MEMORIAL PARK — And the streak lives on.
For the 107th consecutive time, Santa Monica High School's softball time defeated an Ocean League foe.
The most recent victim is rival Beverly Hills, who lost 15-0 in a game that was called after 5 innings at Memorial Park on Tuesday. Umpires invoked the mercy rule.
"That's why they are the best team in our league," said Beverly Hills head coach Len Mitchell. "They have been for years."
Samohi head coach Debbie Skaggs said that keeping the streak alive has been a motivator for many of her players over time. There's been more than a few that played four years of varsity ball and never felt the sting of losing a league game.
Part of Skaggs' philosophy is to schedule tough non-league opponents to get her Vikings ready for the Ocean League season, that for over a decade has been owned by Samohi.
"The girls are very aware of the streak," Skaggs said. "It's a source of pride for them. It's a great accomplishment."
The win improved Samohi's record to 15-6 overall and 7-0 in league.
As is Samohi's style, the game was never really in doubt.
The first two Viking batters reached base and Frankie Golick made Beverly Hills pay with a double that scored them both.
From there, it was all Samohi.
Starting pitcher Whitney Jones allowed Beverly Hills' leadoff batter to reach on a single, but it was pure domination from there as it would be the only hit she allowed all day. In fact, the only baserunner.
The inning that really got Beverly Hills in trouble was the fourth.
Samohi rattled off eight runs in the frame punctuated by a home run off the bat of Ashley Rakuljic to open the scoring all off Beverly Hills starting pitcher Alexis Recupero.
As the Vikings look to return to the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship game where they lost to Hemet last year, Jones likes their chances.
"We had a rocky start to the season, but we're really starting to bond now," she said. "I think we can do something in the playoffs again."
Next for Samohi is a tilt against Hawthorne, a team they beat 12-5 earlier this season.
But, Skaggs isn't overly confident.
"These guys are out to get us," she said, "it should be a good game."
The game is scheduled for Thursday at Memorial Park. The first pitch will come at 3:15 p.m. It's also senior day.
daniela@www.smdp.com
