Hilltop Tournament: Final Day Wrap

By Adam Paul
Updated: March 12, 2022

2022 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

CHULA VISTA —- In addition to the Helix Highlanders capturing the Hilltop Tournament with a 5-2 victory in 8 innings over previously undefeated Holtville, a host of other East County softball teams participated in consolation contests.

Steele Canyon 9, Eastlake 1

Scoring five runs in the bottom of the third inning really put things away as the Steele Canyon Cougars beat the Eastlake Titans 9-1 Saturday morning.

An RBI double by Kamea Seunarine (2-2, 2 R, RBI, 2B) scoring Abby Curran (2-3, 2R, 2B) made it 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

They would take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Gabrielle Ortega Alves (1-1, RBI) drove in Isabella Azevedo (2R).

Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning the Cougars behind taking advantage of multiple errors on the same play would push across five runs to extend their lead to 7-1. Scoring on the error were Azevedo, Seunarine, Curran, and Janea Wilson (1-3, 2R, 3 RBI, HR) who would start the chain of actions with her ground ball.

Later in the bottom of the fourth inning, Wilson would blast a two-run home run that plated Seunarine to make it 9-1.

Pitching-wise for the Cougars, Emma Shellstrom got the nod and was able to get the win as she only allowed one run on four hits over five innings of work in which she only walked one and struck out two.

Steele Canyon 6, University City 6, tie

Trailing 6-5 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning the Centurions would take advantage of an opportunity when a passed ball occurred allowing the runner to come into score to tie the game up and that would be the final result on Saturday afternoon.

Cougars slugger Jazmin Williams started the game off in the top of the first inning with a solo home run to make it 1-0 and a couple of batters later Kamea Seunarine (1-4, RBI) would drive in Allyson Haessly (1-2, R, 2B) to make it 2-0.

Another RBi for Williams in the top of the second inning as she doubled to right field scoring Alena Moya which made it 3-0.

University City would pull within 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning.

However, the Cougars answered as Abby Curran knocked in Emma Shellstrom to make it 4-2 in the top of the fourth inning. But the momentum was short-lived as the Centurions would take the lead for the first time with three runs scored in the bottom of the inning to now lead 5-4.

Despite the lead change the Cougars roared back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of a two-run single by Abby Curran (2-4, 3 RBI) to score both Emma Shellstrom (2-2, 2R) and Jazmin Williams (3-4, 2R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR) to retake the lead 6-5.

However, a pair of walks, and a base hit would set up what would be the game-tying run for the Centurions and the final score of the game.

With the tie, the Cougars’ overall record now stands at 10-3-1.

Hilltop 4, El Capitan 3

A two-run walk-off home run by Lancers Lily Hermosillo in the bottom of the fifth inning gave them the victory on Saturday morning.

El Capitan would strike first when Hailey Mulligan scored on a fielder’s choice by Peyton Wells to make it 1-0.

Trailing by a run still in the bottom of the third inning the Lancers would go on to take a 2-1 lead when both Alexyia Reyes and Hermosillo hit back-to-back RBI singles.

Despite the lead change the Vaqueros behind a sacrifice fly by Mulligan would tie up the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning. They would go on to retake the lead 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI double by Leone that brought home Maddy Taylor.

A lead single would set up the walk-off by Hermosillo.

Yasmine Clark was the winning pitcher for the Lancers as she tossed five innings in which she allowed three runs on ten hits and struck out three.

Brooke Horn for the Vaqueros allowed four runs on seven hits over four and third innings of work while walking one and striking out three.

El Capitan 2, Otay Ranch 1

A strong pitching effort by El Capitan would prove to be one of the differences in the narrow victory over the Otay Ranch Mustangs on Saturday.

Peyton Wells for the Vaqueros went all seven innings in which she allowed one run on five hits and fanned three on the day.

RBI singles by Alyssa Fierro (2-3, RBI) and Hailey Mulligan (1-3, RBI) in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference as the Mustangs did answer with a run in the top of the seventh inning.

Valhalla 4, Hilltop 3

After tying up the game in the top of the sixth inning Norsemen batter Brooke Tucci (2-3, 2 RBI) on a 1-2 count would line a two-out two-run single to left field for what would end up being the difference in the contest on Saturday.

Valhalla in the top of the first inning would score not on a hit but Maryn Jordan (R, 3 SB) leading off with a walk would steal second and eventually successfully steal home to make it 1-0.

An RBI single by Alexyia Reyes (2-3, RBI) would tie the game at 1-1 and Sofia Vega scoring on an error would give the Lancers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The momentum gained by the Lancers would be short-lived as Cadyn led off the top of the sixth with a triple and would come into score on a sacrifice fly by Fish which tied the game up.

With the game tied up a one-out single by Naomi Villava (1-3, R) and a walk by Avery Voth (RUN) followed by a ground out to advance them would set up what would end up holding for the Norsemen.

Hilltop would score a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Valhalla committed an error but Fish who was in the circle would eventually end the threat and the game to preserve the victory.

Fish would get the win as she allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings of work while striking out six.

Olympian 3, Valhalla 2

Deanna Schrader of the Olympian Eagles was able to give them the victory on Saturday as she drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved to be the difference.

Naomi Villalva in the top of the second would give Valhalla a 1-0 lead as she singled to center field that allowed Avery Voth to come into score.

They would later score another run to go up 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning when Maryn Jordan scored on a sacrifice fly by Aubrielle Mckee.

However, the Eagles behind an RBI triple and an RBI single would knot the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning.

McKayla Fish took the loss for Valhalla. She went five and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on six hits, and struck out five.

Marissa Lupo for Valhalla also had a pair of hits on the day.

Despite the loss, the Norsemen are now 8-3.

Mission Hills 8, West Hills 7

With the game all knotted at 7-7 the Mission Hills Grizzlies would come out with the win when Aubrey Ortiz drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Both teams combined for twenty-three hits on the day as West Hills had thirteen while Mission Hills had ten.

The Grizzlies started their scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of runs to lead 2-0.

But the Wolf Pack would chip away with one run at a time as they scored a run in the top of the second inning courtesy of a Samiya Wright (RBI) ground ball out that allowed Lily Youngdale (2-4, 2R, RBI, SB) to come home to make it 2-1. They would go on to tie the game in the top of the third inning when Emily Byrd (3-4, RBI) drove in Ava Goodman (1-2, 2R, 2B) with a base hit to left field.

Moving to the top of the fifth inning with the score still tied at 2-2 the Pack would come alive and push across five runs to take a 7-2 lead.

Naomi Kai would double in both Goodman and Amaya Angeli (1-4, R) to give them a 4-2 lead, Youngdale grounded into a fielders choice to which brought home Alyssa Thornton to make it 5-2, Youngdale would come into score when Faith Balestreri (1-2, RBI) singled and Marina Morales (1-4, R) raced home on a passed ball to round out the scoring.

However, the Grizzlies would push across three runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull within 7-5 and in the bottom of the sixth would tie the game up.

With the loss, the Wolf Pack are now 3-3.