Freshman sensation

Pomi fired a one-hitter against Jefferson last Wednesday, striking out 12. She followed that effort up with a no-hitter against South San Francisco, striking out seven in the Wildcats' 15-0 win. She was equally impressive with the bat, going 3 for 4 with five RBIs in both games.

Pomi's dream run came a week after she fired an impressive one-hitter against Menlo-Atherton, the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division's second-place team. Woodside, fielding one of the youngest teams in the division, is in fourth-place at 7-5. Pomi didn't expect this much success so soon.

"I didn't know what to expect in my freshman year," Pomi said. "The season has been fun. I'm pretty competitive, pretty high energy and kind of wild."

And durable. Pomi has pitched in every inning of her team's games. And she isn't looking to come out anytime soon.

"Sometimes it's stressful, but I love the challenge," said Pomi, who has 68 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched this season with a 1.29 ERA. "I'm just trying to help the team win every time I'm out there."

Pomi's repertoire of pitches includes a fastball, curve, change-up, knuckle and drop. She relies on her off-speed pitches to baffle the opposition. Her fastball, which topped out in the mid-40 mph range at the beginning of the year, now tops out in the low 50s.

"She's only going to get better," Camera said. "She doesn't get rattled and even when things go bad, she's even tempered. She's able to get hitters off-balance by pitching to the corners. I'm really not surprised at what she's done. And the best part is she's still growing and getting stronger. It seems like whatever she tries she gets good at."

Pomi is a true two-way threat, leading the team with 14 hits and is third on the squad with a .389 batting average. Her athleticism translates to success in other sports as well. She was the starting setter for the Woodside volleyball team and also excels in basketball and golf. Pomi's best round is a 95 - not bad for a 14-year-old who only started hitting the links three years ago.

Pomi started playing softball at age 6. Her dad, along with Camera, introduced her to the game. She took a liking to the sport immediately and carried it through to middle school, where she played for Mount Carmel in Redwood City.

She also played for club teams like the San Carlos Force and Peppermint Patty's. It's evident that Pomi's blinding enthusiasm and love for sports has made her the athlete that she is today.

"I can't get enough when it comes to playing sports," Pomi said. "Sports are my hobbies and it takes up a lot of my spare time as well. I wouldn't have it any other way."