CIF Playoff Softball Wrap-Up: 50/50 split on Tuesday

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 16, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

San Diego CIF Division II

Valhalla 10, Scripps Ranch 0 (5 inn.)

RANCHO SAN DIEGO – Freshman Devyn Mack, who received the starting nod, took full advantage of the pressure-packed assignment and made short work of the #12 Scripps Ranch Falcons in convincing fashion, as #5 Valhalla won in a shortened contest to claim the elimination game of the CIF Division II playoffs on Tuesday (May 16).

Mack shut down the Falcons’ offense as she limited them to two hits in the second and fifth innings in her five innings of work.

Not only was the pitching on point, but so was the offense for Valhalla as they racked up thirteen hits in the game.

RBI doubles by Preslee Fink (2-3, 3 R, RBI, 2B) and Naomi Villalva (2-3, 2R, 3 RBI, 2B) in the first inning started the scoring, along with RBI singles by both Avery Voth (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB) and Aubrielle Mckee (1-3, RBI) to give the Norsemen a 4-0 lead.

They would add four more runs in the second inning, courtesy of an error that allowed Cadyn Ruffer (3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B, HR) to plate. Fink would come in to score on a single by Villalva. Both Voth and later Allison Piscopo (1-2, RBI) would round out the scoring to make it 8-0.

Valhalla leading 9-0 would put the game away for good in the fifth inning, thanks to Ruffer, who belted a one-out solo shot deep to center field for her eighth of the season which triggered the mercy rule.

Victoria Turfler, who started for Scripps Ranch, lasted only two and two-thirds innings, as she allowed eight runs on eleven hits, while striking out three in the loss.

Scripps Ranch with the loss is officially eliminated and finishes 10-14-1 overall.

Valhalla, who came into the contest winners of five in a row, extends their streak to six games and is now 18-10-1 overall. They will take on fourth-seeded Clairemont on the road in the first round on Wednesday (May 17) for a scheduled 3:30 PM start time.

Valhalla and Clairemont both met back on May 1st in a non-league game that the Chieftains would win by a score of 4-2, thus allowing them to claim the higher seed as the CIF seeding committee took head-to-head into consideration.

San Diego CIF Division I

Patrick Henry 5, San Pasqual 1

ESCONDIDO – Patrick Henry sophomore Zoe Rutherford, in a pressure-packed starting assignment, spun a gem as she struck out four in the victory over the #8 seed San Pasqual Golden Eagles on Tuesday (May 16) in the elimination game of the CIF Division I playoffs.

Patrick Henry would start their advantage early as sophomore Izzy Ervin (2-3, R, 3 RBI) drove in Brooke Taylor (2-2, 2 R, 3 SB) to make it 1-0.

Moving to the third inning and still leading by a run, the Patriots would take advantage of a pair of walks to lead-off Taylor and Ervin. On the next pitch, Taylor would advance to third, as it got by the catcher for a wild pitch. Ervin would also advance to second. The next batter, Rutherford, would hit a ball that was misplayed, allowing Taylor to race home to make it 2-0.

Ervin would later extend the lead for the Patriots, driving in both Lily Glenn (RUN) and Jenna Mallari (1-4, R) in the fourth inning on a single to left field. She would come in to score on an error by the left fielder after a base hit by Rutherford.

Staked to a five-run lead, Rutherford went back to business, with the only run she would give up coming in the fifth inning on a ground out by Olivia Young for the Golden Eagles.

Ally McKinley, who started for San Pasqual, would be tagged with the loss, as she allowed five runs on four hits over her three and a third innings of work, which saw her fan four. Aryana Zinsmeister came in and tossed three and two-thirds innings of relief, in which she allowed three hits and struck out four.

San Pasqual with the loss is officially eliminated from the playoffs and finishes the season with an overall record of 10-15-2.

Patrick Henry with the win moves on to the first round and double elimination portion of the playoffs, where they will take on the top-seeded Otay Ranch Mustangs on the road on Wednesday (May 17) for a scheduled 3:30 PM contest.

San Diego Division III

Christian 10, Oceanside 6

EL CAJON – Freshman Keelayana Carrizosa (3-3, R, 4 RBI) didn’t feel the pressure as she came up in the biggest ways by driving in four runs on three hits to lead the Christian Patriots over the Oceanside Pirates in an elimination game on Tuesday (May 16).

Christian would start the scoring with an RBI single by Allyson Moody (2-3, 3 R, RBI, SB), scoring Ashley Wood (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B). Tyler Krystek (3-4, 2 R, 3B) would come in to score on a sacrifice fly by Kaitlyn Moody (2-3, 2 RBI) to make it 2-0.

The next batter, Carrizosa, would drive in Allyson Moody to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.

A couple of innings later, the Patriots would add on to their lead as Lucy Sherburne (1-3, R, RBI) drove in Krystek to make it 4-0. Later in the inning Carrisoza came up big again, as she drove in both Sherburne and Krystek. Wood would extend the lead further, driving in another pair of runs to make it 8-0.

Kaitlyn Moody would add an RBI double in the fourth, and Carrisoza would drive in another run to extend the lead to 10-0.

Oceanside, facing a mercy rule loss heading into the top of the fifth inning, didn’t go down without a fight as they scored three runs in the inning. The Pirates would add a pair of runs in the sixth and a final in the seventh.

Izabella Gobea, who started for the Pirates, went six innings in which she allowed ten runs on thirteen hits and struck out two.

Freshman Ava Barrios, who drew the start, would be credited with the victory. On the day, she would go six innings, allowing one run on one hit, while striking out eight. Payton Grosset came in and tossed an inning in relief in which she gave up five runs on five hits and struck out one.

Oceanside with the loss is officially eliminated and finishes the season with a record of 12-13 overall.

