a defining and dominant season
Grant Gordon
All-Area Coach of the Year Anne Konrad recalls a 26-inning,
43-strikeout performance as the defining moment of her ace’s season.
Jenna Schachtner, herself, fast forwards to the postseason and a
no-out, bases-loaded situation that had history riding on it.
During the 2005 softball season that was Schachtner’s tour de
force, highlights were happenstance and dominance was a daily
occurrence.
Batters were baffled and overpowered every game, Flintridge Prep
rode her success all the way to a CIF final and the sports writers of
the Glendale News-Press, Foothill Leader and Burbank Leader voted her
the 2005 All-Area Softball Player of the Year.
“Definitely this year, Jenna carried the team and everyone rallied
around her and played up to her level,” says Konrad of Schachtner,
who was the Prep League Pitcher of the Year, a first-team All-CIF
Southern Section Division V selection, a Cal-Hi All-State Small
School first-teamer and led her team to the best finish in school
history.
Schachtner concluded her fourth year with the Rebels’ varsity
squad and as a junior was also an All-CIF selection.
Still, nobody could have fathomed the dominance orchestrated by
her this past season, nor the team success that it translated to.
Game in and game out, Schachtner was at her best this past year --
and her best was far too much for most teams to handle.
On just three occasions -- twice against Prep League champion
Pasadena Poly and once against Division V champion Pomona Catholic --
in 20 games did the opposition plate multiple runs against
Schachtner.
In all, she tallied 13 shutouts -- four in the postseason that saw
the better part of an awe-inspiring scoreless streak of 62 1/3
innings -- during a year that was overflowing with gaudy numbers and
mesmerizing feats.
Fifteen wins against five losses provided not only a stellar
record at season’s end, but the road map to a statistical wonderland
that saw her lead the area with 323 strikeouts to go along with a
microscopic 0.31 ERA.
She averaged more than 14 strikeouts per seven innings, including
30 Mayfield and 43 against host Westridge.
Her strikeout total was the sixth highest in state high school
history, while placing her fourth in CIF Southern Section chronicle.
Just as impressive was the fact that the game was started on a
Monday, ended on a Wednesday and sandwiched a shutout victory against
Chadwick in between.
“Having to play two days, maintaining that intensity,” Konrad
recalls.
“That game really set her apart from the rest.”
ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM
Audrey Andrade * Glendale * Senior * Infielder
Pacific League co-MVP led the area with a .672 batting average
Danielle Austin * Providence * Junior * Catcher
Consistent force batted .475 and had .794 slugging percentage
Amy Bishop * Glendale * Freshman * Utility
Batted .455 with 20 RBIs to earn first-team all-league accolades
Heather Brusokas * Glendale * Junior * Infielder
Batted .652 and led area with nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 42 hits
Caitlyn Cox * Crescenta Valley* Freshman * Outfielder
Batted .407 and drove in 19 runs, despite not starting season on
varsity
Emily Hanson * Crescenta Valley * Junior * Infielder
All-CIF selection led Falcons with .494 batting average and 43
hits
Kerry Hodgins * Burroughs * Freshman * Infielder
Newcomer hit .359 and scored 20 runs to earn first-team all-league
nod
Meghann Muirhead * Flintridge Sacred Heart * Senior * Pitcher
All-Mission League first-team selection had a 1.40 ERA
Lauren Strangis * Crescenta Valley * Senior * Pitcher
Had 18-6 record, 1.49 ERA to earn first-team all-league selection
Lauren Suedkamp * Providence * Junior * Outfielder
All-CIF Division VII honoree led team with .493 batting average
Sydney Vermillion * Crescenta Valley * Junior * Outfielder
Speedster hit .419 to earn first-team All-Pacific League nod
Kimmie White * Burroughs * Junior * Utility
All-Foothill League first-teamer scored 26 runs and hit .385
ALL-AREA SECOND TEAM
Jillian Schafer * Burbank * Junior * Pitcher
All-Foothill League second-teamer had a 2.13 ERA with 142 Ks
Sarah Biggs * Providence * Soph. * Pitcher
All-CIF Southern Section Division VII first-teamer went 12-4
Lainey DePompa * CV * Freshman * Catcher
Consistent force at the plate hit .366 for the Falcons
Liz Roche * Providence * Senior * Infielder
All-Liberty League pick hit .452 with 17 runs scored, 13 RBIs
Andi Diaz * Burbank * Senior * Infielder
Was Burbank’s most potent hitter, batting .388 with 11 RBIs
Jessica Pejsar * Hoover * Senior * Infielder
Hit .367 en route to an All-Pacific League first-team accolade
Rachel Gray * Flint. Prep * Senior * Infielder
All-CIF Division V first-team honoree played solid defense
Ashleigh Viers-Gordillo * CV * Fr. * Outfielder
Produced 14 RBIs and 16 runs and batted .360
Catie Rohrig * Hoover * Senior * Outfielder
Tornado all-league first-team player batted .404
Kjirsten Speer * Flint. Prep * Senior * Outfielder
Paced Division V runner-up Rebels with a .333 batting average
Ashley Messenger * La Canada * Senior * Utility
Earned Spartans’ lone All-Rio Hondo League first-team nod
Sara Budrick * Burroughs * Junior * Utility
All-Foothill League second-teamer had a 6-5 pitching record
Anne Konrad * Flintridge Prep Coach of the Year
Guided Rebels to Division V runner-up honors, best season in
program history