Interesting, long day at Cougar Classic

By Adam Paul
Updated: February 26, 2022

2022 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

COUGAR CLASSIC

By Adam Paul

ESCONDIDO (2-26-22) – Prior to the regularly scheduled bracket play games, there was a matter of games that had to be made up due to the rains earlier in the week so multiple games had to be played on the day.

Valhalla 4, Grossmont 0

Once again McKayla Fish of the Norsemen was able to make some magic as she shut out the Grossmont Foothillers on Saturday morning.

Both teams pitching went inning for the inning as Caitlyn Potts shut down the Norsemen offense that had been averaging a little over ten runs a game.

However, the Norsemen finally would breakthrough and the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning when Freshman Avery Voth belted her first career home run a solo shot over the left-field fence to give them a 1-0 lead.

Valhalla would add to their lead in the top of the seventh inning that started off with Cadyn Ruffer doubling to left field, she would later score when Nayeli Chapa hit a ball to left field for a double which made it 2-0, Taylor Mack would come into pinch run for Chapa and she would advance to third when Voth singled, the next batter Alaya Chapa would drive in both Mack and Voth with a base hit to left field which extended the lead to 4-0.

The Foothillers would garner a couple of base hits by Natalie Emery and Ashley Beard in the top of the seventh inning but Fish would strike out the next batter to end the game.

Jade Daley for Grossmont would have three hits on the day including a triple.

Potts took the loss for the Foothillers as she allowed four runs on the day of which all were earned while striking out three over seven innings of work.

On the other side for the Norsemen, Fish went all seven innings in which she gave up no runs while walking two and striking out six on the day.

Valhalla 12, Poway 7 (8 inn.)

Trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning and with two outs Maryn Jordan came up and faced 2-1 count when she took the offering and blasted it over the center-field fence for a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3 and send the Valhalla faithful into a frenzy and eventually into extra innings.

The home run by Jordan was her second of the game and second of the season. So with renewed momentum after McKayla Fish retired the Titans in order to go into extra innings the Norsemen knew they had a chance.

With the score still tied at 3-3 in the top of the eighth inning and with one out Avery Voth came up and lined a base hit that allowed both Marissa Lupo and Cadyn Ruffer to come in and score and give Valhalla a 5-3 lead. The Norsemen weren’t done offensively as Fish followed with a two-run blast over the right-field fence which extended the lead to 7-3.

Also in the inning, both Allie Piscopo and Maryn Jordan would drive in Alaya Chapa and Naomi Villalva respectively to make it 9-3, a couple of batters later Cadyn Ruffer would belt a three-run home run over the center-field fence to make it 12-3.

Despite having given up the lead and now being down by nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning the Poway Titans were not going down without a fight. In fact, they would take advantage of a couple of hits and a miscue and wild pitch to eventually pull within 12-7 but Fish would strike out the batter to end the game and preserve the victory.

Grossmont 6, Mira Mesa 2

On the day the Grossmont Foothillers would hit five doubles and Dezirae Miller would strike out seven and allow only a pair of runs over six innings of work to get the victory.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning the Hillers would tie the game at 1-1 when Katelynn Parent would hit a ground ball out that would bring home Na’Khia Lee which would even the game at 1-1, the next batter Jade Daley hit a ball that was misplayed which would allow Natalie Emery to come in and score and give them a 2-1 lead.

Grossmont would extend their lead even further in the bottom of the fourth inning when Lauren Becker hit a leadoff solo homer over the center-field fence to make it 3-1. The Hillers had an opportunity to add more in the inning when Jenna Ennis doubled but she would be stranded to end the inning.

Mira Mesa would pull within 3-2 in the top of the fifth with an RBI double of their own.

However, back-to-back doubles by Parent and Daley which scored Parent would extend the lead to 4-2, Miller followed with another double and Daley raced around and scored and Becker followed with you guessed it a double which allowed Miller to race home and round out the scoring.

Despite giving up three consecutive singles in the top of the sixth inning Miller would retire the next couple of batters and end the game for the win.

Steele Canyon 9, University City 4

A big seven-run second inning that include multiple hits and taking advantage of a miscue propelled the Cougars to victory.

The offense for the Cougars would get started in the top of the first inning when Isabella Azevedo (1-3, 2 RBI) drove in Jazmin Williams (2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR) on a base hit to left field to make it 1-0.

Things in the second inning really went the Cougar’s way as Emma Shellstrom (2-3, R, RBI) drove in Hailey Trujillo (2-3, R, 2B) which was followed by another run-scoring single by Sa’Ni Marshall (1-4, R, RBI) which brought home Gabrielle Ortega Alves (RUN) to make it 3-0.

Leading 3-0, Jazmin Williams the next batter came up and smoked a double to center field that allowed both Alena Moya (1-2, R) and Shellstrom to score to make it 5-0, a couple of batters later Breanna Lakin (1-3, R, RBI) would drive in Marshall. Steele Canyon would add a couple of more runs when Williams would tag and score on a pop-out in foul territory which was followed by Trujillo hitting a ball that was misplayed allowing Lakin to trot home to make it 8-0.

