ROUNDUP: Easterners in tourney Fiesta

By Adam Paul
Updated: March 20, 2018

El Capitan's ALLYSON VON YOKES is in the spirit before a non-league game against Christian on Monday.

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com

HILLTOP TOURNAMENT

GRANITE HILLS 5, STEELE CANYON 1

In what will be the first of a few meetings this season the Eagles were able to take advantage of their opportunities mid contest to garner the victory.

You knew it would take a successful opportunity for either team and in the third inning the Eagles thought they would strike first. With one out Morgan Kelly singled and Haley Johnson followed with a walk to put runners at first and second with one out. However it was for not as Cougars pitcher Grace Richter retired the next two batters to end the threat and inning.

Steele Canyon in their half of the inning would be retired in order. For the Eagles leading off the top of the fourth would be Staci Chambers (1-2, R, RBI, HR) who would smash the first offering she saw over the right field fence for a solo blast to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Granite knew they had the momentum and continued it as McKenzie Boehm (RUN) walked, Catie Dobbs (1-4) singled, Kara Blanchard (RUN) into run, Amaya Esparza (3-4, R, RBI, HR) followed with a single to load the bases. The next batter Brooke Bertussi (1-4, RBI) singled scoring Boehm making it 2-0, Morgan Kelly hits a ball that was misplayed which allowed Blanchard to score to push the score 3-0. That would be all the Eagles would score as the Cougars got out of the inning.

Steele Canyon who had been able to come back in the past knew they had to put together some momentum. Leading off for the Cougars was JJ Venzor (2-4, RBI) who singled, Maggie Carpenter walked to give the Cougars runners at first and second and no outs. Unfortunately they would be stranded as Dobbs was able to strike out the next three batters to end the inning.

Again the Cougars would get the lead runner on in the fifth as Amanda Whipple (1-3) singled but that would be all for Steele Canyon in the inning.

Granite extended their lead in the top of the sixth with a leadoff solo homerun by Esparza to make it 4-0. With two outs Johnson singled, A. Ottley into run, Bailey Wallace (1-4) singled and Sydney Huse singled (1-4, RBI) which scored Ottley.

In the bottom of the sixth the Cougars threatened as Carpenter led off with a walk, Lexi Hutchinson into run, Britney Morales walked, Tayler Thomas (2-3) loaded the bases with a laced single. Chambers who came into pitch for the Eagles was able to shut the threat down as she struck out the next batter and then induced an inning ending double play ball.

Granite in the top of the inning would get a single by Esparza. So down to their last chance the Cougars knew they had to do something. Things started well as Carly Logan walked, she would be out on a fielder’s choice, a couple batters later Audrey Bagge (RUN) would reach on a fielder’s choice and would score when Venzor reached on an error cutting the deficit to 5-1. However the Cougars momentum would end as Chambers retired the next batter to end the game.

For the Cougars in the loss, Richter went 7 innings giving up 5 runs of which 4 were earned, walked 4 and struck out 1.

On the other side garnering the victory was Dobbs who went 5 innings, giving up 0 runs, walked 4 and fanned 12 on the day. Chambers in relief went 2 innings, giving up 1 run, walked 1 and struck out 2.

WEST HILLS 7, CALEXICO 2

The Pack got things rolling early in the bottom of the first inning when Haley Valles (1-3, R, 2B) roped a lead double and would come into score on a two out single by Ashliegh Hartwig (2-3, R, 3 RBI, HR) to make it 1-0. West Hills added to their lead in the bottom of the second with another run as Gabby Clippinger (3-3, 2R, 2B) singled with one out and scored on a Savannah Henderson single to left to make it 2-0.

The pitching of Star Gaylord (1-3, R) for the Pack was shutting down the Bulldogs as she held them scoreless through the third inning.

With one out in the bottom of the third inning Mikayla Cristini (2-4, RBI) singled but she would be forced out on the fielder’s choice by Alyssa Bubar (RUN). The next batter was Hartwig who looked for more and did it as she slammed a two run jack over the left field fence to extend the lead to 4-0.

With one out and a runner on in the top of the fifth Calexico would cut the Wolf Pack’s lead in half as they hit a two run homer to make it 4-2. A couple batters later Carly Bursch would come into pitch and would eventually get out of the inning after giving up a walk.

West Hills added a couple more runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a single by Gaylord, a couple batters later Clippinger roped a double and Henderson drove both of them in. Jules Fossing into run for Henderson, the next batter Mia Colabella (1-3) singled, Valles walked, Cristini singled which scored Fossing to make it 7-2.

Despite giving up a lead walk, Bursch would retire the next three batters in order to end the contest.

Garnering the victory for the Wolf Pack was Gaylord who tossed 4 1/3 inning, giving up 2 runs of which both were earned on 4 hits while walking 5 and striking out 2. Getting the save, Bursch went 2 2/3 innings, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 3.

FALCON FIESTA

Patrick Henry 15, Hilltop 0

The Patriots would score 3 runs over the first two innings thanks to Ari Rios reaching on a fielder’s choice, Lauren Nett followed with a walk, Andrea Wright singled which scored Rios. Nett would also score in the inning as well to make it 2-0. They added another run in the second when Dezianna Patmon was hit by a pitch, she scored on a Maggie Zimmerly grounder to make it 3-0.

Patrick Henry added another run in the top of the fourth when Patmon was hit by a pitch and would come around to score on a Zimmerly grounder after Sydney Newton doubled.

