Flintridge Sacred Heart softball’s Ramirez bestowed with All-Sunshine League’s top honor
A huge void was filled when Amanda Ramirez returned to the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team this past season.
Ramirez missed most of the 2018 season because of a shoulder injury, creating a giant hole in the lineup and in the middle in the infield. Ramirez recovered from her injury and came back to ignite the Tologs this year.
Having regained her mobility, Ramirez flourished with the bat and glove and helped Flintridge Sacred Heart win a league championship and make a deep postseason run.
Ramirez had an impressive batting average and fielding percentage en route to being named the Sunshine League’s Most Valuable Player for the first time.
“I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with Amanda coming back from her injury,” said Flintridge Sacred Heart coach Kirk Nishiyama, whose team finished 18-6, 7-1 in league. “We really missed her last season when she went down with the injury and she’s such an amazing all-around athlete.
“Amanda came back and played great. She’s the type of player who we haven’t had in a long time and she’s deserving of getting that kind of league recognition.”
Ramirez, a senior shortstop, batted .606 (40 for 66) with 15 doubles and five triples. In addition, she scored 36 runs, drove in 32 runs and had a .991 fielding percentage to catapult Flintridge Sacred Heart to its first league title since 1988.
Flintridge Sacred Heart, which won league by one game over Louisville, advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division V quarterfinals before falling on the road to Redondo Union.
The Tologs had four athletes pick up all-league first-team honors and three were named to the second team.
Senior outfielder Amesie Noll, junior infielder Cate Ziegler, junior catcher/outfielder Sarah Peck and freshman pitcher Vicky Ramirez were bestowed with first-team recognition.
Noll batted .418 (33 for 79) with nine doubles, 23 runs and 39 RBI. Ziegler hit .418 (23 for 55) with 19 runs batted in and three triples. Peck batted .418 (26 for 84) with 26 runs and 22 RBI. Peck didn’t commit an error in the field. Ramirez had a 14-5 trecord with a 2.83 earned-run average. She pitched 94 innings, completing 19 games.
Julia Powers, Karrie Nishiyama and Maddie Napierala earned spots on the second team for the Tologs.
Powers, a senior outfielder, batted .413 (26 for 63) with 21 runs and 22 RBI. Nishiyama hit .426 (29 for 68) with 24 runs and 17 RBI. Napierala, a freshman outfielder, batted .455 (25 for 55) with seven doubles, 16 runs and 20 RBI.
“I thought we had a great mix of talent and I’m happy with the recognition our team received,” Kirk Nishiyama said. “I think 1-9, it’s the best lineup we’ve had here in a very long time.”
