Valencia’s Taylor Has That Fire

Two lousy minutes. The way Jordan Taylor figures it, that’s all it took for the Valencia softball team to lose last season’s Southern Section Division I championship game.

That’s all the time it took for Simi Valley Royal to score twice. For Andi Ramirez to single, for Kris Lesovky’s bunted ball to get thrown away for one run, for Devon Hofland’s single to drive in another.

Two minutes is what it took to get Taylor called into the game, during which she exerted her dominance over one of the best offensive teams in the Southland and extended her streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 58.

Taylor retired 11 Highlander batters in a row, gave up only three hits and struck out 13 over seven innings. “Probably the most heart-breaking moment of my entire life,” she said of the 2-0 loss.

Nine months have passed since Coach Donna Lee’s decision to start senior Courtney Baughman in the title game instead of the Southland’s hottest pitcher, and Taylor continues to give Valencia an advantage over everybody.

There are teams with better position players, such as Placentia El Dorado, but none has a better pitcher, which is why Valencia begins the season ranked No. 1 by The Times.

In a program that has featured such outstanding talents as Christina Ross and Tori Rocco, Taylor may be the best. And she’s only a junior.

“She has so many pitches that are so difficult to hit,” Lee said. “She hits her spots, doesn’t make mistakes, and she’s smart.”

Last season, Taylor went 18-3 with a 0.57 earned-run average and struck out 233 batters in 148 innings. Opponents batted only .131 and managed only 10 extra-base hits.

The turning point came in a game against Long Beach Millikan. She gave up five earned runs and six hits and lost, 6-1.

“I can’t remember when a team was hitting everything that was my best,” said Taylor, who committed to Michigan a few weeks ago.

“The Millikan game was the reality check.... That’s when I started looking at every team as a tough opponent. Not everybody was going to strike out, but they would go down fighting. Definitely, I changed my approach.

“I gave more credence to travel ball opponents than high school opponents and I got burned.”

No one scored against Taylor after that, a span of nine games during which opponents batted .098. She struck out 88 and walked eight against a gauntlet that included Thousand Oaks, Goleta Dos Pueblos, Camarillo, Santa Ana Mater Dei and, finally, Royal.

“I think it was actually better for us as a team this year not to win it,” Taylor said of the section title. “Coming that close and losing it, it puts a fire in your heart.”

Valencia, which finished last season ranked No. 2 by The Times, lost its three leading hitters, but Lee says she believes the defense behind Taylor will be even better. If the other team can’t score, the Vikings can’t lose.

“I get an adrenaline rush every time I go out to face a big batter or a big team,” Taylor said. “I don’t know if I could feel the same way if I was in center field. The pitcher has so much responsibility on her shoulder.

“Everyone says it’s so easy, you just throw the ball and get all the glory.”

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The Times’ rankings

Martin Henderson’s preseason high school softball rankings:

*--* Rk School (Division) Comment 1 Valencia (Div. I) With Jordan Taylor pitching, Valencia will always have at least one advantage. 2 El Dorado (Div. II) Designated hitter Christie Nieto leads a lineup loaded from top to bottom. 3 Royal (Div. I) Jessie Waers and Rebecca Heteniak return from last year’s No. 1 team. 4 Ana. Canyon (Div. II) Eight starters return, including dominant pitcher Jody Valdivia. 5 El Toro (Div. II) Intact is bulk of team that lost twice to El Dorado, once in quarterfinals. 6 G.G. Pacifica (Div. I) Mariners return everyone except top pitcher Brittany Weil. 7 Laguna Hills (Div. I) Sam Hamner and Rosey Neill provide one of region’s best batteries. 8 R. Cucamonga (Div. II) Pitcher Sarah Vertelka and SS Vernae Sevilla among eight returning starters. 9 Cajon (Div. III) Nicole Kajitani & Co. return from last year’s top-seeded Division III team. 10 Camarillo (Div. I) Lindsey Dean among nine starters back on team that could run the table. 11 Kennedy (Div. I) Brooke Turner had 14 of the Fighting Irish’s 16 shutouts last season. 12 El Camino Real (City) Megan Miller (22-3, 0.57 ERA) & Co. return for the City champion.

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*--* 13 Chino Hills (Div. II) Carissa Bronson and Danielle Patrick lead a solid group. 14 Rosary (Div. I) Pitcher Taylor Peyton (19-5, 0.57 ERA) had 28 RBIs last season. 15 Norco (Div. I) An improved schedule and no seniors, but should finish strong. 16 Corona (Div. I) Panthers are talent-laden but will be finding their way with a new pitcher. 17 Oaks Christian (Div. III) Taylor Schlopy (11-4, 0.53) batted .466 with 54 runs, 24 RBIs. 18 Saugus (Div. I) Top five hitters return, including Tiffany Huff, but unproven at pitcher. 19 Murrieta Valley (Div. II) Junior pitcher Lindsey Sisk has already committed to Arizona. 20 Riverside Poly (Div. I) Shortstop Amanda Myers’ injury doomed last season’s playoff run. 21 Valley View (Div. I) Features two strong pitchers in Charlotte Morgan and Melissa Gonzalez. 22 Dos Pueblos (Div. IV) Pitcher Kimi Wong returns for defending champion. 23 Thousand Oaks (Div. I) Will start one senior, eight sophomores -- seven who started last season. 24 Marina (Div. I) Krystle Heinle, injured last season, provides a strong pitching presence. 25 Newbury Park (Div. I) One-dimensional but has pitchers Tiffany Curtis and Lindsey Cunningham.

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