Few schools boast as storied an athletic history as Lincoln High School. Championship banners fill the gymnasium walls, most notably in football where Marcus Allen started a career that wound up with him hoisting the Heisman Trophy and his bust enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On a crisp, late May Thursday night at UC San Diego, Lincoln added another chapter to its athletic lore. The Hornets won their first CIF San Diego Section softball title, coming from behind to throttle La Jolla 17-7 to win the Division 5 championship.
“Unreal,” head coach Olivia Hanke said. “Unreal. Words can’t even describe.”
“It feels so good,” said first baseman Nyema Curtis, who went 3-for-3 with five RBIs. “So amazing.”
The game did not begin so amazingly for Lincoln. By the time they stepped into the dugout in the bottom of the first the No. 1 seeded Hornets had spotted La Jolla four runs. Two errors contributed to three of the runs being unearned.
“I already knew that my girls were going to battle back with the bats,” said Hanke. “I’m not stressed out because I know we’re not going to give up.”
Lincoln took advantage of five walks in the first inning, all resulting in runs. The big blow was Curtis’ bases-clearing triple that put the Hive in front 7-4. Curtis was focusing on mechanics before the big hit.
“Just meet the ball out front,” she said. “I have to load correctly.”
Standing on third base after the big hit, Curtis could barely contain herself.
“I knew I did what I was told to do,” she said. “I stated a mission and we finished it. I hit with intention and didn’t let anybody down. It was like a breath of fresh air. I just did it.”
Lincoln (19-12) batted around in three innings. The Hornets scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
Jada Blackman scored three runs for Lincoln. Six others scored two runs. Jocelyn Reyes went 3-for-4 and knocked in four runs.
For second-seeded La Jolla (12-14), Jaycey Taylor went 3-for-3 with two doubles and drove in two runs. Taylor came into the game hitting .662.
Ashly Pineda was dogged in the circle for Lincoln. Of the seven runs she allowed, only one was earned.
“She’s a fighter,” said Hanke. “She never gives up, and I knew that she was locked in. I knew she was ready to go. She wanted it.”
