Marina’s Emily Rush earns Surf League MVP in softball
Junior pitcher Emily Rush served as a major contributor both offensively and in shutting teams down in the circle for Marina High’s softball team.
After leading the Vikings to a share of the Surf League title, Rush earned the league’s MVP award.
Rush went 16-8 with three shutouts. She posted a 2.29 earned-run average over 150 innings, striking out 89.
At the plate, Rush hit .421 with 33 runs batted in. She hammered eight home runs and five doubles.
Senior first baseman Shayla Thomas and senior shortstop Nicole Logrecco were also first-team members for the Vikings.
Thomas, a Cal State Northridge signee, hit .365 with 21 runs scored, 14 RBIs, three doubles and two home runs.
Logrecco, who signed with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, batted .343 with 23 runs scored, 10 RBIs, four doubles and one triple.
Ask any softball coach from the Surf League, and they would tell you that the nine-game league slate was nothing short of a full-scale battle.
Marina went 16-9 overall and 5-4 in the league, finishing in a tie for first place with Los Alamitos (19-9, 5-4). The Vikings earned the top seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs, but they were shut out by visiting Temecula Valley 3-0 in the first round.
Edison had Arkansas-bound pitcher Jenna Bloom and sophomore infielder Isabella Espinoza selected to the first team.
Bloom went 6-6 with a 2.00 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. She struck out 80 and walked 22.
Espinoza hit .254, scoring 14 runs and driving in nine runs.
Edison went 16-10 overall and 4-5 in league play, finishing in a tie for third place with Huntington Beach (18-9, 4-5). The Chargers did not receive an at-large selection into the Division 2 playoffs.
Huntington Beach had junior pitcher Grace Uribe and senior center fielder Jadelyn Allchin as its first-team representatives.
Uribe went 13-5 over 18 starts. She struck out 78 and walked 36, holding opponents to a 1.99 ERA. The Texas A&M commit hit .385 and drove in a team-high 23 runs. She also hit five home runs.
Allchin, who signed with Washington, sported a .458 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. She had 21 runs scored, 11 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
When the Huntington Beach High softball team played in its first CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal last season, the Oilers gave eventual champion Norco everything it could handle.
After receiving an at-large berth into the Division 1 playoffs, the Oilers advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated by top-seeded Norco. Huntington Beach beat No. 4-seeded Grand Terrace, Esperanza and Chino Hills in the postseason.
Marina sophomore second baseman Taylor Lane received second-team honors.
The Chargers had senior outfielders Serena Starks (Princeton) and Jaelyn Operana (Tennessee) and junior utility player Alyssa Reynolds named to the second team.
The Oilers had senior second baseman Megan Ryono and junior catcher Reanna Rudd named to the second team.
Los Alamitos senior left-hander Sarah Ladd was named the Surf League Pitcher of the Year. Senior outfielder Samantha Denehy, sophomore shortstop Emma Sellers and junior first baseman Jamie Sellers were first-team selections for the Griffins.
::
Support our sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
For more sports stories, visit latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/sports or follow us on Twitter @DailyPilotSport.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
