Edison savors league championship

Kendra Rosales calls it a huge dream come true, seeing the Edison High softball team win a share of its first league title since 1983.

Rosales knows what it’s taken to get there for the Chargers, who clinched by edging Los Alamitos, 2-1, on the road May 14. Junior Courtney Gonzales’ RBI double in the seventh scored pinch-runner Jessica Reichner, after freshman Jessica Plaza had doubled to open the inning.

Edison (19-5) plays host to Brea Olinda today in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Rosales couldn’t be happier.

She’s been in the program since she played as a freshman in 1997. Five years later, she was an assistant coach, then acting head coach in 2003 when Suzy Mathieson had to leave the team for a year.

Rosales was all of 20 years old.

“I had a huge, huge learning curve,” she said.

Mathieson returned the next year, but Rosales again took over as head coach in 2006. This year, she has her first four-year graduating class. Senior third baseman Jessica Hall and first baseman Stephanie Engle have been on varsity since they were freshmen.

Edison made the playoffs last year, but this year the aim was higher.

They wanted to be Sunset League champs and got it done, even after a 1-2 start in league that included a 4-0 loss to Marina, who also shares the league title.

Rosales made the team run sprints after that game, embarrassing to do on the Vikings’ field. But her team hasn’t lost since. They have focused on three words beginning with the letter “F” the whole season.

“Focus, finish and family,” said Rosales, who teaches math at Edison. “That’s our approach to our team.”

Sophomore pitcher Allyson Hecht, who got the win last week against Los Al, said she has definitely noticed the family aspect. An assistant coach, Brittany Hyams, was a senior on that 2002 team. Several of the lower-level coaches are also Edison alumni.

“We’re a family out there,” Hecht said. “Everyone knows each other, everyone hangs out together. We all play together. Once we bring that on the field, it’s just unbeatable ... It feels amazing to be a part of [a league championship]. Being co-champions with Marina is something that was never imaginable at this school, and we totally brought it to life.”

Marina (Division I) and Ocean View (Division IV) also begin the playoffs today. The Vikings (22-5), who shared the league title with Edison but lost a coin flip for seeding, plays host to Pacifica of Oxnard.

Ocean View (22-5), the Golden West League champion and defending CIF Division IV champion, is the top seed in Division IV. The Seahawks play the winner of a wild-card game today.

Brethren Christian lost a Division VI wild-card game Tuesday to Windward, 1-0. Junior Heather Williams pitched well but Windward scored an unearned run in the first inning.

All second-round games are Tuesday, with quarterfinal games scheduled for May 28.

Although it didn’t make the playoffs, the Huntington Beach High softball team also had a successful Sea View League season finale. The Oilers outlasted Woodbridge, 3-2, in 11 innings. In her last at-bat, Huntington Beach senior Lauren Astengo singled in the winning run, then made it hold up by fielding a hard-hit ball up the middle and converting the final out to Allie Dufault at first base.

Junior Amanda Horowitz went the distance to earn the victory, striking out 10 for the Oilers (12-16).