Pack’s Goodman, Deal deliver in the 11th

By Adam Paul
Updated: March 19, 2023

West Hills sophomore pitcher, the winning pitcher and a game-tying home run in the 11th inning to down Brawley / Wolf Pack courtesy photo

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SANTEE – Winning games in regular fashion would always be a preferred deal. Sometimes a flair for the dramatics is called upon in a contest.

Well, the second option was called upon on Saturday (Mar.18) when sophomore Ava Goodman put a stake in the hearts and literally broke them of the Brawley Wildcats with her two-out two-strike line drive base hit to right field, scoring Maddie Aylesbury for the dramatical 5-4 walk-off victory in 11 innings.

Moments earlier, Kristina Deal slugged a game-tying solo home run to offset a Brawley run in the top of the 11th.

Earlier in the action, the Brawley Wildcats would lead only 1-0 despite putting multiple runners on base but Goodman who was given the starting nod would get out of the inning.

Offensively the Wolf Pack were being stymied by Wildcat pitching as they had only recorded one hit into the bottom of the fifth inning when the light switch turned on and the bats came alive.

Samiya Wrights (3-4, R, RBI) single to left field scoring Gianna Burgin (1-3, R) to tie the game up and later Deal (3-6, R, 2 RBI, HR) driving in Jaci Mckindley (2-5, R) to take a 2-1 lead followed by Aylesbury (2-5, R, RBI) driving in Wright on a base hit extended the lead to 3-1 and shifted all the momentum.

Later in the seventh inning the Wildcats despite trailing didn’t go down as Maliyah Montoya knocked in Isabella Yascas and with two outs Dylann Baker tied the game as she singled to center field scoring Sophia Ruiz.

An opportunity presented itself to the Wolf Pack in the bottom of the inning as Wright led off with a base hit and a couple of batters Deal singled but both would be stranded to end the inning and send the game into extras.

Both teams would go back and forth with the Wolf Pack having another opportunity in the tenth inning. A one-out walk by Goodman and later an intentional two-out walk to Alyssa Thornton (1-3) was followed up with a base hit to load the bases by McKindley. Unfortunately, the next batter would be retired to end the inning.

Brawley would turn things around momentum-wise in the top of the eleventh inning as Ruiz doubled and advanced to third on a single by Caitlyn Padilla which was followed by Montoya singling to right field that would allow Ruiz to race home for a 4-3 lead. Still threatening the Wildcats looked for more but Thornton who was brought in stuck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Now trailing the Pack needed a shot in the arm offensively and they would receive that when Deal blasted a one-out solo shot to tie the game at 4-4 over the left field fence for her second dinger of the season. The next batter Aylesbury would lift a single to center field and proceed to get into scoring position after a wild pitch.

Goodman started for the Pack and lasted six innings, allowing eight hits and three runs while striking out six, Thornton who came in and finished things out as she would pick up the win with her five innings, allowing six hits and one run and also striking out six.

West Hills snaps a three-game losing streak and improves to 7-4-1 on the season.

Elsewhere

Patrick Henry 5, Olympian 3

CHULA VISTA – A pair of late runs scored by the Patrick Henry Patriots over the fifth and sixth innings were the difference, allowing the Patriots to down the Olympian Eagles , 5-3, on Saturday (Mar.18) in a non-league contest.

The Patriots would build momentum starting in the top of the third as Jenna Mallari with two outs drove in Aubrey Purvis which was followed by McKenna Geiger belting a two-run shot to center field scoring Mallari for a 3-0 lead.

That momentum would be chipped at as Olympian would push across a run in the fourth inning and tie the game up in the fifth inning behind a base hit by Jacqui De Murguia and Sophia Aquino scoring on a passed ball.

Despite the momentum shifting the Patriots went back to work as Brooke Taylor led off the fifth by being hit by a pitch, she would steal second and advance to third on a wild pitch. The next batter Geiger would pop up to the second baseman but it was deep enough to where Taylor after tagging from this would race home for the go-ahead 4-3 score.

They would add their last run on a two-out single by Sophia Sanchez that brought home Rachel Earner.

Zoe Rutherford who came into the contest in relief of Geiger would shut down the Eagles the rest of the way as she collected the victory. She would end up going four innings allowing one run on four hits and striking out three.

Leila Ludwig would also have a pair of hits in the game for the Patriots including a double.

With the triumpoh, Patrick Henry evened its overalll record to 3-3-1.