Eagles, Sultans, Vaqs win big games

By Adam Paul
Updated: March 15, 2022

2022 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

EL CAJON (3-15-22) – An Early lead for the Granite Hills Eagles would help procure the 9-6 victory over the visiting Mission Hills Grizzlies in non-league action on Tuesday afternoon.

The Grizzlies who came into the contest ranked number five according to the computer rankings had won two in a row and early on would lead 2-0 in the top of the first inning.

However, the Eagles would answer right back thanks to an RBI single by Audrey Smale (1-3, 2R, RBI) that brought in Sofia Mujica (1-2, R) and later Kailey Sandoval (RUN) would score on a sacrifice fly by Breanna Diaz (2-4, 4 RBI, 2B) to tie the game up at 2-2.

Granite Hills wasn’t done in the inning as Taylor Rose (2-3, R, 2 RBI) drove in Smale and Chloe Knepp (1-3, 3 R) would score on an error to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead. They would add another run courtesy of a base hit by Jenna Haynal.

Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning the Eagles would extend their lead when Rose drove in Knepp to make it 6-3 and in the bottom of the sixth inning, Diaz would smash a bases-clearing double that plated Makenna Hines (RUN), Smale and Knepp which made it 9-3.

However, things would get interesting when in the top of the seventh inning the Grizzlies would put a scare and score six runs to pull within 9-6 before Knepp finished things off to end the contest.

Knepp garnered the win as she went all seven innings, allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out five on the day.

The win improves the Eagle’s record to 6-4-1 and will surely bump them up in rankings.

Santana 8, Olympian 6 (9 inn.)

With the score all knotted at 6-6 in the top of the ninth inning, the visiting Santana Sultans would take advantage of an Olympian error to push across what would be the go-ahead for good run and come away with the hard-fought victory on Tuesday afternoon.

McKenna Miller (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB) would start things off for the Sultans in the top of the second inning when plated both Haley Oceguera (1-3, R) and Hailey Phillips (1-3, R, SB) with a double to center field to make it 2-0, they would add another run when Taylinn Warren followed with an RBI single to center field to extend the lead to 3-0.

Santana would push their lead even further in the top of the third inning when Kassidy Harper (2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR) hit a two-run home run over the center-field fence that also scored Madison Jordan (2R) to make it 5-0.

The Eagles would finally get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff home run to make it 5-1. Another home run this time in the bottom of the fifth and of the two-run variety by Katie Steinmetz pull them within 5-3.

Olympian would eventually tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out base hit. ‘

Santana would retake the lead in the top of the eighth inning when Kaitlyn Ours drove in Jordan Beatty to make it 6-5. Unfortunately, the Eagles would answer with a run in the bottom of the inning to once again tie the game.

The two runs for the Sultans in the top of the ninth inning were set up by a ball hit by Samantha Sullivan that was misplayed, she would come into score when Jordan followed with another ball hit that was misplayed by Olympian. With Jordan on third base, the next batter Harper would drive her in on a base hit to left field.

El Capitan 7, EC-Southwest 2

On Tuesday afternoon the El Capitan Vaqueros took the long drive out to the valley and behind a strong pitching performance and eleven hits would come away with the road victory.

The Vaqueros started things off with a bang as Ava Gall (2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR) belted a first-inning two-out two-run jack over the center-field fence to give them a 2-0 lead. Coming into score on the blast was Hailey Mulligan (R, SB) who drew a walk.

Unfortunately, an inning later in the bottom of the second the Eagles behind a solo shot and a ground ball out would even the game at 2-2.

But the momentum would be taken right back by the Vaqueros as Gall led off the top of the third inning with a base hit followed by a walk by Brooke Horn (2-3, 2B) who would be replaced by Reese Danczak (RUN) as a courtesy runner. Now with runners on first and second and no outs, Jojo Christiaens (2-4, R, 3 RBI, HR) came to the plated and proceeded to blast a three-run shot over the center-field fence to retake the lead 5-2 and give the Vaqueros renewed momentum.

The Vaqueros would score two more runs in the contest. An RBI single by Alyssa Fierro (3-4, R, RBI) plated Aubrey Thorne (R, 2 SB) in the top of the fifth, and in the seventh inning, Dom Garcia would hit a ball that was misplayed that allowed Fierro to score all the way from first base to make it 7-2.

Horn came out for the bottom of the seventh inning and set the Eagles down in order to end the game.

On the day, Horn went all seven innings to get the complete-game victory in which she allowed two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out seven.

The win now improves the Vaqueros record to 6-4 on the season.

Scoreboard
ECVHS 21, Ocean View Christian 7 (ECV: 4thstraight game withdouble-digit scoring)
El Capitan 7, at EC-Southwest 2
Christian 12, Mira Mesa 11
Granite Hills 9, Mission Hills 6
Mount Miguel 9, Gen. Kearny 4
Santana 8, Olympian 6 ( inn.)
Rancho Bernardo 9, Patrick Henry 1
Madison 23, Liberty Charter 13