Wolf Pack rally late to down Granite

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 25, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

GROSSMONT HILLS LEAGUE

WEST HILLS 8, GRANITE HILLS 6 – Three runs scored in the top of the seventh inning by the West Hills Wolf Pack secured their rally to victory over Granite Hills on Friday afternoon.

In a contest where West Hills jumped out right away to a 3-0 lead after Katy Spargo belted a three-run home run for her fourth of the season the tone was set for an affair that would go back and forth.

Granite Hills in the bottom of the second inning hit themselves back into the contest when with two outs Olivia Cirar drove in a run which was followed by an RBI double by Ariana Heninger to make it 3-2. They would tie the game in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Kaleigh Baugher to lead off the inning.

Now with all the momentum on the Eagles side the Pack in the top of the fifth inning with two outs would retake the lead when Ava Goodman drove in both Reegan Veltre and Amber Foley to give them a 5-3 lead.

Granite Hills would answer back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game thanks to Kaylanii Caple drove in Taylor Nash who led off the inning with a double and later with two outs Baugher again came through as she drove in Caple. They would tack on the go ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Nash doubled in Heninger to make it 6-5.

West Hills though didn’t fret as Veltre singled to lead off the seventh inning, the next two batters Spargo and Maddie Aylesbury walked to load the bases. A couple of batters later with one out Goodman doubled to center field scoring both Veltre and Spargo to give them a 7-6 lead and Aylesbury would advance to third. The following batter sophomore Lili Leija came up and hit a hard hit ball to center that scored Aylesbury to extend the lead to 8-6.

The Eagles would have one more chance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wolf Pack starter Gianna Burgin would walk the first batter Mia Downes. The next two batters would be retired and now with two outs Downes would advance to second base via wild pitch and would advance to third on a ball hit by Esther Cerda that was misplayed. However, that would the furthest she would get as Burgin struck out the next batter to end the game.

Burgin would earn the win for West Hills as she worked all seven innings in which she allowed six runs on ten hits while walking two and striking out twelve.

Baugher would take the loss for the Eagles as she allowed eight runs on seven hits over six and a third innings in which she walked three and struck out six.

West Hills improves to 12-7-1 overall and 3-1 in league play while Granite Hills falls to 6-12-1 overall and 2-2 in league.

EL CAPITAN 11, STEELE CANYON 7 – With both teams combining for 25 hits the El Capitan Vaqueros would outslug the Steele Canyon Cougars on Friday afternoon to procure the league win.

El Capitan would start the scoring first as they pushed across five runs in the top of the first inning by taking advantage of their opportunities which included six walks of which four led to runs being scored.

A one out walk by Gabrielle Garcia led to Ciara Bernardini scoring, a wild pitch led to Isabella Farris scoring, Hailey Koury Sweigart walked which led to Brynlie Ford scoring followed by Trinity Curo drawing a walk leading to Garcia coming into score.

Steele Canyon would get on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Belle Will drove in Ily Barclay to make it 5-1. The Vaqueros would answer in the top of the fourth when Garcia drove in Bernardini to give them a 6-1 lead.

Steele Canyon would answer back with a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2.

The Vaqueros though would break out the offense in the top of the sixth inning as they scored five runs on six hits to take a 11-2 lead.

In the inning Kylee Frazier would drive in a run, Farris would drive in two runs as would Ford with her base hit.

Addison Higuera would draw the start and earn the victory as she allowed seven runs on nine hits over six innings of work in which she walked six and struck out four.

For the Cougars, Marina Gonzalez would take the loss as she allowed five runs on three hits over two and one-thirds of an inning in which she walked seven.

The win moves El Capitan to 7-11 overall and 2-2 in league while Steele Canyon falls to 9-11-1 and 2-2 in league.

SANTANA 8, VALHALLA 0 – Taking advantage of six errors by the Valhalla Norsemen the Santana Sultans who scored all of their runs in the late innings would prevail on Friday afternoon.

Outhitting the Norsemen 8-2 in the game along with taking advantage of the opportunities afforded them the Sultans managed to score a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and sixth innings and would score four in the top of the seventh inning.

Santana in the top of the fourth scored on a fielder’s choice by McKenna Miller that allowed Delaney Smith to plate and later with two outs Miller would score on an error by Valhalla to make it 2-0.

A couple of innings later in the sixth Sultans Senior Elizabeth Stephenson would ground out but in the process Alyssa Cipro would race home for the score to make it 3-0 which was followed by Miller grounding out to bring home Smith.

Leading 4-0 the Sultans behind an RBI double by Brynn Warren to left field scoring Kaitlyn Ruckle followed by a one out single by Cipro that brought home Warren and a couple of batters later with two outs Emma Schneider blasting a two-run home run would round out the scoring.

The only two hits for Valhalla came courtesy of Natalia Marco and Avery Voth.

Bella Zuckerman earned the win for the Sultans as she only two hits over seven innings in which she walked four and struck out nine.

For Valhalla, Devyn Mack took the loss as she allowed seven runs on four hits over six and one third of an inning in which she walked one and struck out four.

Santana moves to 11-7 overall and 2-2 in league while Valhalla falls to 7-13 overall and 1-3 in league.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

GROSSMONT 14, MONTE VISTA 2 (5 INN.) – Scoring in all five frames leads to convincing win for the Grossmont Foothillers over the Monte Vista Monarchs on Friday.

Grossmont would jump out to a big lead in the top of the first inning thanks to Nakhia Lee who doubled in two runs, Aly Vega driving in a run, a couple of errors leading to runs, and Skyler Glover doubling in a run.

Both Carleigh Wenck and Glover who struck again with another double would extend the lead for Grossmont in the top of the second inning.

The Foothillers added another run in the top of the third on a Madison Busch ground out to make it 10-0.

Lee would pick up the win for Grossmont. On the day she allowed one hit and two runs over five innings in which she walked four while striking out seven.

Glover had the big day as she drove in four runs while Busch, Lee, and Vega each drove in a pair of runs in the game.

Grossmont moves to 7-12-1 overall and 3-0 in league while Monte Vista falls to 0-12 overall and 0-4 in league.

HELIX 18, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 (5 INN.) – A strong pitching performance by Kaitlyn Woodland helped lead the Helix Highlanders to victory over Mount Miguel in league play on Friday afternoon.

Woodland in her pitching performance would go onto fan 11 Matadors on the day as she would no-hit them in the process over five innings that would also see her walk seven.

Helix would score first in the first inning when Ta’Tiannah Wright drove in a run to make it 1-0.

The Highlanders would break the game wide open in the second inning as they scored ten runs on four hits as they took advantage of the opportunities presented them.

Lauren Farace would drive in a run, Wright would walk that led to a run scoring, an error led to a run, LaNiah Broom doubled in two runs, Leilah Jones drove in two runs, Marley Johnson drove in a run and Clarissa Torres who was hit by a pitch would score a run.

Helix would tack on six more runs in the third inning on four hits which included Danette Munoz walking that led to a run scoring, Johnson drove in a run, Farace, Vivienne Munoz both drove in runs and Nikayla Domingo knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Helix moves to 10-5 overall and 3-0 in league while Mount Miguel falls to 3-8 overall and 1-2 in league play.