coach Kevin Hurt coaching at first base, keep the team very much a family affair. It's different from a lot of boys' youth sports that focus on stars and let them dominate sometimes.

Everybody is in the act, the loud ones get vocal, the quiet ones may remain silent, and no one gets shamed because they aren't a travel ball prodigy like Cardenas or Farias or one of the other club team veterans on the squad.

The girls like playing on the school team, because the environment isn't quite so pressurized. Friends can hang out with friends. There is a very social element that girls express that guys will rarely or ever give voice to. It can be very refreshing, especially on a weekday during the (we hope) dying days of the COVID monster, to take in a local softball game.