Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at info@extrainningsoftball.com and also los.extrainningsoftball@gmail.com.
Here’s our TLI for Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 …
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PACIFICA HIGH HONORS FORMER STARS
TLI used to cover MMA, boxing and high school sports for the Orange County Register in So Cal for many years. Softball became TLI’s beat in 1996 when Doc Osterman passed away. Doc’s actual first name was Dave, but his hand writing was so bad everyone called him Doc.
Anyways, TLI quickly realized Orange County was a hotbed for softball. Many of the top players in the country came from the OC and Pacifica High in Garden Grove, CA, was in contention for championships every year. The Mariners had players such as Amanda Freed, Toni Mascarenas, Jodie Legaspi, Mallorie Lenn, Kristen DeWitt and Dejah Mulipola who all went on to become stars in college and play for Junior National Teams and two even made Olympic Teams.
Tony Arduino, a teacher and former baseball coach at Pacifica, took over as Pacifica’s softball coach a couple years ago when coaching legend Mark Campbell passed away. Ironically, TLI knows Tony very well. When TLI left the Register and started So Cal Sidelines, Tony used to cover football games and even covered PGF Nationals one summer. He is a very good writer that required little if any editing.
Well, Tony created some banners to highlight the former Pacifica stars that made Junior National or Olympic Teams that he will hang on the outfield fences next week.
“I just wanted the current team, students, parents, etc., to see the names that built Pacifica softball!” Arduino said in a text. “Such a great softball tradition. I actually missed a player, one of her family members emailed me. I’m gonna have another one made, Mallorie Lenn. Rob Weil and Mike Stith helped me come with up the names. I reached out to all the players as well. Was kind of fun! I grew up in GG, I remember most of them, I definitely remember you covering them as well, so cool. Take care brotha!”
We are excited to announce we will be hanging the following banners in our outfield celebrating all of the Pacifica Softball alumni that have played on US Olympic or Jr. National teams! 🥎⚓️🇺🇸🏅@PHS_Mariners @ocvarsity @ocvarsityguy @DavidDelgado_OC @Los_Stuff @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/jctyeNLnQh
— Pacifica High School Softball🥎 (@PacHS_Softball) November 20, 2020
GIVING BACK
Jeff Wallace of KC Peppers reached out to TLI to let us know what some of his players were up to during this COVID-19 pandemic. It reminded TLI why we’re so thankful to be part of the softball community.
The hardest 6ft apart… love you so so so much B!!! And I’m blessed to be apart of a team that supports me in everything I do #Pepps ❤️❤️@Bradenshope @JWall1820 @ericsjayhawks @JayHeidrick pic.twitter.com/mXHRwcvTcN
— Molly Heidrick (@MollyHeidrick) November 24, 2020
Here’s some more softballers we’re thankful to know. Happy Thanksgiving!
What an amazing weekend! I had a great weekend giving back to our local softball community this past Saturday. This experience was awesome and it makes me grateful for the sport I play. I cant wait until the next one! pic.twitter.com/rvTetjsCsZ
— Keagan Rothrock (@_kea01) November 25, 2020
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