ROUNDUP: Vaqueros are queens of extra innings

By ECS Staff
Updated: April 3, 2019

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

East County Sports staff report

RAMONA (4-3-2019) – There was a time when El Capitan High simply couldn’t win ballgames that extended into extra innings.

For more than seven seasons, the Vaqueros’ bats simply disappeared when it came to anything called “Inning 8,” “Inning 9,” or any sort of International Tiebreaker.

That was then. This is now.

El Capitan is now the hottest thing there is in regards to “overtime” pressing their unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1) following Tuesday’s (Apr. 2) victory over host Ramona, 8-7 in 11 innings. It was the longest contest (in innings) involving the Vaqueros since dropping the 2010 season opener at Grossmont, 2-1, also in 11 innings.

The school’s last extra-inning loss came early in 2013 when El Cap fell to West Hills at the Cougar Classic. Since then, no one can touch the Vaqueros in extras, including a pair of wins over Helix.

To be fair to the Highlanders, they own victories in the longest and third-longest games in CIF San Diego Section history. In the 1976 CIF semifinals, it took two days to nip Bonita Vista, 1-0 in 29 innings. Four years later, the Scotties edged Mount Miguel, 2-1 in 22 frames.

Ramona (5-7) scored three times in the 6th, then another on a Missy Miller RBI single with no outs in the 7th, but El Capitan was able to strand two runners in scoring position to extend the contest.

Following three scoreless frames, El Capitan broke through.

After an extremely long day at the plate by going 0-for-5, leadoff batter Hailey Mulligan shocked Ramona by lining to center field for a home run. It was her second of the season.

However, El Capitan netted another run, which proved important when Ramona answered with a late run, too.

Fortunately, opposite of Mulligan until her homer, cleanup batter Alexa Williams capped a career outing by also homering to center for her second home run of the contest. She also uncorked a 2-run shot in the 3rd, giving her five for the season and a share of the East County lead.

For the contest, Williams batted 5-for-6 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored while extending her hitting streak to 12 games for the reigning East County Sports softball player of the week.

Williams also pitched all 11 innings to barely collect the victory, aided be her defense after Ramona fought back.

Following a walk and a one-out infield single, Mulligan, the shortstop, stopped a hard grounder by Miler from going to left field, throwing the ball to third baseman Olivia Martinez for the force out.

Although Elle Roberts followed with an RBI single, Williams coaxed a shallow fly ball to Mulligan to end the marathon.

For El Capitan, Allyson VonYokes batted 3-for-5, including a 2-run homer in the 5th to take the Battle for the 67 Freeway.

Ramona saw Miller and shortstop Seneca Curo collect three hits each.

VALHALLA 7, OUR LADY OF PEACE 3: At Leto Field, Norsemen third baseman Bailey Munch placed herself in a “need to perform” situation after her 6th-inning error cost pitchers Maryn Jordan and Delaney Stettler a chance at a combined shutout Tuesday (Apr. 2). And Munch did something about it.

The junior drilled the first pitch she saw for a single to right field to lead off the bottom of the 6th, fueling the impetus for a 4-run rally to lead Valhalla to a decision over the Pilots.

Munch, who usually catches or plays first base, was trying to help the team when asked to go to third base. At least, she did so with her bat, going 2-for-3 and scoring twice.

Her teammates noticed when the next batter, Yanely Gonzalez, laced a ball to right field. Although the ball was booted, Munch took three bases (instead of maybe two) to score and jump-start the inning.

Meanwhile, Jordan recorded two RBI while tossing the first three innings. Stettler pitched the final four frames to register the victory in relief. Both recorded three strikeouts.

For Valhalla (6-12), it was their second triumph over OLP this season. They also defeated the Pilots at the Cougar Classic.

PATRICK HENRY 20, WESTVIEW 4: At Del Sur (eastern Rancho Santa Fe), the road-warrior Patriots walloped the Wolverines in Falcon Fiesta action Tuesday (Apr. 2). Pitcher Hailey “H” Jenks was staked to a 9-0 lead before entering the circle for the bottom of the 1st inning. She struck out eight batters and was backed by 23 total hits by the Pats to send everyone home early.

Leadoff batter Kaiah Altmeyer was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, driving in five runs. The freshman opened the ballgame with a bunt single, stole second base, then scored on a Jessica DeWitt single… and the romp was on.

Patrick Henry (8-2) tried to be merciful against the winless Wolverines (0-10), but there’s only so much you can do as the youngsters produced.

Maya Dickerson, another frosh, posted three RBI, while sophomore Dezianna Patmon, frosh Malia Savage and Jenks, a junior, added two RBI each.

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 17, MARANATHA 1: Maranatha Christian jumped to a quick 1-0 after a half-inning. Big mistake!

The Knights countered with 12 runs in the 1st, going on to tally 17 unanswered runs in racing to a run-rule decision in Pacific League action.

The visiting Eagles had been the unbeaten league leader entering Tuesday (Apr. 2), but fell into a tie for second with the Knights at 2-1, both resting a half-game behind the new front-0runner, Tri-=City Christian (3-1).

Foothills Christian (3-2 overall) collected six hits, including three by Carly Robbins and a pair from Kaylee Guler which included a triple, yet took full advantage of 13 walks, four errors and a pair of hit batters.

MORSE 11, LIBERTY CHARTER 1: At Skyline District, the host Tigers went “2-4-6-8…” by scoring twice over the first four innings to lambaste the Lions.

Liberty Charter (3-6) gained its lone run in the 4th on consecutive walks to Katie Peet and Lauren Tarpy, then a sacrifice fly to center field by Adriana Rodriguez. Morse (6-4) maintains a long tradition of not supplying a roster. But so you know, the Tigers No. 16, who bats third, collected four RBI.

GOMPERS PREP 14, EL CAJON VALLEY at 2: At El Cerrito, the host Trojans (3-7) closed with 14 unanswered run by scoring in all four of their team at-bats to run-rule the Braves (0-7) — who scored twice in the 1st — in Tuesday’s (Apr. 2) non-league affair. No other game details.

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