Two Dolphins Make All-City Softball Team

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

After leading the Palisades Charter High School varsity softball team to the City Section Division I semifinals, senior shortstop Stella Honda and senior pitcher Briana Vasquez have been selected to the All-City Team.

Palisades finished 12-10-1, took second in the Western League behind Venice and got seeded No. 15 out of 16 teams in the Division I bracket. The Dolphins upset No. 2 Legacy 12-2 in the first round May 9 and upset No. 10 Marshall 5-1 in the quarterfinals four days later.

In the semifinals May 15, Palisades took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning but gave up two runs in the bottom half and eventually lost, 2-1, to No. 3 Kennedy.

A four-year varsity player, Honda was second on the team in batting average (.433), first in runs scored (26), third in hits (29), third in slugging percentage (.537) and second in stolen bases (eight) this spring.

Vasquez, the Dolphins’ primary pitcher for three straight years, enjoyed a stellar senior season, highlighted by a perfect game with 13 strikeouts in a 10-0, five-inning victory over Hamilton on April 18. Vasquez threw 165 strikeouts and allowed only eight extra base hits in 118.2 innings while giving up 85 hits and 38 earned runs and posting a 2.24 earned run average.

Garfield defeated Kennedy, 5-2, in the Division I final. Carson junior Giselle Pantoja was voted Player of the Year after tossing a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts to power the Colts to their second straight Open Division crown (top eight teams) with a 1-0 triumph over Granada Hills in the finals April 18 at Long Beach State.