7th-inning rallies for Eagles, Wolf Pack

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 7, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SANTEE – Despite trailing by a pair of runs in the top of the seventh the Granite Hills Eagles took advantage of multiple errors by Santana to tie and eventually pull off the 5-4 come-from-behind victory on Tuesday afternoon in a crucial Grossmont Hills League contest.

Santana would put the first runs on the board with three in the bottom of the first inning after Sara Spry grounded out, Delaney Smith singled, and Bella Zuckerman singled, all leading to runs to give them a 3-0 lead.

The Sultans would add another run in the bottom of the second inning on a base hit by Emma Schneider that scored Lily Sowinski to extend the lead to 4-0.

Aurelia Dawson who started for the Sultans kept the Eagles bats in check but in the top of the fifth inning, Granite finally broke through.

Back-to-back singles by Kaleigh Baugher and Kamryn Flath followed by a line out but in the process, an error by the Sultans occurred led to Hannah Manoff who came into run for Baugher to score to make it 4-1. After Sofia Mujica was hit by a pitch the next batter Audrey Smale drove in Flath to pull them within 4-2.

Moving to the top of the seventh and trailing by two runs the Eagles who were down to their final three outs had one last opportunity.

Leadoff hitter Ariana Heninger singled to left field followed by Sofia Mujica singling to center field, Olivia Cirar came into run for Mujica. Both Heninger and Cirar would move up when Audrey Smale sacrificed both over. Now with runners on second and third and one out the next batter Kailey Sandoval would single to left field scoring Heninger but on the play multiple errors would occur which led to Cirar coming into score to tie the game 4-4.

After it was said and done Sandoval would wind up at third base. A couple of batters later with two outs Bella Zuckerman who came in for Dawson would uncork a wild pitch in which Sandoval raced home for the go-ahead run to make it 5-4. she

Despite a two-out single by Ashlyn Darrow, the Sultans couldn’t muster anymore as Baugher retired the next batter to end the game and complete the comeback.

Baugher would earn the win for the Eagles. She would give up four hits and one run over six innings of relief in which she walked one and struck out three. Peyton Wells started for the Eagles and only lasted an inning in which she allowed four hits and three runs while striking out one.

Zuckerman would take the loss for the Sultans as she allowed three runs on four hits over two innings of relief in which she struck out one. Dawson who started for the Sultans would allow two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out six.

Winners of their last two and six of their last seven the Eagles move to 14-9 overall and 8-1 in league play while Santana falls to 10-15 overall and 2-7 in league.

STEELE CANYON 8, HELIX 2 – Pitching along with hammering out twelve hits leads Steele Canyon to the victory over visiting Helix on Tuesday.

Helix would get on the board in the top of the third inning thanks to Kamilah Jones with two outs drove in Lauren Farace and an error by the Cougars would lead to another run to give them a 2-0 lead.

However, the momentum was short-lived as Steele Canyon in the bottom half of the inning behind an RBI single by Hailey Trujillo and a three-run double by Kayala Hopkins would take a 4-2 lead.

A couple of innings later the Cougars would add more thanks to Trujillo who drove in Lauren Becker, Danika Lakin would drive in both Natalia Gonzalez and Trujillo to make it 7-2 and Bailey Evans singled in Lakin to round out the scoring.

Marina Gonzalez who started for the Cougars would pick up the win as she allowed two runs on one hit while walking five and striking out six. Evans would come in and toss three innings of scoreless relief in which she allowed three hits.

Katelyn Woodland for Helix took the loss as she allowed four runs on six hits over two and one-third of an inning in which she walked one.

Steele Canyon improves to 16-6-1 overall and 7-2 in league play while Helix drops their fifth game in a row and falls to 8-15 overall and 7-2 in league.

LEAGUE NOTE: With Granite’s victory they remain one game ahead of Steele Canyon which means Thursday will determine the league champion.

If both Granite Hills who plays Valhalla and Steele Canyon who travels to El Capitan win on Thursday then Granite Hills will win the Hills League outright but if Granite loses and Steele Canyon wins then they both will be Co-Champions.

EL CAPITAN 6, VALHALLA 5 – With the score all tied up in the top of the seventh inning the El Capitan Vaqueros would pull things out thanks to Sofia Simone who procured the would-be game-winning hit to give them the victory on Tuesday afternoon in league play.

