This is a perfect picture to summarize what’s great about softball (well, unless you’re on the losing side): jubilation, excitement, energy and team camaraderie!

It’s every player’s dream to hit a walk-off home run and that’s exactly what happened for Victoria Molina, the freshman catcher for Stanford, who came up to the plate in a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 9^th inning on Sunday.

It had been a tough year for the Cardinal, a young team comprised of 11 freshmen and sophomores on the 17-player roster.

The Pac-12 team struggled in Coach Rachel Hanson’s first year at the helm going 17-34, but all that was washed away in the last home game of the year for Stanford as Molina’s blast stayed just inside the left field flag pole and sent the three seniors on the team off as winners.

One of those graduating, Erin Ashby, had a key home run and pitched six strong innings.

She said via Instagram: “I thought I had come to terms with ending my career, losing the last 4 games left, but it’s moments like these that remind me just how much I love this game… Despite injury, unexpected change, disagreement, and loss… I love my teammates.”

Click Here to see a video clip of the 9^th inning walk-off game winner

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But that wasn’t the first time in her softball career Victoria came up clutch with a big hit…

Here’s a Player Profile we did in April of 2014 right following the Michelle Carew Classic where Victoria was named Tournament MVP after coming with a late-inning hit that put her team ahead with the winning runs…

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For today’s Player Profile we head to Northern Calif. to hear from one of the top players on a Top 5 ranking team in the latest StudentSportsSoftball.com FAB 50… and they’re this highly ranked because of her MVP play recently in an elite tournament.

Name: VICTORIA MOLINA
Grad Year: 2014
Pos: C/OF
High School: Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)
Club: Sorcerer Gold
College: Stanford

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You had a great Michelle Carew Classic performance a week and a half ago, earning MVP honors in large part to the key two-run hit that brought the Dons back in the championship game.  Was that the highlight of your on-field career so far?
Victoria Molina: Yes, it is definitely the highlight of my high school career and that win was a great team victory.

SSS.com:  Walk us through that at-bat… You’re down in the sixth 1-0 (if I remember correctly!)… What was your approach at the plate?
VM: I was already pumped up because they walked Ashley Lotoszynski ahead of me to load the bases.  In my mind I was thinking, “I’m definitely going to make them pay for that.”  As I approached the box I was just looking to hit it to the right side to score at least one run and luckily she had been pitching me outside the whole game. When I made contact, I knew we tied it up.  As I rounded first base I saw it fall and knew we would take the lead.  It was awesome!

SSS.com:  AV is now ranked No. 2 in the FAB 50… is that exciting or does it put more pressure on you?
VM: Obviously it is exciting but our team’s focus is not on rankings.   You’ve got to take the season one game at a time. Our approach is to win, not to “not lose.”

SSS.com:  Another highlight of this year has to be playing with your sister, Sofia, who’s a freshman on the varsity team… What’s that like, are you able to give her pointers and be the “big sister?”
VM: My family and I are extremely proud of Sofia.  It’s the first, and most likely only year we will be able to play together.  Sofia is confident and can handle things on her own but I do try to give her advice from time to time.  It definitely does help that Sofia and my youngest sister AJ are also catchers because we can share similar experiences.

SSS.com: You’re headed to Stanford! Tell us how you were first seen by the coaches, then how the recruiting process went along until they offered?
VM: I started going to Stanford’s summer softball camps in the 8th grade.  I noticed Coach Rittman starting to come to my Sorcerer games the summer after my sophomore year.  Coach Rittman invited me to an unofficial visit at the beginning of my junior year.

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
VM: Stanford has always been my dream school.  I had other offers that I was seriously considering but I knew that if Stanford offered I was going to take it.  I want to study Psychology and Stanford has the top program in the country.  The combination of high academics and athletic success made my decision easy.

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
VM: I made my decision to commit at my Unofficial Visit.  At this point I had a spot on the team but I still had to go through the admission process before anything was official.

SSS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, what was your mindset and how did you and your family celebrate the occasion?
VM: In July after my junior year, Coach Rittman called me to say my application to admissions was accepted.  This made my commitment official.  I was an emotional wreck.  I started crying on the phone and Coach asked me to stop because I was making everyone in his office cry also.  My family and I jumped in the car and drove straight to the campus and took pictures.

SSS.com: How far away from home will be?  Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
VM: I live in Pleasanton which is about 45 minutes from campus.  Distance wasn’t a factor but it will sure be nice to be close to home.

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
VM: I’ve been told by coaches that my quickness as a catcher is a real asset because it allows me the ability to play multiple positions.  Also, my natural sense of the game and mental toughness are helpful in pressure situations.

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
VM: One is winning the NCS (North Coast Section) my freshman year at Amador Valley High School for the first time in school history.  Also, having the opportunity to play on Sorcerer for the late Phil Mumma.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in at Stanford?
Psychology.

Fill in the blank… The biggest thing I want to accomplish in my life is:__________________________
… raising my own happy and successful family.

What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?  
Lack of respect for other cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles.

Favorite school subject:  
Biology.

Least favorite subject:  
English.

Favorite place in the world:  
Disney World.

What’s your dream vacation?  
A backpacking trip through either Europe or South America.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?  
Easton because it has a nice pop.

What’s been your most embarrassing moment on or off the field?  
One time I ran to back up 1st base as catcher and face-planted in front of the other team’s dugout.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?  
I spent all of kindergarten going by the name Harry Potter because I was obsessed.

Imagine you could have dinner with anyone in the world… who would it be and why?  
The cast of The Office because that show was absolutely hilarious.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?  
My dog Charlie because he keeps me calm.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?  
Coach Phil Mumma because he gave me my first big break into the competitive softball world and had faith in my abilities the whole time.