14-and-Under Girls Softball Team Heading to Western Nationals

The San Bruno Storm 14-and-under softball team is just a month away from following last year’s .

After placing first in the Twin Creeks tournament in Sunnyvale this past weekend, the Storm earned a top seed in the Nor-Cal section and will have a chance to compete at the Amateur Softball Association Western Nationals in Spokane, WA.

The team has scored 133 runs while only allowing 19, hitting a collective .426 en-route to three tournament wins and an undefeated 15-0 season.

“I’m really excited, we’re just thrilled to have the opportunity to play in Western Nationals,” said outfielder Emily Cotla, 14. “We’ve been playing together for so long that our chemistry is good and we’re confident we’ll do well in Spokane.”

While this team has posted a near 9-to-1 runs scored to runs allowed ratio, players are aware of the difference of playing at a bigger stage with more in stake.

“The competition is gonna be greater there,” said Cotla who will attend South San Francisco High in the fall. “The pitching will be faster, we’ll have to make adjustments in the box when we’re out there, but we have really good pitching so we’ll be alright.”

The Storm comes off an 8-0 win against the San Mateo Slammers, which clinched the top seed in Nor-Cal at Twin Creeks. The win saw five players bat above .500. Jackie Ocana went 3-for-3 and Senara Feleafine led off a high-octane offense with a two-strike triple.

Ace Jena Lacayo tossed a two-hitter through five innings, striking out six while shutting out the opposition.

“This team really gels well and when has one bad game, someone else picks it up for them,” said assistant coach Darcy Peterson. “Every player has had a shining moment this summer.”

With a season like this, confidence rides high in the dugout as the Storm prepares for tournaments in Benicia next weekend and Rohnert Park before heading to Spokane in the first week of August.

“Although our defense is solid, we have room to develop more plays and tighten up a little,” said Peterson. “Our goal is to win the Western Region Nationals, I think we have the tools and great potential to be competitive if we put it all together at the right time.”