ROUNDUP: Evans Lifts Steele To Late Victory

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 16, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SANTEE (4-16-24) – For the most part in the last ten years there haven’t been many games that have been decided by more than a couple of runs between the Santana Sultans and the Steele Canyon Cougars.

The latest contest would be no different as Steele Canyon would scratch out a 2-0 road victory over Santana on a late two-run home run by Bailey Evans for her third home run of the season and would hold up in the end.

Offensively it was a struggle for both teams as both teams’ pitchers were dealing as they both combined for nineteen total strikeouts.

Marina Gonzalez for the Cougars picked up the win and allowed only three hits on the day as she went all seven innings in which she fanned seven Sultans and walked one.

On the other side, Aurelia Dawson also went all seven innings in the loss as she allowed two runs on three hits while striking out twelve Cougars while walking four.

Evans who was 1-for-3 in the contest after a one-out walk to Lauren Becker in the top of the sixth inning would deal what would end up being the game-winning blow with her blast deep over the center-field fence for her third of the season. Also, contributing for the Cougars was Gonzalez who managed a 2-for-3 day at the plate including a double.

Ashlyn Darrow, Lily Sowinski, and Kaitlyn Ruckle each had a hit for the Sultans.

Steele Canyon with the win continues rolling as they have now reached double-digits in their win streak as it is now at ten in a row. Their overall record is now 12-3-1 and 3-0 in Grossmont Hills play.

Santana drops to 8-10 overall and 1-2 in Grossmont Hills action.

GRANITE HILLS 6, EL CAPITAN 2 – Four runs scored by the Granite Hills Eagles over the third and fourth innings helped propel them to a road victory over the El Capitan Vaqueros in GHL action.

An RBI single by Mia Downes which was followed by a hard hit ball by Makenna Hines that was misplayed allowing two runs to score would give the Eagles a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

El Capitan though would answer back with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Aubrey Thorne drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Addison Leone to make it 3-1.

Granite Hills would add another run in the top of the fourth inning when Olivia Cirar drove in Audrey Smale to give them a 4-1 lead.

Later in the top of the seventh inning Sofia Mujica took a 2-0 pitch and blasted the next pitch over the center field fence for a two-run home run of which was her fourth of the season and give them a 6-1 lead.

The Vaqueros would add their final run in the bottom of the seventh inning as they took advantage of an Eagles miscue that allowed Sofia Simone to plate.

Eagles starter Kaleigh Baugher picked up the win as she went all seven innings in which she allowed four hits and two runs while walking two and striking out four.

For the Vaqueros, Shelby Vars would be tagged with the loss as she went all seven innings in which she allowed six runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two.

Kailey Sandoval led the Eagles hitting attack as she went 2-for-4 including scoring a run.

Granite Hills improved to 9-7 overall and 2-1 in league play while El Capitan falls to 7-8-4 and 1-2 in league. The loss also snaps their nine-league-game winning streak dating back to last season.

VALHALLA 9, HELIX 4 – Despite being outhit the Valhalla Norsemen took advantage of the opportunities given in the middle innings as they came away with the league win over Helix Tuesday.

Valhalla would get on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning as Natalia Marco drove in a run, Jayden Chiaramonte doubled in a run, Emma Sloan drove in a run and the big blow came thanks to Danica Reed who belted a two-out two-run home run to round out the scoring.

The Norsemen would add four more runs the following inning thanks to Chiaramonte who drove in Avery Voth, Taylor Mack drove in Bailey Lenz and Marco and finally Sloan drove in Chiaramonte to make it 9-0.

Helix added runs thanks to Maliyah Domingo, Ta’Tiannah Wright who drove in a pair of runs, and Clarissa Torres hitting a ball that was misplayed by the Norsemen led to a run.

Devyn Mack warned the win for the Norsemen. On the day she allowed eleven hits and four runs over seven innings while walking one and striking out one.

For Helix, Katelyn Wood took the loss as she went four and one-third innings in which she allowed nine runs on nine hits in which she walked one and struck out seven.

The win by Valhalla snaps their nine-game losing streak and moves their overall record to 2-16 and 1-2 in league while Helix falls to 7-9 overall and 1-2 in league play.

GROSSMONT VALLEY

SANTEE (4-16-24) – Thirteen hits lead to thirteen runs which leads the West Hills Wolf Pack rolling to a 14-0 victory over Mount Miguel Tuesday.

West Hills jumped out early thanks to Abbey Farmer who drove in a pair of runs with a double which was followed by a three-run home run by Samiya Wright deep to center field to make it 5-0.

Katy Spargo would add to the lead for the Pack with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning for her fifth of the season.

More of the same for West Hills as they added more runs in the bottom of the third inning thanks to Maddie Aylesbury, Lili Leija, Farmer, and Kiera Allen who all drove in runs.

Ava Goodman started for the West Hills. She would allow no runs on two hits over two innings in which she walked none and struck out five. Coming into the game to finish things out was Aylesbury who went three innings in relief while allowing no runs on two hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Both Wright and Farmer who went 3-for-4 drove in three runs while Aylesbury and Leija each had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

For the Matadors, Klarissa Soto led as she went 3-for-3 at the plate.

West Hills with the win extends their winning streak to five games and moves to 10-6-1 overall and 3-0 in league while Mount Miguel has dropped five in a row and falls to 6-9 overall and 0-3 in league.

GROSSMONT 20, MONTE VISTA 1 (5 inn.) – An eleven-run fourth inning by the Grossmont Foothillers allows them to cruise to a road victory over the Monte Vista Monarchs Tuesday.

Grossmont junior Jenna Ennis led the way for the Hillers as she went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in five RBI which included a two-run double in the second inning.

Eight Grossmont hitters including Ennis collected multiple hits in the contest as they tallied 19 hits overall.

Saraya Roope who was the starting pitch of record for the Foothillers also would help her cause as she went 3-for-3 while driving in a run and scored twice. She also swiped two bases.

Roope in the circle allowed one run on five hits over five innings in which she walked three and struck out seven.

Madison Busch, Nakhia Lee, Jordan Leone, Heidi Villa, and Skyler Glover all drove in two runs apiece.

Grossmont with the win moves to 6-7-2 overall and 2-0 in league while Monte Vista has dropped nine games in a row and falls to 2-13 overall and 0-2 in league.

NON-LEAGUE

CHRISTIAN 8, MAR VISTA 2 – The Christian Patriots thanks in part to scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning claim the victory over Mar Vista Tuesday.

The six runs came courtesy of Kaitlyn Moody who belted her third home run with a solo shot to left field, Reese Danczak driving in a run, Tyler Krystek with an RBI single, Sienna Staite driving in a pair of run and Keels Carrizosa drawing a walk to bring in another run.

Staite who also helped her own cause with a pair of hits which included two RBI picked up the win as she tossed five innings of relief in which she allowed two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three. Ava Barrios who started allowed no runs on one hit in her two innings of work while walking three and striking out two.

Krystek would lead the Patriots as she went 3-for-4 with a triple also scored twice and drove in a run.

Moody who went 2-for-2 including a double and the home run would match Staite with two RBI.

Christian now winners of four in a row move to 14-4-1 overall.