EL SEGUNDO - What is there that Port Of Los Angeles High softball junior pitcher Analise De La Roca can't do?

Less than 24 hours after shutting down in-city neighbor Mary Star with a one-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts, De La Roca would then show her stuff in a mighty way against another neighbor, San Pedro in the opening game of the El Segundo Tournament at El Segundo Middle School.

Going up against a Pirate team that was the last to score an earned run off her, De La Roca would buckle down and hurl a three-hitter with 16 more strikeouts, putting her at an even 300 for the season, in powering the Polar Bears to a 4-1 victory, their second crosstown triumph in as many days, and second victory over San Pedro this season to follow up a 5-4 comeback win in the Redondo Tournament third place game on March 4.

De La Roca's strikeout of San Pedro junior center fielder Andrea Trejo to end the contest put her in the record books as the first and only pitcher in Port Of Los Angeles' seven-year history to reach the milestone of 300 strikeouts.

POLA (21-3 overall) would do all of its damage offensively on one swing, in the bottom of the first inning.

Putting San Pedro junior pitcher Cindy Robles in a bind early was all the Polar Bears would need on this day as junior second baseman Destiny Sambrano blasted a leadoff single to right field. Robles would strikeout sophomore first baseman Allison Dukes but then De La Roca drew a full count walk. Freshman catcher Allison Torstensen would single to load the bases for sophomore left fielder Angie Vargas.

Facing a 1-and-2 pitch count, Vargas would then use all her might to launch Robles' next offering deep to left-center field to score Sambrano, sophomore courtesy runners Sienna Valencia, Bianca Velasquez and herself with a grand slam home run for a 4-0 Polar Bear lead.

San Pedro (13-8-1) would somehow get a long ball of their own with junior third baseman Ricki Justiniano's solo home run with one out in the top of the second inning, but De La Roca would stymie the Pirates' bats for the remainder of the contest, only allowing two hits to junior second baseman Mackenzie Winkle, who finished 2-for-3. 

Sambrano went 2-for-3 with a run scored for POLA, who also got hits from Dukes, Torstensen, sophomore right fielder Brittany Mercado and of course, the grand slam from Vargas for her second home run of the year. Junior third baseman Christina Hernandez was also sharp with two key defensive plays that kept San Pedro at bay.

Robles scattered six hits with seven strikeouts, while only issuing two walks for San Pedro, who regrouped with a 10-2, six-inning victory over Culver City in the consolation quarterfinals.

Justiniano ended the game with a walk-off two-run home run which forced the tournament's 8-run rule at Richmond Field. Winkle also homered, while junior catcher Andrea Cline went 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBIs in the win over the Centaurs.

Meanwhile in the championship quarterfinals, POLA would defeat Westlake of Westlake Village, 6-2 at Recreation Park as De La Roca hurled a second three-hitter with 11 strikeouts, upping her season total to 311 for the year, while also going 3-for-4 at the plate. Vargas went 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs to cap off a stellar hitting day.

POLA continues their season Monday at Harbor Teacher Prep, and San Pedro resumes theirs on Tuesday at home against Washington Prep of Los Angeles.