Rachel Godoy is still coming to grips with what her and her Oxnard High softball teammates achieved in the spring.
The junior slugger’s three-run home run was the signature moment as the Yellowjackets won the the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship game on May 30 in Irvine.
“It’s so surreal, honestly,” Godoy said. “Last year, for my sophomore year, playoffs wasn’t the greatest for us. So coming back and winning it all it felt so good.
“I can’t get over the feeling and all the emotions that happened in such a short about of time. I’m just grateful to be part of the team that did it. … We’re still riding the high.”
The section title was the first in Oxnard softball history.
Like the team, the Oxnard community rose to the historic occasion, flocking to Manning Stadium in Irvine to give the game a home atmosphere and joining in the celebration since the victory.
“I’ve gotten lots of texts, lots of phone calls, for days after the game,” Godoy said. “Everyone has been congratulating us.”
Godoy’s mother Annie was helping at a local fundraising event recently when she was stopped by a stranger with a congratulatory message.
“It feels really good when I know there’s a whole community that was cheering us on,” Godoy said. “It’s not only for us. It’s for them, too.”
Oxnard coach Paul Tinoco received calls and messages from former Oxnard coaching peers Henry Lobo and Al Tarazon.
“It’s finally sinking it,” said Tinoco. “It happened so fast. We went to school for two days and that was it. We didn’t really get to enjoy all the hoopla that comes with being at school (and winning a CIF-SS title).”
After finishing third in the Channel League, Oxnard went on a run powered by the 1-2 punch of Godoy and Destinee Herrera.
The junior slugger created runs, while the sophomore ace prevented them.
“We just rode them the last three games,” Tinoco said. “We were hurt. We had to move girls around. We had to bring up a JV player the last three games.”
Godoy finished the sectional 10 for 16 with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs, and seven runs scored. Herrera did not allow an earned run in 37 innings in CIF-SS play, while opponents hit just .189 with 29 strikeouts.
“Without those two,” Tinoco said, “obviously we wouldn’t have done it.”
Godoy homered in the 4-0, second-round win over Apple Valley.
The Star’s Softball Player of the Year reached base in all six plate appearances of the 5-4, 11-inning win over reigning Division 5 champion St. Bonaventure, her former school, in the quarterfinals.
She provided the lone run of the 1-0 semifinal win over Monrovia.
“She got hot at the right time,” Tinoco said.
In the final, Oxnard was trailing 1-0 to Mission Viejo in bottom of the fifth, when the Yellowjackets put together a two-out rally.
Alexis Haros singled to centerfield and Layla Mukul singled to left field to bring Godoy to the plate.
“It really was stringing it together and it was a team effort,” Godoy said.
Mission Viejo pitcher Taylor Billings had kept the ball away from Godoy the entire afternoon. Godoy had walked on four pitches in the first inning and one-hopped a fielder’s choice to shortstop in the third.
She lined a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center field to again provide Oxnard with its only runs of the game.
“It was just attacking the pitch that I wanted to hit, not letting her work me, but me working her,” Godoy said. “Making sure it was something that I knew that I could hit far and hard.”
She celebrated as she approached second base, yelling “Oh heck yeah!” and “Let’s go!” as she rounded the bases.
“That has to be my favorite home run I’ve hit,” Godoy said. “It was amazing.”
The All-Channel League first-team selection hit .456 with eight doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and 17 runs scored on the season.
Godoy’s softball journey started with Tee-ball at Sunset Little League in Oxnard, before moving to El Rio Fastpitch at 5 years old.
“I honestly can’t remember a lot,” Godoy said. “But I look back at photos and I just have a big old smile on my face.”
She grew up playing with Herrera and Maci Schotten, the St. Bonaventure shortstop who remains her teammate in travel ball.
Schotten joked that before their CIF-SS quarterfinal against each other, her advice to her St. Bonaventure teammates was, “Don’t hit it to her. Don’t pitch to her. She’s that good.”
“It’s always hard playing against your best friend,” Schotten said.
After powering the Yellowjackets to their first CIF-State regional appearance, Godoy has kept the momentum going as she dove right into an important summer with her travel ball team, Athletics Mercado.
She plays for her father Carlo during the travel season.
“She went into travel ball the next week and she picked up where she left off,” Tinoco said.
Godoy believes the postseason run during her high school season has given her more “traction” with college recruiters.
“I think my name has been put out there more,” Godoy said. “I’ve been able to talk to coaches. After this summer, hopefully, I’ll be able to know where I’m going.”
The Star’s All-County Softball Second Team
Joe Curley covers softball for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard’s Rachel Godoy is The Star’s Softball Player of the Year
Reporting by Joe Curley, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joe Curley, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
