Saratoga News
Sports
Gragnola, Brenner join Ruddy sister on all-league softball list
By Mike Barnhart
A decisive grand slam home run in the first game proved to be the start of an outstanding senior season of softball for Samantha Ellis of Fremont High School.
After opening the season with that game-winning blast at Monta Vista, Ellis slugged five more home runs during El Camino Division play, leading the Firebirds to an 11-1 division record and the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino championship.
Division coaches recently acknowledged Ellis' batting production and senior leadership with one of three Most Valuable Player awards and a spot on the all-El Camino first team. In addition to tabbing Fremont's left-handed-hitting first baseman as MVP Offense, the coaches named Christina Montez of Wilcox as MVP Defense and Akemi Lagier of Santa Clara as MVP Pitcher.
Ellis, who hopes to continue her softball career this fall as a walk-on player at UCLA, was one of four Firebirds selected to the first team, joining junior shortstop Samantha Jennings, sophomore third baseman Celine Kealiinohomoku and freshman catcher Justine "J.T." Wozniak.
Other first-team selections were Montez, Elizabeth Foster and Samantha Parra of Wilcox; Lagier, Lauren Maslak, Jennifer Americano and Lauren Cole of Santa Clara; Anne Widera and Christie Cory of Palo Alto; Laura Ruddy, Jacqueline Gragnola and Lisa Brenner of Saratoga; Elizabeth Rea of Gunn; and Lauren Taylor of Los Altos.
Fremont freshman pitcher Tieni Householder received second team honors, along with Robyn Ridpath and Kayla Henson of Wilcox, Lisa Ruddy of Saratoga, Stephanie Lacek of Gunn, Caitlin Glazebrook of Los Altos, Katie Barich of Palo Alto, Rosemarie Nelson and Cortney Chandler of Santa Clara.
Honorable mention selections included Victoria Azzi and Cathryn Paolini of Saratoga.
Woods top division
After leading Lynbrook to the SCVAL's De Anza Division championship, senior pitcher Kendra Wood was named the division's Most Valuable Player.
Wood, who compiled an 18-4 record and an 0.46 earned run average while pitching every inning of every game for the Vikings, earned all-De Anza accolades for the third year in a row. Wood's pitching record featured 10 shutouts, including three perfect games and two other no-hitters. In addition to dazzling opponents from the pitcher's circle (259 strikeouts), Wood was a force in the batter's box with four home runs, 28 runs batted in and a .455 batting average.
Lynbrook catcher Kelsey Wood, Kendra's twin sister, earned the MVP Offense award from the De Anza Division coaches, while junior shortstop Sarah Hassman of Monta Vista received the MVP Defense honor.
The Woods sisters, who will continue their education and softball careers at San Francisco State next fall, were joined on the all-De Anza first team by two teammates, senior first baseman Shawna Mattison and sophomore shortstop Jamie Wallis.
