Janelle Vega Blasts Walk-Off Winner For Mary Star Softball Over San Pedro

It's March Madness.. San Pedro Prep Softball style.

A wild intersectional hometown showdown ended with a St. Patrick's Day delight on a Friday afternoon for Mary Star Of The Sea High softball.

With two outs and two in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied, Mary Star junior shortstop Janelle Vega blasted the first pitch from San Pedro freshman Jenna Ortega into center field, driving in freshman second baseman Mariah Candela for the 9-8 home victory.

This was a back-and-forth encounter that had a lot of twists, turns, and like the NCAA basketball tournaments, it was also a game of runs, especially in the fifth inning.

With San Pedro ahead, 3-2, the Pirates struck for three runs to push their lead up to 6-2, strengthened by a pair of RBI-singles by senior designated player Marissa Markel and senior left fielder Layla Jelenic, who stole second on a double steal that also saw sophomore Bri Rodela steal home uncontested, but the host Stars (5-3) were undaunted, and came into the bottom half of the inning ready to counterattack.

It all got started with an innocent ground-ball out by Vega, but once senior center fielder Tele Jennings drew a one-out walk, Mary Star was ready to unload, and San Pedro came stunningly unraveled. 

Back-to-back hits by senior third baseman Destiny Contreras and junior 1B/P Mina Tala made it 6-4, with Tala's second RBI hit of the afternoon bringing home Jennings. San Pedro's first error of the inning plated Conteras, and then junior P/1B Jocelyn Mayorga blasted an opposite-field RBI-single to right for Tala to score. Suddenly, Mary Star was only down 6-5 but on the next pitch, Candela's grounder to third ate up San Pedro senior Bella Chavez, loading the bases.

Mayorga and junior left fielder Alaina Velardez then score off a wild throw from San Pedro junior shortstop Madison Fao towards first base on what should have been the final out of the inning, then two pitches later, Vega's first RBI-hit of the day plated Candela for an 8-6 Mary Star advantage.

True to form, San Pedro (3-4) kept battling, and once the seventh inning surfaced, they wasted little time in making their comeback bid.

Fao led off the inning being hit by an inside pitch from Tala, then Markel's booming double to right allowed Fao to score from first. Jelenic's one-out ground-ball out drove Markel in to even the score at 8-8 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Not easing up, Mayorga drilled a single on the first pitch before being forced out on a fielder's choice at second on Candela's grounder to Chavez. Then Candela advanced to third on Velardez's one-out single, followed by senior right fielder Lilly Vega striking out, but Rodela dropped Ortega's pitch recovering quickly to throw to first for the second out.

And then, it was Janelle Vega that got her shine on.

Jennings, bound for UC San Diego, went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, scoring twice for Mary Star. Tala earned the win in relief of Mayorga, scattering three runs on five hits, striking out four. Contreras, Mayorga and Tala all had two hits each with Tala also delivering with 2 RBIs. Markel went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for San Pedro, while Jelenic went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs.

Fao, Chavez (2-for-4) and junior first baseman Addison Patapoff all belted doubles for the two-time defending Marine League champion Pirates, who got a solid four innings of work by junior pitcher Bella Miller, only allowing two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Views: 178

Comment

You need to be a member of San Pedro News Pilot to add comments!

Join San Pedro News Pilot

San Pedro News Pilot by email - sign up!

Delivered by FeedBurner

What is the SanPedroNewsPilot.com?

The SanPedroNewsPilot.com is the social network and information outlet for San Pedro.

Want to keep up with the news in San Pedro, become a member.


 

Membership has its privileges!

• Got news you think everyone should know? Blog it.
• Have a show or attending a benefit? Put it on the calendar.
• Got video of the big game? Embed it.
• Photos of the new storefront or the school play? Upload them.

Latest Activity

Mistah Wilson posted a blog post

Soul The Interrogator talks Hip Hop Histories & His New Album "Ol' Head" (Exclusive Interview)

Seattle rapper Soul The Interrogator talks General Background, TakeOver Music Collective, & His Latest Album Ol' Head in an exclusive interview w/ Mistah Wilson for tha Seattle Music Scene...See More
Sep 11
Mistah Wilson updated their profile
Jul 21
San Pedro News Pilot posted a blog post

In Memoriam: Joan Marie Wainwright, Dec.11, 1929, to July 3, 2023

Joan Marie Wainwright died peacefully on July 3, 2023, just after sunrise surrounded by her family. In the weeks prior to her death, she acknowledged that her only remaining ailment was old age, having battled chronic pain for most of her adult life. Her family and loved ones, including the attentive staff at Morningstar Boise, cared for her, hovered over her and paid their respects to a great woman. She was 93. Joan was…See More
Jul 20
Profile IconJohn P. Barbera, Deborah Grubb Schultz, Michele Haddix Omar and 10 more joined San Pedro News Pilot
Jul 20

Sports Editor
Jamaal Kellen Street posted a blog post

2022-2023 San Pedro Prep Sports Team Of The Year

Not since the 1985-1986 season has the San Pedro High School girls basketball enjoyed a time quite like this.While other programs like the football, girls volleyball, softball, both cross-country teams and several others at the school gained some credible success over the years, even their boys basketball counterparts also winning CIF-Los Angeles City Section titles in…See More
Jul 17

Sports Editor
Jamaal Kellen Street posted a blog post

San Pedro High Softball Goes Four Hours To Win In 12 Innings

Four hours.Two minutes.12 innings of sheer endurance, gutsy plays, clutch hits.Two overturned calls.One game-winning walk-off hit.That's just yet another chapter in the book of what has been a two-decades long rivalry between San Pedro High and Carson softball on Tuesday at the San Pedro High John M. & Muriel Olguin Campus.A Marine League game that had league title…See More
Apr 12
Mistah Wilson posted a blog post
Mar 29

Sports Editor
Jamaal Kellen Street promoted Jamaal Kellen Street's blog post Janelle Vega Blasts Walk-Off Winner For Mary Star Softball Over San Pedro
Mar 17

© 2023   Created by San Pedro News Pilot.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service