South Bay softball teams shine on the diamond
The El Segundo U12 Girls All-Star Softball team won the Amateur Softball Association “C” State Championship in Lancaster. The team defeated teams from Walnut, Central Orange, Palos Verdes, Encino/Sherman Oaks, Whittier and Imperial Valley. El Segundo qualified by winning the ASA “C” District Championship held in Norwalk. Team members include (sitting l-r) Emma Cordova, Nena Hylander, Jordan Dornblaser, Kate Cunningham, (kneeling) Cali Hummel, Lindsey Harvey, (standing) Coach Joe Dornblaser, Coach Mike Hummel, Sarah Bergren, Cierra Kessler, Emily Ung, Coach Manny Quintero, Maddison Kurke, Malia Clagg, Coach Irma Kessler and Alyssa Pearson. Photo by Christine Bergren
It may have been removed as an Olympic sport, but softball is alive and well in the South Bay as local teams enjoyed successful All-Star seasons with many advancing to Amateur Softball Association (ASA) state tournaments and beyond.
The ASA is the national governing body of softball as named by the U.S. Olympic Committee, with over 230,000 teams and 3 million players.
El Segundo was the most impressive of the local leagues, sending its 12U and 10U teams to the ASA State “C” Championships in Lancaster. Both teams advanced to the Pacific Coast “C” Regional tournament held at Canyonside Park in San Diego.
The El Segundo 12U team was crowned champions in Lancaster after defeating Imperial 7-3 in the second championship game of the double-elimination tournament. Imperial handed El Segundo its first loss of the weekend with a 5-2 victory in the title contest forcing a second game between the two squads.
The loss to Imperial snapped a 14-game winning streak for El Segundo which had recorded three come-from-behind wins by scoring four or more runs in the last inning during that stretch.
In the Pacific Coast tournament, El Segundo defeated the Selma Shock and Upland Highlanders before Whittier knocked the South Bay team into the loser’s bracket where it beat Alamaden Lightning 13-1. El Segundo saw its run come to an end with a 6-2 loss to Imperial.
“This was a team that never gave up,” El Segundo head coach Manny Quintero said of his 12U squad. “From the beginning of the All-Star season, we focused on playing seven innings with energy, focus, and talking. When the girls played with those three elements, we were unbeatable. I’ve coached softball for almost 10 years now and this team was special. Each and every girl new their role on the team and embraced it, like a real family does.”
Quintero credited the pitching performance of Emily Ung and a stellar defense up the middle led by center fielder Cierra Kessler, catcher Cali Hummel, and middle infielders Jordan Dornblaser and Alyssa Pearson.
The team batted .313 overall and was led by Sarah Bergren (.436 with 22 walks) and Emma Cordova (.360).
Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes also sent teams to the 12U State Championships. Manhattan Beach defeated La Canada and Imperial before losing to Whittier. In the loser’s bracket, the girls from the beach eliminated Ontario before seeing their title hopes end with a 3-1 loss to Encino-Sherman Oaks (ESO).
Its performance in the state tournament qualified Manhattan Beach for the Pacific Coast Regionals where it beat Mountain View/Los Altos (MVLA) 16-1 before being shutout by eventual champion Nipomo Heat 8-0. Manhattan Beach rebounded to beat Cupertino Inferno and Upland Highlanders in the loser’s bracket but fell to ESO 5-1.
The success of the Manhattan Beach 12U squad marked the farthest an all-star team from the league has reached since joining the ASA three years ago.
“As manager, I was fortunate to have a special group of very talented players as well as two exceptional assistants in Paul Hoffman and David Estes,” Eric Noll said. “The girls’ dedication to the game and solid work ethic in practice paid off, as we were able to play competitively against tough competition from across the region and around the state. We worked hard for two months and continued to improve as a team, and I could not be more proud of our players’ efforts.
“Everyone associated with Manhattan Beach Girls Softball (MBGS)… the players, coaches and league administrators can be proud of the results of three years of constant improvement since MBGS entered ASA play. The future of girl’s softball in Manhattan Beach is very bright indeed.”
Palos Verdes finished 2-2 in the state tournament, defeating Mesa Valley and Santa Ana before losing to El Segundo and Imperial.
Members of the Manhattan Beach 12U All-Star team include (standing, l-r) coach Meghan Von Behren, coach David Estes, Alexia Inman, Samantha Pahl, Elliott Estes, Ally Koch, Madison McDonald, Darby Dayton, manager Eric Noll, Jamie Hoffman, coach Paul Hoffman, (kneeling) Megan Crawford, Erica Noll, Codie Williams, Hannah Lewis, Olivia Stamm and Rachel Graves. Photo courtesy of Bill Inman
In the 10U division, El Segundo came out of the loser’s bracket in the state tournament to beat Brea 7-6, forcing a second championship game which it lost 2-1 but still qualified for the Pacific Coast Regional.
In San Diego, El Segundo outscored four opponents 42-5 to reach the championship game. El Segundo faced a formidable squad from ESO which had fought its way out of the loser’s bracket. The Valley girls continued their momentum recording 4-3 and 6-4 victories over previously unbeaten El Segundo to win the title.
For the first time in six years, Redondo Sunset sent a 10U team to the state playoffs. The Riptide fell to Santa Paula 6-3 and San Juan Capistrano (CAPO) 8-0 but Riptide head coach Adam Almeida believes the experience will help the young girls and the league gain valuable experience.
“I’m so proud of the girls,” Almeida said. “It’s quite an accomplishment and it shows that the player development programs that have been instituted at our league are working.”
In June, Redondo Sunset held its first ASA Softball tournament hosting over 30 teams from around the South Bay.
In the 14U division, Hawthorne went 3-2 in the state tournament and won its first two games in the Pacific Coast Regionals before losing. The team rebounded with a win but was eliminated in its fifth contest of the tournament.
In the ASA State “B” Championships, Torrance was the lone South Bay representative sending a team in the 10U division which finished with a record of 1-3.
Members of the Redondo Sunset Riptide 10U All-Stars relax after qualifying for the ASA State Championships. Team members include Kylie Bebe, Carli Chiodo, Sierra Deer, Tyler Dimas, Sierra Dorn, Dara English, Natale-Rose Garcia, Kelsey Johnson, Drew Koltko, Anne Koutures, Sarah Reels, Gabby Sanchez, head coach Adam Almeida and assistant coaches Gordan Dimas, Vincent Johnson and Daniel Sanchez. Photo courtesy of Adam Almeida