Softball: Freshman pitcher is transforming Golden Valley
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As usual, Valencia and Hart will be the teams to beat in the Foothill League this spring, but no one can afford to overlook Golden Valley, now that it has a freshman ace up its sleeve. The Grizzlies are off to their best start in the team’s short history, and pitcher Cassie Herrera has played a definitive role in transforming Golden Valley into a playoff contender and potential giant-killer.
Heading into this afternoon’s league opener against Saugus, Herrera has a .959 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 73 innings to help guide Golden Valley to a 10-5 record. She shut out Newbury Park and La Canada and put up a gutsy performance in a 2-1 victory over El Camino Real earlier this month. She also held her own in one-run losses to talented squads from Agoura and Notre Dame.
Herrera could be the most talented freshman pitcher in the Foothill League, if not the entire region. While the Grizzlies will be hard-pressed to challenge Valencia and Hart, Herrera gives them a strong foundation to build on for the future.
Still, the future begins now for the Grizzlies, and a third-place finish in league, along with the automatic playoff berth that comes with it, seems very possible.
-- Austin Knoblauch