University City would finally get on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to make it 8-2.

However, the Cougars would tack on another run in the top of the fifth inning when Williams would hit a fly ball to left field that would see her fly around the bases and come all the way around for the inside the park homerun which was her first home run on the season.

The Centurions would score three more runs in the bottom of the inning on a three-run triple but Shellstrom would retire the next two batters to end the inning and the game.

Shellstrom went all five innings in which she allowed four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out four in the victory.

Steele Canyon 5, Santana 0 (5 inn.)

With both teams going back and forth on the night the Steele Canyon Cougars would use a late-inning breakthrough of five runs to pull out the contest against their league opponent Santana on Saturday night.

Despite a pair of hits by Sa’Ni Marshall and Kamea Seunarine in the top of the first inning Sultans pitcher, Gracie Johnston was able to get out of the inning without any damage done.

The Sultans having dodged a first-inning bullet thought they had something going of their own as Taylinn Warren hit a ball to left field and using her speed would end up at second base for a double. Unfortunately, she would be stranded as Emma Shellstrom would retire the next three batters on ground ball-outs to end the inning.

Another threat by the Sultans in the second inning this time a one-out double by Jordyn Beatty but once again Shellstrom got out of the inning struck out the next batter and retired the third out via ground ball.

The Sultans once again had an opportunity to put something on the board with two outs as Samantha Sullivan reached on an error which was followed by a base hit by Madison Jordan. However, once again no dice as Shellstrom induced the fielders’ choice ground ball out to end the inning.

Later in the game in the bottom of the fifth inning the Cougars would finally crack the game starting with a lead single by Alena Moya, Laryza Serrano came into run as a courtesy runner, she would advance to second when Marshall singled, a couple of batters later Seunarine would draw a walk to load the bases with one out.

With the bases full the Cougars were in business and they would take full advantage as Breanna Lakin would walk which would allow Serrano to score, Trujillo followed with another walk allowing Marshall to come into score, Isabella Azevedo would drive in Seunarine with a base hit and Gabrielle Ortega Alves would walk to bring in Lakin to make it 4-0, the next batter Shellstrom would hit into a fielders’ choice which scored Trujillo which extended the lead to 5-0.

Now with a nice lead, the Cougars went out for the bottom of the inning and allowed a couple of opportunities to the Sultans as Warren reached on an error and Jordan walked but Shellstrom would get the last out of the inning.

Santana 9, Imperial 2 (5 inn.)

Earlier in the day, the Santana Sultans would use a big second inning in which they put six runs on the board to get the win against the Imperial Tigers.

Santana would take the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Jordyn Beatty drew a walk that allowed Madison Jordan to come home for the score.

Samantha Sullivan would start what would be the big inning as she drove in both McKenna Miller and Taylinn Warren to make it 3-0, a couple of batters later Kassidy Harper would triple to center field bringing in Jordan which was followed by Hailey Oceguera knocking in Harper to make it 5-0 and finally Hailey Phillips would double in Oceguera.

Moving to the top of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and leading 7-0 the Sultans would add another run when Warren drew a walk to score Beatty which made it 8-0.

Gracie Johnston would add the final run for the Sultans with an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning.

Imperial would finally break through in the bottom of the inning on consecutive base hits for their only two runs of the contest as Johnston retired the next batter to end the game.

Grfanite Hills 2, Hilltop 1

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the fifth inning the Eagles would take advantage of their opportunities to score a pair of runs that ended up being the difference in the contest.

Hilltop would take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when they broke the scoreless game.

However, Granite Hills in the bottom of the fifth inning would take momentum starting with a one-out base hit by Breanna Diaz, a couple of batters later with two outs Taylor Rose extended things with a base hit to left field that advanced Diaz to second base, she would come around to score and tie the game at 1-1 when Audrey Smale hit a ball to left field that was misplayed.

Now with the game tied at 1-1 and runners still on base Jenna Haynal, the next batter would take the 1-0 count and rip a double to left field that allowed Taylor to come into score and give the Eagles the lead.

Kaleigh Baugher who was making her first career start would retire the final six batters of the game to preserve the victory.

Baugher went all seven innings for the win as she only allowed one run on four hits while fanning six on the day.

Brawley 6, Granite Hills 2

The theme of the day was the big inning and that is what the Brawley Wildcats had themselves as they scored five first-inning runs and never looked back as they cruised to the win.

Marissa Pena of the Wildcats would go 1-2 with a run scored as she tripled, Tamara Carranza would also have a pair of hits and a run scored including a double, Jocelyn Ubence also doubled as did Caryzma Aguilar who also knocked in a pair of runs.

On the other side for the Eagles who scored a pair of runs late in the contest, Kaleigh Baugher who won the early game went 2-3 and drove in a run, and doubled in the nightcap. Also contributing to the Eagles were Kailey Sandoval who had a pair of hits and Kayla Fox who scored a run and also drove in a run.