The 2015 San Pedro Prep Softball season turned out to be more than a success... Port Of Los Angeles, Mary Star Of The Sea, and San Pedro High all posted 20-win regular seasons, and all three took home regular season tournament hardware.

POLA had the most incredible season of all, setting a school record with 31 wins even in the midst of tough competition outside of the Coliseum League, which they won with a perfect 11-0 record. The Polar Bears (31-5 overall in 2015) were strong in tournament play, winning the Silver Division title of the Torrance National Tournament in March, going 5-1 in finishing as the runner-up of the Las Vegas Spring Jamboree Tournament in early April, then capping it off in early May with a runner-up finish in the El Segundo Tournament.

A crazy comeback over Polytechnic of Sun Valley in a 6-5, nine-inning victory in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I playoff opener where sophomore center fielder Shelby Younkin hit a dramatic walk-off home run to end it was the game of the year on May 19. POLA was down 5-1 in the bottom of the seventh before a pair of two-run home runs by freshman catcher Anessa Quiroz and Eastern Michigan-bound pitcher Nicolle Miranda tied the game.

Eventual CIF-LACS Division I champion Chatsworth ended POLA's spectacular season with an 8-6 semifinal defeat but senior second baseman Savana Ramirez and senior designated hitter Laura Leos both hit two-run homers in the loss.

Mary Star started off their season with a Duarte Tournament championship in early March, and George Mason-bound pitcher Marina Vitalich was striking out batters at a dizzying pace. Soon enough, the Stars continued to plug along and end up claiming their fourth Camino Real League title in five years, finishing 22-4 overall and 8-1 in league, reaching the CIF-Southern Section Division V quarterfinals, where it fell 8-2 to San Dimas on May 29.

On April 28, Mary Star played in one of the better games of the year, when they defeated league rival St. Monica of Santa Monica, 2-1 in ten innings at Clover Park. Sophomore shortstop Amanda Vitalich scored the winning run in the top of the tenth inning.

Coach Gregg Aguilar is the 2015 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Coach Of The Year.

Meanwhile, the San Pedro softball season under first-year coach Robert Whitney slumped down the stretch in losing six of their last nine games, including their final four games at home, capped off by a 5-3 loss to Kennedy of Granada Hills in the first round of the CIF-LACS Division I playoffs on May 19.

Even so with that disappointing conclusion, the Pirates managed to repeat as Whittier Tournament champions near the end of March and finish 21-12 overall, with a 6-4 mark in the tough Marine League, good for third place. San Pedro was a solid 4-1 on the road in league competition, with the biggest being a 7-5 victory at Banning of Wilmington on March 26 when the Pirates rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the second inning.

Without question the best part of this season was that Miranda, Marina Vitalich and Marymount California-bound San Pedro senior second baseman Johnie Cortez all hosted on-campus signing day ceremonies during the 2014-2015 calendar year.

Miranda and Marina Vitalich both earn the nod as the 2015 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Co-Players Of The Year in guiding their teams to extraordinary seasons. Vitalich posted a 22-4 record with a 0.54 ERA, a San Pedro Prep Softball record 367 strikeouts in 167 innings pitched, 18 shutouts, 24 complete games, 5 no-hitters (including 1 perfect game), 23 walks, 13 allowed earned runs. Three of the four losses were by 1-0 scores.

Vitalich, the Camino Real League Player & Pitcher Of The Year, was also dangerous at the plate with a .459 batting average, 6 home runs and 27 RBIs.

Miranda, the All-City Division I first team and Coliseum League Pitcher Of The Year graduates as POLA's all-time greatest pitcher, as her senior year stats read... a 17-3 record in the circle with a 1.85 ERA, 186 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched, 5 shutouts, 34 walks, 33 earned runs (42 runs allowed total), while also hitting .451 batting average, 12 runs scored, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs, 41 hits, 8 doubles & a triple.

This is Vitalich's fourth straight SPNP Prep Softball Player Of The Year honor, which Miranda has now shared alongside with her twice this year and in 2013.

All-City Division I first team selection San Pedro senior shortstop Taylor Richter, was once again named the Most Outstanding Player after a phenomenal hitting season where she had 59 hits in 83 at-bats (a .710 batting average) with 3 home runs and 19 RBIs.

Here is the full 2015 San Pedro News Pilot Prep Softball Team.

First Team: Alexa Ponce (San Pedro, C, senior); Rose Garcia (POLA, SS, senior); Cindy Robles (San Pedro, P, sophomore); Lexie Geich (Mary Star, 2B, senior); Amanda Vitalich (Mary Star, SS, sophomore); Isabella Samperio (Mary Star, 3B, junior); Analise De La Roca (POLA, P/1B, sophomore); Briana Valencia (POLA, 3B, senior).

Second Team: Gianna Fletcher (Mary Star, C, sophomore); Andrea Trejo (San Pedro, OF, sophomore); Andrea Cline (San Pedro, C, sophomore); Cayla Ezelle (San Pedro, OF, senior), Laura Leos (POLA, DH, senior); Miranda Marquez (Mary Star, 1B/OF, freshman); Gigi Gentile (Mary Star, 1B, sophomore); Chase Wong (San Pedro, OF, senior).