First published in the June 16 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
A cadre of local athletes earned All-CIF honors in their respective sports with outstanding season-long performances.
SOFTBALL
Senior utility player Victoria Ramirez and junior infielder Marie Milton were a pair of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy varsity softball players selected to the 2022 All-CIF Division V team.
Ramirez had a terrific season as a two-way player. She was nearly untouchable in the circle, posting a 12-6 record in 18 games started, including a stretch of eight straight wins between March 31 and May 12. Ramirez posted a team-best 1.70 ERA across 115 innings with 112 strikeouts while limiting opposing batters to a .211 batting average. In the batter’s box, Ramirez batted .494 while collecting eight home runs, 39 RBIs and 33 runs. She added 16 multi-hit performances and a 13-game hit streak.
Meanwhile, Milton had a terrific season of her own at the plate. She recorded a .510 batting average while adding three home runs, four triples, 12 doubles, 35 RBIs and 42 runs. She only struck out six times in 104 at-bats. More impressively, she tallied at least one base hit in 27 of the 28 games she played this season. Milton began her 27-game hit streak on April 20, 2021, at Schurr High in Montebello and it wasn’t until a full year later at La Cañada on April 20 that her hit streak ended. It was just the second time in her two-year varsity career that she was held hitless. Milton also had 17 multi-hit games, including a 5-for-5 performance in a 22-0 blowout victory at Notre Dame Academy in Los Angeles on March 15.
Meanwhile, Mayfield Senior senior infielder Jamie Pernecky earned a spot on the All-CIF Division VI team. Pernecky had an outstanding season, leading all Cubs in batting average (.547) by a wide margin while also leading in runs batted in (23), hits (35), doubles (16), home runs (two), on-base percentage (.663), slugging percentage (.953) and OPS (1.616). She also tied a team-best mark in runs scored (35) with freshman teammate Jaz Johnson and added 14 stolen bases. Pernecky was a force at the plate, registering 11 multi-hit efforts in 22 games with a terrific 14:1 walk to strikeout ratio.
BASEBALL
Senior Michael Ebner, who is committed to playing at the University of Southern California, and freshman Zach Strickland headlined Maranatha’s All-CIF Division II team selections.
Ebner posted a 5-2 record with a pair of saves across 52.1 innings in 11 starts (13 appearances) with 54 strikeouts, a 2.80 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. At the plate, Ebner recorded a .388 batting average, .470 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage with 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 29 runs and five stolen bases.
Strickland had a great first season on the mound, finishing with a 7-1 record and one save in 15 appearances (10 games started). He struck out 84 batters in just 57.2 innings of work with a 1.21 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP while limiting opposing batters to a .167 average.
Flintridge Prep senior captain Nicholas Gonzalez, who is committed to playing baseball at Occidental College in Eagle Rock next season, was selected to the All-CIF-SS Division IV team.
Gonzalez had a great season, posting a .386 batting average with a .939 OPS. He collected a pair of doubles, two triples, 32 hits, 23 RBIs and 25 runs scored.
