This group of five freshmen starting out at San Pedro High for their first year of prep softball in the 2014 season ended with a shocking first round loss in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division 1 playoffs and an even more stunning exit to one of the greatest softball coaches in California after 28 years on the job.

Now in the middle of their third season as a trio of juniors, the last freshmen class ever to play for former coach Tony Dobra, are still going strong and in the midst of career seasons both individually, and collectively.

Catcher Andrea Cline, pitcher/shortstop Deanna Gonzalez, pitcher Cindy Robles, center fielder Andrea Trejo and third baseman Ricki Justiniano have made some mighty contributions to the Pirates in their previous two years under current coach Robert Whitney, which includes last year's Whittier Tournament championship and a 21-win season. In fact, Cline, Robles and Trejo were all named to the All-Marine League team a season ago.

What brought all five of them to San Pedro High was pretty simple... the reputation of the softball program (16 CIF-LACS championships) and overall they're just classic Pirate girls at heart.

"I knew one day I wanted to rep my city and be a Pirate," said Justiniano, who has had some monumental hitting games while flashing her glove at the hot corner for San Pedro, currently 12-7-1 overall and 4-2 in the Marine League after a 25-0, five-inning victory over visiting Gardena Thursday. 

Cline added: "My whole family is all about being a Pirate so since I was little I wanted to be a varsity softball player at San Pedro High School and represent the city I love."

Robles and Trejo were two big reasons why San Pedro won the Whittier Tournament a season ago, when Trejo's miraculous diving snow cone catch with one out in the top of the seventh inning helped ice the Pirates' 4-3 victory over Mayfair of Lakewood, which allowed them to retain their tournament title. Robles pitched a six-hitter with 7 strikeouts to secure the win and tournament MVP, but Trejo was the one who stole the show.

"Honestly I didn't think I'd catch it at first," recalls Trejo, who hit right-handed her freshman season but was turned into a speedy left-handed slap hitter last season. "But when I did it felt so amazing just knowing I put my whole effort into that catch. Something good really came out."

The most memorable game for both Robles and Justiniano came in their second Marine League game against Banning of Wilmington last season at the Wilmington Athletic Complex. Down 5-0 after two innings, the hot bat of Justiniano going 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs, combined with Robles' gutsy pitching down the stretch, San Pedro stormed back and won 7-5 for their biggest victory of the season.

"I was just trying to clutch up for my team," Justiniano said. "They worked hard to get on base and I wanted to do the same by moving them around. It was a team win and I was just excited to be part of it."

Cline is the only one of the 'Fab Five' to make All-Marine League for two straight seasons, and her fearlessness at the plate combined with her outstanding leadership skills behind the plate are big reasons why.

In two games against neighbor Port Of Los Angeles her freshman season, Cline was the only Pirate to not be retired by the now true freshman at Eastern Michigan, Nicolle Miranda, reaching base all six times she faced Miranda with three hits and three walks.

There's also no fear whenever Cline gets to run the bases either...

Last year in a tournament game at Kennedy of Granada Hills, Cline blasted a pitch into the left-center field gap for in what many parks would be a double, but with the field being so wide and the fence being so far, she continued to chug along and get her first career home run in a 9-1 Pirates victory.

What were Cline's thoughts on that signature moment?

"To get around those bases as fast as I can," Cline said matter-of-factly. "I wasn't sure how far it went but coach (Whitney) was sending me and I trust him, so I didn't question to look back."

Gonzalez, who has improved greatly in a pitching staff that includes Robles and sophomore Quincy Greenwood, also had a classic Whittier Tournament moment during her freshman season in the semifinals against Knight of Palmdale, where she somehow hook slid her way into home plate off a ground ball by Johnie Cortez, now at Marymount California University, for the winning run of an eventual 4-2 victory.

"That was a fun game," Gonzalez said. "I was glad to have been able to put us ahead because I love this game so much. I always play like it's the last time I will play."

All five want to continue to play softball at the collegiate level to follow in the footsteps of past teammates like Cortez, Alexa Ponce (Boston University), Taylor Richter (El Camino College), Cayla Ezelle (Orange Coast College), Doreen Corella (Long Beach City College), and past Pirates like Koral Costa (Oregon) and Chloe Oro (Delaware State).

For now, all five will be looking to help San Pedro make some noise in the second half of Marine League where three of their final four games are at home, including back-to-back rematches with Carson and Banning in May.

"I think we have a pretty good chance," Robles said. "As long as I do my job (in the circle) and we get more runs on the board, there will always be a good chance for us."

Cline is even more confident in her team's hopes for even better success, especially when it comes to simply advancing out of the first round of the playoffs.

"I think our team chemistry is way better than last year," Cline exclaims. "We don't want our seniors to go out on a sour note so we will pull through."