Early on the Vaqueros would take an early 1-0 lead thanks to Alanna Christiaens who drove in Ciara Bernardini but the Norsemen would answer back as Devyn Mack blasted a two-out solo bomb to left field in the bottom of the first.

El Capitan in the top of the third inning would retake the lead when Christiaens led off the inning belting a deep fly over the center field fence a solo shot for her fifth of the season and a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Addison Leone would drive in a run to make it 3-1 which was followed by Simone grounding out allowing Alyssa Fierro to plate and Bernardini with two outs drove in a run to give them a 5-1 lead.

Valhalla though would answer back with two runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to Lily Alvarado and Jayden Chiaramonte who drove in runs. They would add to their momentum in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to an error by the Vaqueros and an RBI single by Avery Voth that led to tying the game at 5-5.

Shelby Vars started for the Vaqueros. She allowed five runs on four hits over four innings in which she walked four and struck out five. Alyssa Cole came in and tossed three innings of relief in which she allowed zero runs on one hit while walking three and striking out two.

Mack for the Norsemen surrendered six runs on ten hits over seven innings in which she walked six and struck out one.

El Capitan with the win moves to 12-11-4 overall and 5-5 in league while Valhalla falls to 6-20 overall and 4-5 in league.

WEST HILLS 5, OUR LADY OF PEACE 4 – Despite being outhit 13-3 the West Hills Wolf Pack took advantage of their opportunities and rallied with four runs including a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh to claim a wild come-from victory over Our Lady of Peace in a crucial non-league contest on Tuesday afternoon.

The Pilots of Our Lady of Peace would get the scoring rolling in the top of the fourth inning when Alayna Ma’ake belted a two-run home run to right field to make it 2-0. They would add another run in the top of the fifth inning.

Things were not looking so good for West Hills as they had been limited to a single hit heading into the bottom of the seventh inning when their fortunes would turn.

Back-to-back walks to both Samiya Wright and Ava Goodman started things off. Wright would be lifted for Kiera Allen.

With both Allen on second and Goodman on first the next batter Abby Farmer kicked things up as she roped a double to center field that would bring home Allen to make it 3-1 and Goodman advancing to third base. Both Goodman and Farmer would come into score on a passed ball and an error by the Pilots catcher to tie the game at 3-3.

Lili Leija who was hit by a pitch would advance to second on a sacrifice fly by Amaya Angeli. Leija would be lifted for Addie Vela who would advance to third on a wild pitch and with two outs Maddie Aylesbury on the fifth pitch of the at-bat ripped the walk-off double to left field bringing in Vela and bringing craziness to both the bench and the stands.

Goodman who started for the Pack picked up the win as she went all seven innings allowing three runs on thirteen hits in which she walked one and struck out five.

With the win, the Pack have won three in a row and move to 16-9-1 overall while AOLP falls to 10-9-1 overall.

West Hills will now wait until Thursday when they host Grossmont for a shot to claim an undefeated league record and a solo championship. If Grossmont wins on Thursday then both teams will be Co-Champions of the Valley League.

GROSSMONT 11, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 (5 inn.) – Eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning for Hillers secured them the shortened mercy rule victory over the Braves on Tuesday in Grossmont Valley League action.

Eliana Vasquez drove in a pair of runs, Sophie Plunk doubled in two runs, and both Jordan Leon and Saraya Roope each drove in runs and an error led to another run which led to eight runs scored by Grossmont in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Skyler Glover would give Grossmont an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single. They would add more runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Roope who doubled in a run and an error by the Braves led to another run.

Vasquez earned the win as she allowed no runs on one hit over four and two-thirds innings in which she walked one and struck out five.

Grossmont moves to 10-10-2 overall and 6-1 in league play.

Ahja Mohammad

El Cajon Valley was missing co-captain Saleen Quirino, who was in a walking boot but is expected back for the CIF playoffs if she’s not back in time for this week’s regular-season finale at Monte Vista.

Meanwhile Ahja Hohammad, the Braves’ other captain, recorded both ECVHS hits. The corner outfielder, who’s also an Honors student, announced she’s been accepted to attend UC San Diego this fall.