Cougars win wild contest In extras

By Adam Paul
Updated: June 3, 2021

Cougars mob Breanna Lakin after she scores the winning run on Wedensday.

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SPRING VALLEY – Chaos ensued in extra innings as the Steele Canyon Cougars (15-10, 7-2 GHL) took advantage of a Valhalla (12-12, 4-6 GHL) mishap to claim a walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth inning to make Senior Day a memorable one on Wednesday (June 2) in Grossmont Hills League action.

Early on Steele Canyon would threaten in the bottom of the first inning when both Jazmin Williams (1-3) and Janea Wilson walked and Tayler Thomas (2-2, RBI) singled. However, McKayla Fish who started for the Norsemen was able to get out of the jam as she retired the next three batters to end the inning.

The Cougars would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Thomas singled in Isabella Smith.

Steele Canyon seniors on Senior Day. / SCHS Softball

They would eventually take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning which started when Marley Rimoldi (RUN) with one out walked, Mariah Mata (1-4, R) singled and a couple of batters later with two outs Breanna Lakin (1-3, R) hit a ball to second base that was misplayed allowing both Rimoldi and Mata to score.

Steele Canyon was chugging along but in the top of the sixth inning, trouble started when Andrea Gonzalez (1-3, R, 2B) led off with a double for the Norsemen, she would eventually come around to score when Fish laced a base hit to center-field to make it 3-1.

Courtesy runner Bella Moscoso (RUN) would advance to second base when Abby Johnston (1-4, R) singled and would advance to third on the throw which also allowed Johnston to move up to second base.

With runners on second and third and only one out the Norsemen needed something and they would get it when a wild pitch occurred and Moscoso raced home for the score. The next batter Cadyn Ruffer would hit a ball to short in which Johnston who was at third base was running home and she would beat the throw to tie the game at 3-3. Still only one out and Ruffer at first, she would take off and successfully steal second base.

Still only one out and Aubrielle McKee at-bat with Ruffer at second base in scoring position. McKee would take the offering and lace a line drive to right field where Rimoldi would field it and throw a perfect throw to the plate where Allyson Haessly caught and was able to tag out Ruffer who was racing around third and trying to score for the second out of the inning.

The gun out throw by Rimoldi was on the mark and Haessly who had the ball was able to withstand the hard running by Ruffer.

Neither team could put together anything in the seventh inning so it was extra innings and again nothing in the eighth inning for both teams.

Valhalla would have a golden opportunity in the top of the ninth inning when Ruffer led off by reaching on an error, a couple of batters later she would advance to third base on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs Marissa Lupo came to bat but Emma Shellstrom was able to strike her out to end the inning.

Having dodged another bullet the Cougars started off the bottom of the ninth inning with Lakin hitting what looked to be an easy grounder to second base instead was misplayed allowing her to reach safely, she would advance to second on the error.

With Lakin at second base and no outs, the next batter Kamea Seunanne would lay down a perfect bunt for the base hit to advance Lakin to third base, and with no one covering second base Seaunanned would take off for second which would result in an error by Valhalla which allowed Lakin to race home and score the game-winning run.

For the Norsemen, Fish took the hard-luck loss going the distance in which she allowed four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out eleven.

Shellstrom for the Cougars tossed all nine innings in which she allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four on the day.

Grossmont 9, West Hills 7 – Grossmont (8-15, 4-5 GHL) scored five runs early on and would go onto hold off a furious comeback by West Hills (4-11, 0-9 GHL) to win on Wednesday afternoon in Grossmont Hills League action.

An RBI single by Alyssa Bolden would bring home Kimmy Bond (3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB) to give the Foothillers a 1-0 lead, the next batter Caitlyn Potts (1-3, R, RBI, 2B) would draw a walk to bring home Katelynn Parent (1-5, R, RBI) which was followed by Jade Daley (RUN) scoring on a passed ball to make it 3-0.

Grossmont would add another pair of runs in the top of the second inning when Natalie Emery (R, SB) successfully stole home and Parent would drive in Bond to give them a 5-0 lead.

However, West Hills in the bottom of the fourth inning the Wolf Pack were able to push across three runs to pull within 5-3.

The first run of the inning came when Lily Youngdale (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR) reached on an error that allowed Ta’Lour Graham (2 R) to score, the next batter Breanna Bentley drove in Naomi Kai (1-4, R) and Marina Morales (RBI) would knock in Youngdale via a sacrifice fly.

But the Foothillers would answer back with two outs in the top of the fifth inning when Lauren Becker (1-3, 2B, RBI) doubled in Bolden to make it 6-3.

Once again the Wolf Pack answered as Alyssa Thornton (2-4, R) would drive in Sabrina Brown (1-4, R, SB) on a ground ball out to make it 6-4.

West Hills would pull within 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Amaya Angeli (2-3, RBI, 2B) laced a double to center field allowing Bentley to come around and score.

However, the momentum would be short-lived as Grossmont thanks to an RBI single by Alexis Fleischer (1-3, RBI) that plated Alyssa Bolden (4-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B), an RBI single by Sunny Miller (2-4, RBI) to score Potts and a single by Bond that brought home Alison Murphy (RUN) the Foothillers would lead 9-5.

Things would get interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning when with one out Thornton singled to left field, Graham came into run, a couple of batters later with two outs Youngdale would blast a two-run homer over the right-field fence to pull within 9-7. Unfortunately, that would be the closest the Pack would get as Potts who came into the game would retire the next batters to end the game.