Whenever the Port Of Los Angeles High softball team needed someone to shut down the opposing team's top hitter, get a clutch hit when they needed it, provide leadership and be herself while doing all these things, look no further.

The Polar Bears have several go-to players, but sophomore pitcher Nicolle Miranda is the first one that comes to mind.

From her first official high school game on to now, Miranda has seemingly done a lot more than POLA could have ever imagined, already with a CIF-Los Angeles City Section championship under her belt, the Polar Bear ace is looking for more and will stop at nothing to achieve more due to her impeccable work ethic, amazing personality off the field that keeps the chemistry flowing, and not to mention... her devastating array of pitches.

Last year, Miranda burst onto the scene against Marymount in a Redondo Union Tournament pool play game, and she helped guide the Polar Bears to a 6-5, nine-inning victory by striking out 15 batters. In fact, the first three batters Miranda faced in her career all struck out.

Melissa Bugarin-Espinoza knew right there the kind of talent she got in just her third year is POLA's head coach.

It wouldn't stop there for Miranda, as she finished the 2012 season with a 19-5 record, a 1.26 ERA and 217 strikeouts in powering POLA to a 21-7 record and a second straight City Section Small Schools title, earning her the City Section Small Schools Pitcher Of The Year and Crosstown League MVP honors. Miranda also carried a dangerous stick too, hitting .391 with six home runs and 34 RBIs.

In the Small Schools championship game at UCLA against Harbor Teacher Prep of Wilmington, Miranda would hurl a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts.

Miranda is currently off to another great season currently possessing a 16-8 record with a 2.22 ERA with 153 strikeouts opposed to just 37 walks in 130.2 innings pitched, while also hitting .400 with four homers and 27 RBIs for the Polar Bears, who've posted some impressive victories over the likes of Verrado of Arizona, Empire of Arizona and Banning of Wilmington, three teams who currently have at least 23 wins already this season.

One of Miranda's most impressive showings thus far in her career was against Empire, as she shut down the high-powered Ravens with a two-hit shutout that also included 10 strikeouts during the Polar Bears' 6-0 pool play victory in the Las Vegas Spring Jamboree Tournament. Against Banning, Miranda withstood a devastating Pilot team and hurled a gutsy six-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 4-3 POLA victory during the recently completed El Segundo Tournament.

Miranda is also responsible for the Polar Bears' first fence-clearing home run in team history when she belted a two-run homer over a portable fence at Wilson Park in Torrance against Bishop Gorman of Nevada.

Not only is Miranda an exceptional softball talent, she's also an excellent student with a 3.5 GPA.

Should POLA go all the way and repeat as City Section Division III champions, expect Nicolle Miranda to be one of the first reasons why to come to your mind.