Christian meanwhile improves to 12-8-1 and will now move on to the double-elimination portion, traveling to Santee where they will take on the third-seeded West Hills Wolf Pack in the first round on Wednesday (May 17) for a scheduled 3:30 PM start time.

San Diego CIF Open Division

Torrey Pines 3, El Capitan 1

LAKESIDE – Despite being out-hit 7-5 on Tuesday (May 16), the Torrey Pines Falcons, who earned the #6 seed, would take advantage of what opportunities were had and come away with the first-round road victory over the #3 seeded El Capitan Vaqueros.

Torrey Pines would threaten first with a pair of two-out hits in the second inning by Eva Gutierrez and Ava Fagin before the Vaqueros would get out of the inning.

The Vaqueros in the second inning had an excellent opportunity to put up the game’s first run with one out, thanks to Alyssa Fierro, who ripped a double to left field. Unfortunately, she would be stranded as the next two batters would be retired to end the inning.

With still no score in the game, the Falcons would break through in the top of the third inning, starting with Riley Cullivan leading off by reaching on an error that landed her on second base. After she advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, the next batter ,Georgia Bilski, with one out would draw a walk. That was followed by Mina Crouch’s being hit by a pitch. The next batter, Regan Cullivan, would hit a deep fly ball to center field, where it was caught, allowing Cullivan to come in from third after tagging. Sara Mihalnec, who came in to run, would also score on the throw to make it 2-0.

Trailing by two runs, the Vaqueros would answer back as Ava Gall would drive in Ciara Bernardini to pull within 2-1.

However, the Falcons would add another run in the top of the fourth inning. Gutierrez led off the inning with a double. Kathryn Klekotka then laid down a bunt that allowed Mihalnec, who had come in to run for Gutierrez, to score an insurance run.

Bilski would face another threat by the Vaqueros in the bottom half of the inning, as Fierro led off with a walk. A couple of batters later, with two outs, Reese Danzack singled to left field, followed by another single by Bernardini to load the bases. However, Bilski would retire the next batter to end the inning.

El Capitan threatened again in the fifth inning, as Gall led off by reaching on an error, which was followed by Alanna Christiaens drawing a walk to give them an excellent scoring opportunity. Unfortunately, Bilski would get out of the inning by retiring the next three batters.

Bilski would only allow two more hits the rest of the way. Over seven innings, she allowed one run on seven hits, striking out four in the victory.

Makenna Burton, making her first-ever postseason start would take the loss, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings, in which she struck out four.

With the win, the Torrey Pines Falcons improve to 20-7 on the season and will move on to the second round, where they will take on a familiar opponent in #2 Rancho Bernardo to be played at 3:30 PM at Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday (May 17).

El Capitan, with the loss, sees their eight-game winning streak snapped, but they will continue in the challenger’s bracket, hosting the #7 Granite Hills Eagles on Wednesday (May 17) at 3:30 PM.

Rancho Bernardo 2, Granite Hills 0

RANCHO BERNARDO – Two runs were all Rancho Bernardo senior Maddie Hulse needed, as she was able to limit the Granite Hills Eagles to four hits on the day in the shutout to claim the first round victory on Tuesday (May 16).

Rancho Bernardo, in the bottom of the first inning, would take advantage of a ball hit by Keely Gousha that was misplayed. Ellery Housand followed with a base hit to left field. Still with one out, the Broncos were in business, and senior Ray Motas would really cash in as she roped a ball to center field that would allow both Gousha and Housand to come around and score. Motas ended up at second for a two-run double.

Peyton Wells would lead off for Granite Hills in the second inning with a single, but would unfortunately be stranded as Hulse retired the next three batters.

Wells would lead the Eagles with a pair of hits in the game. while Sofia Mujica was held to a single hit. Esther Cerda would have the other hit for the Eagles.

Kaleigh Baugher would draw the start for the Eagles. She allowed five hits and two runs over six innings, striking out one.

Granite Hills with the loss sees their three-game winning streak snapped as they fall to 15-9 on the season and will travel to Lakeside where they will take on the third seed El Capitan Vaqueros in an elimination game on Wednesday (May 17) scheduled for a 3:30 PM start time.

On the other side, the Rancho Bernardo Broncos have now won eleven games in a row, and will host #6 Torrey Pines on Wednesday (May 17) in a second-round matchup scheduled for a 3:30 PM start time.

San Diego CIF Division I

Mission Hills 9, Helix 1

SAN MARCOS – With both early and late runs scored, #6 Mission Hills Grizzlies came away with the elimination game victory over the #11 Helix Highlanders on Tuesday (May 16).

Mission Hills started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Savanna Arce belted a two-run blast to left field. The Grizzlies would go on to score three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to really put things away.

Helix would score their lone run in the top of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by LaNiah Broom that allowed Angel Riggins to tag up from third base and race in for the score.

Riggins, Lauren Farace, Ivy Greene, and Kamryn Evans. who had a pair of hits. would round out the five hits for the Highlanders.

Oloah Motas for the Grizzlies would pick up the win. She would allow no runs on two hits and struck out nine in her five innings of work. Taliah Mckinnon would come in and toss two innings of relief. in which she allowed one run on three hits and struck out three.

Katelyn Woodland, who started for the Highlanders, would take the loss, allowing three runs on five hits over four innings, in which she struck out three. Farace would come in to the game in relief, tossing two innings, allowing six runs on five hits, while striking out three.

Helix with the loss finishes the season with a 10-16-2 record and is officially eliminated from the playoffs.

Mission Hills improves to 15-11 overall and will now travel down to Chula Vista where they will take on the #3 Bonita Vista Barons in a first-round contest as part of the double-elimination portion of the playoffs to be played on Wednesday (May 17) at 3:30 PM.