ROUNDUP: Hillers win amid schedule flux

By ECS Staff
Updated: May 22, 2019

Grossmont Foothillers during Tuesday's game with Granite Hills

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

SAN DIEGO CIF PLAYOFFS

East County Sports staff report

EL CAJON (5-22-2019) – Displaying the form which made Grossmont High a CIF softball champion in 2016, the Foothillers moved to within two victories of another title game appearance after dispatching visiting Rancho Buena Vista, 6-2, in CIF Division II action Tuesday (May 21),

Ignited by a leadoff home run by Aly Allmann in the bottom of the 1st inning, the Hillers answered two quick Longhorns runs with three markers in their first at-bats, tallying six unanswered runs to win going away.

Grossmont pitcher Samaria Roope overcame the ballclub’s slow start, allowing just four hits over the final 6.1 shutout innings to stifle the Longhorns. She struck out six batters.

Grossmont runners advance during a ball in play on Tuesday. / photo by Dan Barnes

Roope also registered the defensive play of the game with a Superman impression on a diving grab on a short bunt to her right side, making a back-handed catch.

“Did you see the way Sam laid-out for that ball — she got completely horizontal,” exclaimed long-time Hillers coach Jerry Lerud, the former president for La Mesa Bobby Sox. “She’s definitely one of the best defensive pitchers I’ve ever had.”

Roope also quickly fielded another bunt attempt, then fired to second base, which was covered by shortstop Kimmy Bond, for a force out to thwart another RBV sacrifice attempt.

Grossmont’s rally on offense started when Allmann drove a 2-1 pitch over the barrier in left field.

The 3-run outburst to take the lead also featured a 2-run, go-ahead double by Jessica Medlin. Scoring was third baseman Kati Contreras and first baseman Jordan Brown, who both walked.

In the fourth, the Hillers made it 6-2 when an error on a bases-loaded grounder by Brown was booted, allowing both Natalie Emery and Allmann (consecutive lead singles) to come home.

Allmann finished with a 3-for-3 day, plus a walk, scoring twice to lead the Hillers. Meanwhile, Medlin went 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a run-scoring single to score Bond (single) in the sixth.

Grossmont reacts during its win over Granite Hills on Tuesday. / photo by Dan Barnes

Grossmont (21-12 overall) will meet University City in the next round, but the time and location — according to reports — are up in the air.

The original schedule calls for a noon start at Poway Sportsplex USA, but complication with the facility may prompt a move to Grossmont for a 3:30 p.m. start. The winner advances to the challenger bracket final on Friday rather than later on Thursday night. Stay tuned.

Rancho Buena Vista (18-9-1) saw senior first baseman Farrah Steffany (2-for-3) collect a 2-run single in the first.

DIVISION II
EC-SOUTHWEST 8, PATRICK HENRY 5: At West Hills High, it took 13 years, but the Eagles avenged their only other meeting with the Patriots, scoring five times in the 1st inning to claim Tuesday’s (May 21) elimination contest in the CIF Division II championship.

Designated player Alexandra Salcedo and third

baseman Arianna Izaguirre drove in three runs each

for Southwest, as both registered key doubles.

Salcedo’s came in the first for two runs to push

the lead to 4-0, then Izaguirre’s came with two

outs in the third for a 6-run cushion.

Patrick Henry fought back on a 2-run single by first baseman Olivia Giganti in the fourth, scoring both shortstop Kaiah Altmeyer and third baseman Lauren Nett (consecutive lead singles). An inning later, second baseman Jessica DeWitt slugged a two-out, 2-run homer to trim the deficit to 7-4.

Giganti and Malia Savage, both freshman, doubled in the sixth to make it 7-5 before Eagles pitcher Sadriena Rodriguez was able to shut the door by registering the last of her 13 strikeouts.

EC-Southwest (20-12 overall), the 2018 CIF Division III champions, next meet Mission Hills in the D-2 challengers bracket semifinals.

The road-weary Patriots (17-9 overall), forced to play on the road all season, were once 13-2 this season, yet closed their campaign winning just 4-of-10 games.

DIVISION IV
ESCONDIDO CHARTER 9, MONTE VISTA 3: At eastern Escondido, in the second-ever meeting between the programs, the White Tigers again captured a CIF third-round, elimination game to end the season for the Monarchs. The other came in 2014.

And just like in the first meeting held at Kit Carson Park, Escondido Charter scored five times in the 1st inning to quickly gain control. After two frames, it was 8-0, then White Tigers center fielder Aidan Land registered an inside-the-park solo homer in the sixth.

Monte Vista tallied all of its runs in the sixth to ruin the shutout bid by Steffanie Birge, who yielded just five hits.

Catcher Ionna Upham registered the first RBI on a grounder ball following a leadoff triple to right by No. 9 hitter Alexis Preciado, the left fielder.

Later, shortstop Dessire Corona belted a 2-run single to score Upham and Abigail Johnston (walk), capping a 2-for-3 outing.

Escondido Charter (14-7 overall) received a pair of RBI from Gabby Gingrich on a double.

Monte Vista (17-12), in nipping the 2006 Monarchs which went 17-12-1, posted its best winning percentage since 2003 (17-11-1).

DIVISION V
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 12, BAYFRONT CHARTER 11: At Campo, the RedHawks knew the power rating of the Sharks

was in no way indicative of the team’s current form because their pitcher missed the first month of the season due to injury.

Still, Moutain Empire survived after allowing a 9-run lead to disappear, advancing to the challenger bracket semifinals by nipping last season’s third-place ballclub in the division.

Freshman pitcher Abby Curran and junior right fielder Brenna Rowley registered two hits each, while senior center field and No. 9 hitter Kylie Bell produced a pair of RBI, giving the RedHawks an 12-3 lead through five innings.

However, Bayfront (10-14 overall) tallied eight runs afterward, including two in the seventh, yet fell just short to get eliminated from the tournament.

Mountain Empire (14-4) advances to Thursday’s contest with Maranatha Christian, with the victor advancing to the semifinals.

EastCountySports.com