East’s Sela Rodriguez picked up 27 Ks in 10.1 innings Monday, putting her on the doorstep of 500 for her career. Photo by Signal Stone
A cold, wet spring has wreaked havoc on this year’s high school softball season, and Monday’s weather was par for the course.
But not even temperatures in the low 40s could cool off East’s Sela Rodriguez.
The senior Cook Inlet Conference all-star matched her career high with 16 strikeouts and hit a two-run homer in a 5-1 win over Chugiak and then recorded 11 strikeouts and went 2-for-3 with a triple and double in a 6-4 win over West at the Albrecht Fields.
The St. Bonaventure signee showcased why she’s favored to win her third straight Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year award. When healthy, Rodriguez the best all-around player in the state.
In the first game of the day against Chugiak, the rocket right-hander struck out the side in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings to reach 16 Ks for the fifth time in her career, the third time against the Mustangs.
Rodriguez helped herself with the bat in the first inning after she mashed a two-run tater that scored her catcher, Valley Wakefield, who singled to reach base.
It was Rodriguez’s 34th career home run as she passed Chugiak’s Sophia Turner on the CIC’s all-time list. Fuller hit 33 bombs, including 15 as a senior in 2023 and 14 as a junior in 2014.
Monday’s homer was the sixth of the season for Rodriguez, who hit a career high 11 last season. She trails Colony freshman Taylor Passard (8) for the state lead this year. However, Rodriguez has played in fewer games and goes yard every 3.5 plate appearances, whereas Passard hits a dinger every 7.0 trips to the plate.
Rodriguez gets full extension on this swing. Photo by Signal Stone
In Monday’s nightcap against West, Rodriguez carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before giving way to reliever Skylar James. Rodriguez had 11 Ks in 4.1 innings, her sixth straight appearance with double figure strikeouts.
She needs three more Ks to reach 500 for her career.
Rodriguez improved her pitching record to 6-0 with 79 Ks and 0.46 ERA in 30 innings. At the plate, she’s batting .765 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 21 plate appearances across seven games.
Game 1
Chugiak 001 000 – 1 2 0
East Anchorage 200 300 – 5 5 0
Chugiak – Torti and Strange. East – Rodriguez and Wakefield. 2B – West: Smith. East: Travis, Faafia. 3B – None. HR – East: Rodriguez.
Game 2
East Anchorage 300 03 – 6 5 2
West Anchorage 000 04 – 4 2 1
East – Rodriguez, James (5) and Wakefield. West – Gasio, Rexford-Brown (5) and Damrill. 2B – East: Rodriguez. 3B – East: Rodriguez. HR – None.