The big inning for the Patriots came in the fifth when their offense came alive and exploded for eleven runs off the Lancers. A homerun by Savanah Chapman, another homerun by H. Jenks were the big bops in the inning. Patmon laced a double and also scored, Nett scored twice, Rios also scored in the inning.

Laila Spracklen garnered the victory as she tossed 5 innings, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while striking out 8.

EASTLAKE 4, GROSSMONT 0

Runs would be at a premium in the contest and it would be the team that took advantage of opportunities that came out on top.

The Titans in the top of the first started off with a bang as Areli Nava roped a double to right field. She would come into score on a smashed two out double by Hannah Slike to make it 1-0.

Grossmont had a shot to do something in the bottom of the third with one out when Candace Henderson walked, Rainee Foster laid down a perfect bunt and both runners would be safe. However Titans starter Nana Fejeran would get out of the inning by striking out the next two batters.

Again the Foothillers in the bottom of the fourth inning would get the lead runner on as K. Contreras singled but she would be stranded.

Neither team did anything the next couple of innings but Eastlake finally broke things open a little as they pushed across three runs in the top of the sixth to extend the lead 4-0.

Sharlize Palacios led off with a single, a couple batters later with two outs Alexis Otero smoked a ball that went for a double that scored Palacios. The Titans would have a couple more hits to round out their scoring.

Roope in the loss for the Foothillers tossed 7 innings, giving up 4 runs of which 2 were earned on 7 hits while walking 1 and striking out 6.

NON-LEAGUE

CHRISTIAN 8, EL CAPITAN 5

A late rally by the Christian Patriots stunned the El Capitan Vaqueros out inn Lakeside in a non-league contest.

After a couple of scoreless innings the Patriots put the first run on the board in the top of the fourth thanks to a single by Mallory Steele who came into score later in the inning on a single by Devyn Krystek (1-4, RBI) to make it 1-0.

However the lead didn’t last as the Vaqueros strung together runners starting with a walk by Alexa Williams (1-1, R, RBI, HR), Bailey Olaveson (2-4, R, RBI, 2B) singled, Allyson Von Yokes (1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B) roped a two run double, Brandy Taylor (1-3) singled and Madison Rosales (1-3, RBI) drove in another run with a single to make it 3-1.

Christian in the bottom of the fifth would change pitchers as they put in Steele to relieve Ashley Carter. The Vaqueros would strike again as Olaveson roped a double that scored Madisyn Weir (RUN) to push their lead to 4-1.

However the bats for the Patriots finally came alive in the top of the sixth inning as Jade Thompson (1-3, 2R) led off with a single, Shannon McMahon (1-4, R) singled, a couple batters later Audrey Shebloski (3-3, R, 3 RBI) singled which scored Thomspon to make it 4-2, Alexa Henderson (1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B) followed with a double that tied the game at 4-4 and Elle Lindblad (1-3, RBI) with two outs would give the Patriots the lead with a single to make it 5-4.

Christian would add to their lead in the top of the seventh inning as Silent Rain Espinoza (1-4, R) led off with a single, Thompson was hit by a pitch, Steele drove in Espinoza with a one out single to make it 6-4, Shebloski followed with a double that scored both Thomspon and Steele to push the lead to 8-4.

The Vaqueros in the bottom of the seventh tried to make a comeback as Williams would blast a solo homerun to make it 8-5 but that would be the closest they would get.

RAMONA 6, SANTANA 1

Late runs by the Bulldogs doom the Sultans as they avenged a 2-1 loss from last year.

Santana in the bottom of the first inning had an opportunity to put something together with one out as Madison Mendez (2-4, 2B) singled and Mackenzie Bennett was hit by a pitch. However the next two batters would be retired to end the threat and the inning.

Another opportunity presented itself for the Sultans in the bottom of the second as Joey Barkhimer (1-3, 2B) led off with a hard hit double to left field, with one out Marilyn Downing (1-2) singled which advanced Barkhimer to third base. Again that would be all the Sultans would get as the next two batters would be retired.

Santana would again get the lead runner on in the bottom of the fourth as Ashley Madrigal (1-4, 2B) roped a double but she would be stranded at third base.

Ramona who had been held scoreless and held to only two hits heading into the top of the fifth inning would take advantage of a leadoff hit by pitch who eventually came into score to make it 1-0.

The slim lead for the Bulldogs quickly evaporated in the bottom of the fifth inning as Krysten Service (1-3, R, RBI, HR) hammered a ball deep over the left field fence for the solo blast to tie it at 1-1. Santana was back in business and looked for more as Mendez followed with a double, Emma Leggett into run for Mendez, Bennett would reach on an error that advanced Leggett to third base, Mackenzie Sims into run for Bennett. However the Sultans couldn’t capitalize as the next three batters would be retired.

Santana had another opportunity in the bottom of the sixth with two outs as Natalie Sims walked and Service followed with another walk, this brought up Mendez but she would ground out for the third out.

With the score still knotted at 1-1 heading into the top of the seventh the Bulldogs knew they had to do something. Indeed they did as they scattered multiple hits including a two run blast off Mendez to take a 6-1 lead.

The Sultans in the bottom of the seventh inning unfortunately would be retired 1-2-3 to end the contest.

Taking the loss for the Sultans was Mendez who went 7 innings, giving up 6 runs of which 5 were earned on 9 hits while walking 0 and striking out 9.