Young La Reina softball squad gaining momentum
Regents confident they can make playoffs
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers TAKING HER HACKS- La Reina's Sarah Fox makes contact during practice Tuesday afternoon. The Regents, coming off a 9-2 win last week over Oaks Christian, host St. Bonaventure today at 3:30 p.m.

For Bob Sisco, coaching the La Reina High softball team is about finding what works best.

Juggling the lineup, switching positions, tinkering with chemistry- it's all part of the gig for Sisco.

"When you're young, you have to adjust," Sisco said. "You have to find the right combination."

Kristina Cheung, La Reina's only senior, has moved from shortstop to third base. Brynne Buchanan started the year batting third but was moved to the leadoff spot because of her speed. After moving from center field, Buchanan has patrolled shortstop since spring break.

Maija Ehlinger was batting second, but because she's shellacking the ball as if she were a Rod Carew-Pete Rose-Ichiro Suzuki hybrid, she's hitting fifth to optimize her RBI-producing ability.

Sisco is in his first year as head coach- he was the right-hand man of former skipper Don Hyatt for the previous 22 seasons. Tom Bailey is an assistant coach.

After losing six players to graduation, including three who went on to earn college scholarships, the Regents are 7-6 overall and 4-2 in the Tri-Valley League, currently in second place behind a solid Oak Park squad.

La Reina started the season 0-3 but is now in the midst of a three-game winning streak. It plays St. Bonaventure at home today at 3:30 p.m.

"We had to go through some growing pains," Sisco said, "but I think we're coming out of it now."

Nobody's playing better than Ehlinger, a sophomore outfielder and first baseman. Ehlinger leads the Regents with a .517 batting average. She also has 11 RBI, 15 hits, nine runs, three doubles and one triple.

"She has just blossomed," the skipper said of his sophomore slugger. "Her dedication has just been incredible. She's really become a clutch player. When she moved to the fifth spot, she never missed a beat."

The Regents struggled with defense early. After tinkering with the lineup, Sisco thinks he may have found the best arrangement.

Though Oaks Christian swept La Reina last season, Sisco is already pleased that his team defeated the Lions 9-2 last Thursday to earn, at worst, a season split.

"We're starting to play really good defense," the head coach said. "The defense was shaky early in the year.

"Our pitchers are also feeling more comfortable with the defense behind them. Instead of having the attitude that they have to strike people out, they know they have teammates behind them backing them up."

Another sophomore, Sarah Fox, is hitting the softball extremely well, leading the team with 20 hits and 13 RBI. Primarily a first baseman, Fox is producing at a stellar .513 clip.

Freshman outfielder and cleanup hitter Taylor Yamek is hitting .417 with 10 hits, nine RBI, eight runs, three doubles and two triples. Yamek is also a relief pitcher.

As one of only three juniors, Buchanan is fourth on the team with a .389 batting average.

Another junior, Alexandra Mogan, leads the team with six stolen bases in six attempts and also is hitting .387 with nine RBI and a triple.

Five other Regents are batting over .200, while the team sports a .342 batting average.

In the pitchers' circle, sophomore returning starters Kaitlynne Birkett and Makenna Cox lead the way. Birkett has a 1.11 ERA and a 5-2 record. She also has 63 strikeouts and 14 walks in 50 2/3 innings pitched.

Cox is 2-3, but she has a 3.28 ERA, 19 strikeouts and only two walks.

As the team's lone senior, Cheung relishes her role as captain.

"It's a little weird, but I really enjoy being a captain and senior," said Cheung, who leads the team with 12 assists, and has five hits and four runs on offense.

"There's no one to really look up to. You become the person to look up to. There's a lot more responsibility, but that also makes it more fun. You also feel more involved with the whole process, like helping the coach make decisions. It's a good learning experience, and it helps you understand the game more when you're able to take on a bigger role."

Sisco, who has also coached La Reina's girls' golf team for the past seven years, expects Oak Park, with its stalwart pitching, to pull away with the league title.

In one of its strongest outings of the season, La Reina had a nohitter going against Oak Park for five innings but eventually lost 40 on April 1.

The longtime coach, however, hopes to compete for second place in the Tri-Valley with Santa Clara, which beat the Regents 4-1 on March 18.

"Our big goal is we have to handle Santa Clara the second time around. We're capable," said Sisco, who was the head baseball coach at Westlake High from 1980-83.

Sisco began his coaching career in 1968 guiding the baseball team at University High School in West Los Angeles.

"When you have a bunch of young kids, you're going to make some mistakes," the coach continued. "I'm hoping- knock on wood- that we're done with our mistakes."

TVL standings

- As of Wed., April 16