For the first time in years, La Mirada Softball had home-field advantage. The sun set golden behind the bleachers, painting the sky in hues of hope and determination. The community poured in, filling the stands with chants, school spirit and an energy that surged through the players like an electric current. This was their field. Their moment. And they weren’t going down without a fight.
After having an incredible season of being 1st in league with a record of 25-5. Beating Paraclete Spirits 4-2 and Roosevelt Mustangs 12-4 in CIF, They faced the toughest game in the quarterfinals, playing Ayala Bulldogs. The game was a battle of resilience. With every inning, the tension thickened. The Bulldogs struck hard, but La Mirada refused to back down. In the seventh inning, with the crowd on edge, Amanda Urbina crushed a home run to tie the score 5-5, igniting a surge of hope. The game stretched into extra innings, with both teams refusing to give an inch. But as the final plays unfolded, Ayala broke through, securing a 9-5 victory.
Angeline Kennedy has been a starter for the past 3 years. The most meaningful lesson she has carried with her is that “This game is a game of failure, no one is perfect and failure is a thing that happens 90% of the time and it is inevitable. Everyone is going to have a bad day, and you need to learn that one day isn’t going to define your journey and what you have been through.”
As the players reflected on their time with the team, they couldn’t help but feel grateful for the bonds they had formed. Amanda Urbina and Alyssa Avila will miss “Playing softball with my best friends, Angelina Ratzlaff, and Angelyna Conde the most.” The friendships they built through the sport were irreplaceable, and leaving them behind was the hardest part.
