Plenty of Pacific League honors for area softball standouts
Through the years, the Pacific League has routinely produced quintessential local softball players.
The trend continued in 2019, as 13 local athletes were bestowed with All-Pacific League recognition after accumulating top-notch statistics and providing their respective teams with stability and leadership.
Paving the way was Crescenta Valley High’s Alyssa Hernandez and Dee Dee Hernandez, whom helped the Falcons win a third straight league championship en route to capturing the CIF Southern Section Division III title.
For their bodies of work, Alyssa Hernandez was named the league’s player of the year and Dee Dee Hernandez was tabbed the league’s pitcher of the year as voted on by the league’s eight coaches
Alyssa Hernandez, a senior infielder who will attend Cal State Fullerton, batted .412 (42 for 102) with seven doubles, 40 runs, 25 runs batted in and a .569 slugging percentage for Crescenta Valley (27-5-1, 14-0 in league).
Dee Dee Hernandez, a sophomore pitcher, went 23-5 with a 1.01 earned-run average in 28 appearances. The left-hander struck out 164 and walked 20 in 158 innings. At the plate, Hernandez batted .602 (53 for 88) with three home runs, 17 doubles, 25 runs, 42 RBI and a .943 slugging percentage.
“Alyssa and Dee Dee really had fantastic years again and we know we could always count on them,” said Crescenta Valley coach Amanda Peek, who was tabbed the league’s coach of the year. “They were huge keys to our success and it would often start with them.
“Alyssa is our catalyst and lead-off hitter and she helped anchor our defense. Dee Dee’s mental game improved so much and you could see how it made a difference with her one-pitch-at-a-time mentality. They both deserved what they got.”
Four area players were selected to the first and second teams and three picked up honorable mention.
Crescenta Valley’s Izzy Jamgotchian, Morgan Eng and Peyton Hause, along with Aurora Funaro of Glendale, earned first-team accolades.
Jamgotchian, a freshman catcher, hit .423 (41 for 97) with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 30 runs and a .569 slugging percentage.
Eng, a sophomore infielder, batted .479 (46-96) with 44 runs and 10 runs batted in.
Hause hit .345 (29 for 84) with 27 runs and 15 RBI as a senior infielder.
The Occidental College-bound Funaro, a senior pitcher, went 13-6 with a 1.68 ERA in 20 appearances for Glendale (14-8-1, 7-7 in league for fifth place). The right-hander struck out 125 and walked 18 in 95 2/3 innings. Funaro batted .349 (22 for 63) with 17 RBI and 16 runs.
Stephanie Wichman, Natalie Bitetti and Kristy Taix of Crescenta Valley, along with Glendale’s Viviana Bocanegra, picked up second-team recognition.
Wichman, a sophomore outfielder/designated player, batted .517 (31 for 60) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 41 RBI and 1.017 slugging percentage.
Bitetti, a junior outfielder, batted .352 (25 for 71) with 21 runs and 14 RBI.
As a senior outfielder, Taix hit .306 (26 for 85) with 26 runs and 19 RBI.
Bocanegra, a senior infielder, batted .463 (31 for 67) with seven doubles, 19 runs and 15 RBI.
Maddie De Leon of Crescenta Valley, Glendale’s Jaimie Harris and Alexis Figueroa of Hoover (1-13 overall and in league for seventh place) received honorable mention.
De Leon, a junior infielder, hit .348 (29-84) with seven home runs, 33 RBI, 19 runs and a .712 slugging percentage.
Harris batted .406 (26 for 64) with six home runs, 21 runs and 24 RBI as a junior infielder.
No statistics were available on Figueroa, a junior pitcher.
