La Cañada High softball reaps Rio Hondo League honors

While the 2013 Rio Hondo League season certainly didn’t live up to the La Cañada High softball team’s expectations, there was no denying the talent the Spartans had when the all-league meeting rolled around.

La Cañada, which tied for second in league with a 13-14 (7-5 in league) record, may not have grabbed a top honor — the league’s most valuable player and pitcher awards went to Monrovia’s Elise McCarthy and Michelle Floyd, respectively — but produced the most first-teamers with four.

Jessica Ogden was the Spartans’ only senior on the first-team list, as underclassmen Katy Lee, Olivia Leyva and Olivia Lam showed La Cañada is in good position to lead the team to another title in 2014.

Leyva, a leadoff hitter and outfielder, produced the most power this season. The junior produced a .405 (30 for 74) batting average, .824 slugging percentage, 30 runs batted in, 28 scored, seven doubles, six homers and three triples — all team-highs.

Lee, a junior, hit .380 (30 for 79). She had 21 runs, four doubles and a team-high seven stolen bases. She was also a lockdown defender with impressive range. She committed just four errors in 111 chances for a .964 fielding percentage at second base.

Lam proved a capable replacement to the last year’s Spartans standout at catcher, Catherine Horner. The sophomore batted .292 (19 for 65) with 10 RBI, seven doubles and six runs scored.

In addition to a .281 batting average (16 for 57), 12 runs, five RBI, four doubles, a pair of homers of solid defense; Ogden provided leadership.

A duo of Spartans seniors Annie Monroe and Aubri Thompson and junior Brenna Gay also received second-team nods. Monroe, a shortstop, provided La Cañada with a .278 batting average (20 for 72), 16 RBI and four doubles. Thompson at third base had a .268 batting average (22 for 82) with 12 RBI and two doubles. Gay, an outfielder, hit .294 (25 for 85) with 14 RBI, 10 runs and six doubles.