Pacifica pitcher Kaylee Carlson made All-County first team as a freshman and second team as a sophomore, but there was a lot of uncertainty heading into her junior season.
She was sidelined with tendinitis in her right elbow from Nov. 5 until her 2013 debut against Canyon in the Tournament of Champions on March 9 at Bullhead City, Ariz.
“She hadn’t thrown to a live batter until Canyon,” Carlson’s mother, Katie, said.
Carlson blanked the Comanches on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Carlson ended up going 19-1 with a 0.62 ERA, leading the Mariners to the Carew Classic title, their fifth consecutive Empire League title and to the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. Pacifica finished at No. 5 in Cal-Hi Sports’ state rankings. They are all reasons why Carlson is The Register’s 2013 pitcher of the year.
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2013 All-County softball: Second, third teams
“It means a lot because it just shows all the hard work I put in and everybody who helps me … it pays off,” Carlson said. “It just feels like people recognize our accomplishments.”
Pacifica was ranked No. 1 in the state in the preseason, but dropped its season opener to Moorpark, 1-0. Losses to Mater Dei, Saugus, Kennedy and Aliso Niguel followed as the Mariners got off to an 8-5 start. The team that looked unbeatable on paper was suddenly wobbly heading into the Carew Classic, considered one of the top tournaments in the state.
“Our coach motivated us a lot,” Carlson said. “We started off No. 1 and we kind of had a target on our back right from the beginning, and then we sort of lost that a little bit. I don’t know? We just kind of strayed from our ways. We weren’t really playing our game. Once we started getting that back, everything started going uphill.”
The Mariners had the best 1-2 punch in the circle in 2012 with Carlson, who has committed to North Carolina, and Kaley Winegarner, a sophomore who has committed to Stanford, and they started to put it all together again in the Carew Classic. But then Winegarner, who is also Carlson’s best friend and travel ball teammate, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the semifinals against Orange Lutheran.
Carlson came in and struck out three to get the save, then pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts to beat Yorba Linda, 4-0, in the final.
“Our team pulled together and that was a turning point for us because from then on we just kept building up,” Carlson said.
Pacifica coach Mark Campbell said he was proud of the way Carlson stepped up and thrived in her role as the team’s ace. Carlson still had minor pain in her right elbow, but she played through it all season.
“We needed Carlson to carry the load, and she did with little time to work into it,” he said.
Carlson’s strong pitching and Pacifica’s explosive offense combined for a 19-game winning streak heading into the semifinals against Norco. Carlson pitched out of several jams before Abby Lockman’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning ended Pacifica’s season. It was Carlson’s only loss.
“We did a good job of battling in that game,” Carlson said. “They just came out ahead on us.”
It’s going to be hard coming out ahead on Pacifica next season with a confident Carlson and the return of her best friend.
Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com
