Santa Cruz Mountain Renegades softball team continued to fire on all cylinders following a championship performance at the All-Stars Tournaments Bownet June Jamz tourney this past weekend.
They brought home the Silver Division 12U title by beating Livermore Smoke, 7-0, in the finals at Alden E. Oliver Sports Park in Hayward on June 15.
The Renegades began Sunday morning with a 19-7 win over All-Stars Miskowicz in the opening round, followed by a 9-0 victory against NorCal Fusion in the semifinals.
Prior to Silver Division finals, SCM finished with a 1-2 record in pool play on June 14. They recorded a 6-5 win over the Strikkers, but fell to the San Lorenzo Heat and Redhawks—this year’s Gold Division champion.
SCM won the Gold Division championship with a perfect 6-0 overall record at the All-Stars Tournaments Summer Slam event also in Hayward on May 31-June 1.
The Renegades beat Livermore Smoke, Toro Stars and Los Gatos Magic on the opening day of the tourney. They cruised into the championship game on Day 2 with victories against AASA Tracy and Bay Area Bruins.
In the title match, Renegades ace hurler Sonya Padilla tossed a no-hitter with catcher Taylor Johnson behind the plate in a 4-0 win against the Riptide.
After three scoreless innings, Johnson drove in two runs that gave the Renegades a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Rori Saladwick then recorded a two-run single that extended the lead at 4-0.
The Renegades won the Silver Bracket Championship at the Sacramento Mother’s Day Tournament on May 11. Padilla dominated in the circle with five strikeouts and six defensive comebackers, while Johnson picked off two runners attempting to steal a base.
Teammate Kylie Kievlan batted 3-for-3 with three runs scored, while Padilla had a pair of hits and scored one run for SCM. Vivienne Wilson contributed two base hits, while Lucy Davison finished with two hits and a pair of stolen bases.
Avery Shillito scored twice and Maddie King added two of the 12 total base hits for the Renegades.
SV’s Skinner named SCCAL’s co-top female athlete
Scotts Valley graduate Claire Skinner and Aptos graduate Izzy Graff will share honors for Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 sports season.
Skinner, who will attend Azusa Pacific University in the fall, was the SCCAL’s co-MVP in flag football, an all-league first team selection in basketball and an All-Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division First Team selection in lacrosse.
Skinner helped lead both the girls’ flag football and basketball teams to SCCAL regular season championships. She was also part of a Scotts Valley girls’ lacrosse team that was the lone Santa Cruz County team to qualify for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Graff was the other half to share those SCCAL co-MVP honors in flag football with Skinner, and she was a fierce defender in soccer.
Graff earned four medals at the SCCAL’s Track and Field Championships in May, including a gold in the long jump event. She will continue her track and field career at Occidental College.
All-SCCAL beach volleyball
Scotts Valley juniors Aila Papadopolous and Hayden Smith earned All-SCCAL First Team honors in girls’ beach volleyball for the 2025 spring season. Teammates juniors Rylee Giesen and Makayla McDonnell earned all-league second team honors.
