Cougars hold off Pack; Norsemen roll

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 7, 2021

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

Spring Valley – An early lead built up by the Steele Canyon Cougars (10-7, 2-0 GHL) almost crumbles due to a late rally by West Hills (3-4, 0-2 GHL) that would come up short as the Cougars held onto win 10-7 on Friday (May 7).

Steele Canyon would score first on a fielder’s choice that scored Tayler Thomas, a couple of batters later Kamea Seunanne drove in Iryana Oliver, an error by West Hills would lead to both Jazmin Williams and Janea Wilson scoring to make it 4-0. They would tack on another pair of runs including an RBI single by Marley Rimoldi.

Another run for the Cougars in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a base hit by Williams that scored Oliver would extend their lead to 7-0.

The Wolf Pack would finally get on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Alyssa Thornton scored on an error making it 7-1.

Leading 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning the Cougars added another run when Rimoldi drove in Davina Moya to make it 8-1.

However, the Wolf Pack and their bats were not going to go down easy as Amaya Angeli in the top of the sixth inning roped a two-run triple scoring both Brynn Snyder and Emily Byrd to make it 8-3. The next batter Shannon Kim hit a ground ball that brought Angeli home to make it 8-4 and later Naomi Kai drove in Callia Rooks and Maddie Edwards followed with a hit to score Shannon Brown to pull the Pack within 8-7.

But an RBI double by Williams scoring Thomas in the bottom of the inning made it 9-7 and later Williams would score on a successful attempted steal of home to make it 10-7.

Emma Shellstrom went out for the top of the seventh inning and retired the Wolf Pack in order to preserve the victory.

Valhalla 7, Granite Hills 1 – Valhalla (8-6, 1-0 GHL) was able to a pair of runs in three of the seven innings on Friday and come away with the victory.

McKayla Fish of Valhalla would give them a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when she drove in Abby Johnston.

Granite Hills (4-12-1, 0-2 GHL) would tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning when Paige Baird doubled in Breanna Diaz. ‘

However, that momentum would be taken away when once again Fish struck again with a two-run double scoring both Maryn Jordan and Naomi Villalva to make it 3-1.

An RBI single by Cadyn Ruffer and a ground ball out by Emily Van Der Zalm would give the Norsemen a 5-1 lead. Later in the bottom of the sixth inning Jordan again would strike with an RBI single to score Aubrey Baker and Fish would hit into a fielder’s choice scoring Johnston.

On the day the Eagles Sofia Mujica who had come into the game having hit home runs in six consecutive games would be held homerless she would have a pair of hits on the day.

Santana 18, Monte Vista 7 – A day after scoring 21 runs, the Santana Sultans stayed hot with another big run outburst on Friday afternoon.

Isabella Cyman picked up right where she left off from the other day when she set a new school record for most runs driven in a game. Her RBI double bringing in Haley Phillips made it 1-0. The next batter Kylee Ruiz followed with a base hit that brought in Cyman to make it 2-0.

Monte Vista in the bottom of the first inning would take tie the game when a ground ball hit by Raimey that was misplayed by Santana would score two runs to make it 2-2.

But the Sultans would retake the lead in the top of the second inning when Sammi Sullivan drove in Hailey Oceguera to make it 3-2 after Phillips singled up stepped Cyman who hit a ball to right field that was misplayed allowing both Phillips and Sullivan to score giving them a 5-2 lead. Another error by the Monarchs would score Cyman to make it 6-2.

Lainie Brown had an RBI double in the top of the third inning and both Sullivan and Brown would score on errors. ‘

Santana in the top of the fourth inning would score three more runs including a two-run triple by Madison Jordan and a single by Kaitlyn Ours to make it 12-2.

The Monarchs mounted a mini-comeback as they were able to score four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within 12-6.

Jordan of the Sultans would drive in three runs on the day including her two-run triple, Cyman had a pair of hits and drove in a run and scored a pair of runs.

The Sultans on the day pounded out 20 hits in their victory and have scored 39 runs over their last two ballgames.