The Los Angeles RBI team before the World Series championship game. L.A. defeated Tampa, 5-2 for the title. (Photo by Jose A. Pineiro and Denis Bancroft)
Story Created:
Aug 18, 2010 at 1:32 PM PST
Story Updated:
Aug 20, 2010 at 3:55 PM PST
The Los Angeles Monarchs were perfect in more ways than one this summer.
First of all, they went through the regionals and RBI World Series of softball without suffering so much as a single loss, capping it all Saturday with a rain-shortened 5-2 victory over Tampa in the championship game in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
The dominating 9-0 run through the World Series was just the icing on the cake for the Monarchs, who were 8-for-8 in another area — college scholarships for the eight seniors on the roster.
“We’ve never done that before,” Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities founder John Young said.
That senior experience, along with tremendous speed, enabled L.A. to coast through the tournament, winning mostly by blowouts and not trailing even once until the title game.
There, the Monarchs came from behind to notch the second title for L.A., which also won in 2000.
Marshall High School’s Jessika Sandoval went 1-for-2 with a single and two RBIs to earn title game MVP honors for L.A. The third baseman had seven assists defensively. Megan Reiner, also from Marshall, pitched the title game.
As winner of the title, L.A. received the Dolly Vardens Trophy, named for an all-black women’s team formed in Philadelphia in 1867.
“This has got to be one of the fastest teams in softball,” Young said. “(Crenshaw’s) Loren Williams, who is going to Rutgers, is the fastest player in the country and (Westchester’s) Leesa Harris is going to Cal State Fullerton on her speed. With Alia Williams, Breea Jamerson (Westchester) and Leesa, I don’t think there’s a better outfield in softball.
“This is really one of the most athletic teams we’ve had. We’ve got so much speed, so much offense, we’re hard to stop once we get rolling.”
Young likes what they’re doing in the classroom, as well, citing those going off to colleges in the fall.
Shanel Tolbert, who pitched a no-hitter during the Series, is headed for Bethune-Cookman, Huntington Park’s Stephanie Hernandez is bound for Alabama State, Anasia Stinson for Howard, Ariana Smith for Jackson State and Crenshaw’s Alia Williams for Central Arizona Community College.
All were able to take advantage of the academic programs of the MLB Urban Youth Academy.
“That’s really what we’re all about,” Young said.
L.A., managed by Crenshaw’s Frank Price, didn’t get much of a test in Florida, allowing only six runs in the nine games.
“We put pressure on ourselves by winning,” Price told mlb.com’s David Villavicencio. “The more you win, the more you’re expected to win. I knew they were going to come out and give us their all. It was our time to shine, and [we] did.”
In Thursday’s pool play, L.A. routed Tampa, 10-0 on a five-inning one-hitter by Jamerson, who struck out eight and walked two. Tolbert had a single, stolen base and four RBIs and Alia Williams had two singles and an RBI. Hernandez added a two-run single.
In the second game of the day, L.A. defeated Minneapolis/St. Paul, 5-1. Harris had a single and double, Stinson an RBI-single and winning pitcher Reiner a no-hitter.
Jamerson tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts as L.A. blanked Houston, 5-0 Friday in the opener of the playoffs. Alia Williams hit a three-run inside-the-park homer and singled and Sandoval had a single and RBI.
In the semifinals, L.A. crushed Philadelphia, 11-0 as Loren Williams went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Hernandez had two RBI-singles and catcher Monique Zavada added a two-run single. Reiner pitched a five-inning two-hitter with five strikeouts.
RSS Feeds 
You have indicated this comment should be removed.
The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .