As the reigning league and region Most Valuable Player, Taylor Tollestrup had long since proven she was the most feared hitter in Northern 3A softball. In the final plate appearance of her high school career, she found out just how terrified opposing teams were of her bat.
Trailing 10-8 with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the seventh inning of an elimination game in the 3A State Tournament, Lowry intentionally walked Tollestrup, even though a home run would only have cut the lead to one run.
That final intentional walk served as confirmation that when Tollestrup stepped into the batter’s box, traditional softball math no longer applied. It was that game-changing presence that led league coaches to vote her the Northern 3A-East MVP for the second consecutive season.
Tollestrup was also named 3A North Region Co-MVP alongside Jessie Borzello of Truckee, who earned Northern 3A-West MVP honors, and she was selected to the 3A All-State first team, leading a group of seven Fernley Vaqueros recognized with postseason honors.
She was joined on the All-East first team by Bella Leija, Emma Masters and Janessa Robinson, while Ximena Rodriguez and Grace Chapin earned second-team honors and Maddison Hill received honorable mention.
Tollestrup finished her senior season with a .570 batting average, 11 home runs, 18 doubles and eight triples. She drove in 50 runs and scored 73 while walking 32 times, many intentionally. She posted a .678 on-base percentage and a staggering 1.158 slugging percentage. She also successfully stole all 56 bases she attempted.
Leija earned first-team All-East, All-North Region and All-State honors at catcher. She hit .397 with 11 doubles, five triples and 25 RBI, while recording a .422 on-base percentage and .570 slugging percentage.
Masters was selected first-team All-East and second-team All-North at first base. She batted .459 with six home runs and 49 RBI, while posting a .574 on-base percentage and .826 slugging percentage. In the circle, Masters pitched in 19 games, finishing with a 7-6 record, a 3.41 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 78 innings.
Robinson earned first-team All-East and second-team All-North honors as the designated player. In softball, the designated player functions similarly to baseball’s designated hitter, except the DP can bat for any player in the defensive lineup. Robinson hit .378 with one home run and 28 RBI. She also led Fernley in innings pitched with 128, posting a 15-7 record, a 3.55 ERA and 81 strikeouts against 37 walks.
Rodriguez earned second-team All-East honors at second base after batting .402 with two home runs and 43 RBI. She also scored 43 runs while recording a .464 on-base percentage and .590 slugging percentage.
Chapin was selected second-team All-East as a utility player. She hit .396 with seven home runs, 43 RBI and 45 runs scored, while posting a .481 on-base percentage and .685 slugging percentage.
Hill received honorable mention recognition in the outfield after batting .315 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 33 runs scored. She finished the season with a .431 on-base percentage and .506 slugging percentage.
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