3/11/2016

Proveemwrong|May22,2015|www.simivalleyacorn.com|SimiValleyAcorn

20150522/Sports

Proveemwrong
Underdogsquadcapturesfirstleaguecrownsince2011
ByJonathanAndrade
jandrade@theacorn.com
PunditsdidntgiveSimiValleyHighssoftballteammuch
lovewhenitcamedowntowhowouldwintheinaugural
CoastalCanyonLeaguechampionship.
Moorparkcrushedfoesenroutetoanundefeatedrun
throughtheMarmonteLeaguelastyearandreturneda
stoutlineup.NobodywashotterthanCamarilloduringone
prolongedstretchthisspring.
GOODTIMESVanessaAlmaraz,left,
sharesahighfivewithassistantcoach
TashaTerryduringtheSimiValleyHigh
softballteamspracticeearlierthisweek.
ThePioneerswontheCoastalCanyon
Leaguetitle.PhotosbyMICHAEL
COONS/AcornNewspapers

ThePioneers,however,didntcareabouthypotheticals.
Theyjustgotthejobdone.
PeoplethoughtitmighthavebeenMoorparkorCamarillo
andthenwhoeverattheend,headcoachAndySilvasaid.
Itsfine.Thatgaveustheinitiativetobeabletolookat
whatpeopleweresayingandcomeupanddoourown
thing.

SimiValleywontheCoastalCanyontitle,securingitsfirst
leaguecrownsince2011.
RyleeReynolds,theteamsacepitcher,saidthePioneers(16
7overall,93inleagueatpresstime)didntletthenaysayers
getintotheirheads.
Itwasgreatbeingtheunderdogsandcomingouttoshow
everyonewhatwecanreallydo,theseniorsaid.
PoweredbytheCoastalCanyonsmostpotentoffense,the
PioneersearnedaspotintheCIFSouthernSectionDivision2
playoffs.SimiValleyfacedFullertoninthefirstroundon
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Thursday,May21,butafinalscorewasnotavailableatpress
time.
SimiValley,whichfinishedtheregularseasonrankedNo.7in
thecoachespoll,wonsixofitsfirstsevenleaguecontests,
includingtwovictoriesagainstMoorpark.SimiValleydefeated
Moorparklaterintheseason,too.

TURNTHEOTHERCHEEKSimi
ValleysHaleyCheekpreparestothrow
theballtofirstbaseatpractice.Cheek
andthePioneersopenedthe
CIFSouthernSectionDivision2playoffs
athomeonThursday.

TheMusketeershaddominatedrecentshowdowns,butSimiValleyreignedsupremethisseason.
Itfeltawesome,seniorthirdbasemanDaniLiermannsaid,especiallyagainstMoorpark.
SimiValleythrivedintheunderdogroleafterlosingseniorsluggerKiraCzyrklistoseasonending
anklesurgeryinMarch.
LosingKirawashuge,seniorfirstbasemanEmilyChandlersaid.Ithinkwedidherproudby
keepingupwhileshewasgone.
HaleyCheek,thePioneersstartingseniorsecondbaseman,saidtheteamrespondedwellonthe
field.
Weallcametogetherandwehadalotofconfidencethroughouttheseason,shesaid.Webattled
througheverygame.
LiermannattributedmuchofthePioneerssuccesstotheteamslonesophomore,catcherKatelyn
Hanson.
Hansonshowedpromisebehindthedishwithfancygloveworkandaconfidentattitude.Shealso
chippedinonoffense.Shesporteda.297battingaveragewith10RBIandtwohomerunsinthe
regularseason.
Chandler,Reynolds,LiermannandjuniorshortstopCaitlinBerreitterpacedtheSimiValleyoffense.
Chandlerledthesquadwiththreedingersand18RBI.Reynoldslaunchedtwohomersofherown
whilehitting.371attheplate.Liermanntalliedateamhigh34hitsontheyearwhilescoringanother
teambest18runs.Berreitterscored16runsofherownwhilehitting.312with12RBIandthree
doubles.
Reynolds,whowillpitchatLibertyUniversity,helddownthefortinthecircle.
Shewent137ontheyearwithanearnedrunaverageof2.82headingintothepostseason.
Reynoldsoverpoweringfastballhelpedherfan92battersintheregularseason.
KatelynOdle,AutummCauthronandGabyDeLaCerdapatroltheoutfield.
DanielleChatman,VanessaAlmaraz,RachelEdwards,TaylorGinther,EmilyHammond,Cassia
SmithandVeronicaLynchboosttheSimiValleylineup.
ThePioneersnearlysharedtheleaguecrownwithCamarilloafterfallingtotheScorpionsinthethird
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tolastgameoftheseason.ApairofwinsagainstRoyalandMoorpark,andaCamarillolossto
Moorpark,nudgedSimiValleytothetopofthestandings.
Ourgoalwastomaketheplayoffs,Silvasaid.Itdidntmatterwhereweendedupinleague,but
thegirlsweredeterminedtonotsitback.TheywantedtogoinastheNo.1,sotheyworkedhardand
ithappened.
Liermanndidntmincewordswhensummingupagreatyear.
Itwasawesometoprove(naysayers)wrongintheend,shesaid.
ThesenioraddedthatshebelievesSimiValleywillremainincontroloftheleagueforyearstocome.
Wehavealotoftalent,Liermannsaid.Imexcitedtohearaboutnextyear.

Returntotop

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