Patriots clinch title on Colmenero’s Dramatic GW RBI

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 8, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EL CAJON – Dramatics have been a part of sports since pretty much the beginning whether it be a last-second touchdown in football, last second-made shot in basketball or a game-winning walk-off hit of some kind in baseball or softball.

Well, you can add another walk-off hit to the list as Giselle Colmenero provided the magic for the Christian Patriots on Wednesday afternoon to give them the 7-6 victory over University City in City Eastern League action.

The victory didn’t come easy for the Patriots as the Centurions would erase a four-run deficit thanks to a two-run double and an RBI single in the third inning.

Christian early on would race out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run by Lucy Sherburne to right field for her fourth home run of the season scoring Tyler Krystek, and RBI singles by Samantha Baca scoring Ashley Wood and Colmenero driving in Baca.

The Centurions would tie the game on a fielder’s choice in the top of the fourth inning.

However, the momentum was short-lived as Christian would break the tie thanks to Kaitlyn Moody who drove in Sherburne followed by Keels Carrizosa driving in Reese Danczak to extend the lead to 6-4.

University City would tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a two-run home run.

Later in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Patriots would take advantage of back-to-back walks to Baca and Kayleigh Martin to start the inning. The next batter Colmenero came up and on the very first pitch, she saw laced a shot to center field allowing Baca to race around from second base to come home for the game-winning walk-off single.

Ava Barrios who came into the game in relief for the Patriots picked up the win as she allowed no runs on one hit over two innings of work in which she walked two and struck out two.

University City falls to 10-14 overall and 2-5 in league play.

With the win the Christian Patriots have now won eleven games at home in a row and reached the twenty-win mark as they are now 20-6-1 overall and 7-0 in league play.

Also, with the win and Point Loma’s 7-4 loss to Scripps Ranch the game on Friday doesn’t mean anything as far as the league championship is concerned as Christian claims the City Eastern League outright as sole champions.

STEELE CANYON 12, GROSSMONT 3 – Hailey Trujillo’s 5 RBI to go along with her perfect day at the play helped propel the Cougars to the victory on Wednesday in non-league play.

Trujillo doubled in a pair of runs in the fourth, singled in another pair in the fifth inning, and singled in another run in the first inning.

Early on though Grossmont would lead 3-0 thanks to Nakhia Lee driving in Saraya Roope followed by an RBI ground out by Jenna Ennis that brought home Lee and later with two outs Heidi Villa drove in Eliana Vasquez.

Steele Canyon though would take the lead for good with four runs scored in the bottom of the second inning.

Lauren Becker would drive in both Isabella Azevedo and Kamea Seunarine to tie the game at 3-3 which was followed by Marina Gonzalez singling to left field that allowed Becker to plate to give them a 4-3 lead.

Isabella Gonzalez would extend the lead to 5-3 with a ground out to score Kallan Shaw and in the fourth inning, Trujillo doubled in both Becker and Gonzalez to make it 7-3. Steele Canyon would add another run in the inning when Darin Lakin singled to center field allowing Trujillo to race around and score to make it 8-3.

Roope started for Grossmont but would only go three innings in which she allowed five runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out one. Ashley Beard came in and pitched three innings of relief in which she allowed seven runs on six hits while walking three and striking out one.

Bailey Evans started for the Cougars and would get the win as she allowed three runs on five hits over four innings of work in which she struck out one. Gonzalez came in and tossed three innings of relief in which she allowed zero runs on three hits while striking out five on the day.

With the loss, the Foothillers fall to 10-11-2 overall while Steele Canyon winners of three in a row improve to 17-6-1 overall.

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 2, PATRICK HENRY 0 – With runs and hits hard to come by the Cathedral Dons behind the strong pitching of Melissa Botticelli shutdown the Patrick Henry Patriots on Wednesday afternoon.

Cathedral Catholic would take advantage of a couple of opportunities to score their runs which came in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Sina Talataina and in the bottom of the third inning on a wild pitch.

Zoe Rutherford took the hard-luck loss for the Patriots. On the day over six innings, she would allow two runs while walking three and striking out three.

Botticelli was strong in the circle as she allowed just two hits over seven innings of work in which she walked two while striking out twelve.

The two hits allowed by Botticelli came courtesy of Leila Ludwig and Riley Teixeira.

Patrick Henry falls to 14-12 overall and 3-4 in league while Cathedral Catholic moved their winning streak to five games in a row and their overall record to 19-5 and 6-1 in league. They also overtake AOLP for first place with the win and the unexpected loss to Mira Mesa 5-2. The win by Cathedral and the loss by AOLP guarantees them at least a share of the league crown and with a win over Mira Mesa on Friday they can claim the league crown outright.