GHL leading El Cap rallies past Helix

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 27, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

LAKESIDE – Six runs over the fifth and sixth innings were more than enough for the El Capitan Vaqueros to beat the Helix Highlanders, 7-2 in Wednesday’s (Apr.26) Grossmont Hills League action.

El Capitan (19-3 overall, 4-0 GHL) would get on the board first in the bottom of the third inning, when Aubrey Thorne laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Addison Leone to plate, bringing the score to 1-0.

A couple of innings later, in the fifth, the Vaqueros would stretch the small lead into a bigger one, thanks to three more runs, making it 4-0.

RBI singles by Dominique Garcia, Kylee Frazier, and Ciara Bernardini would do the damage.

However, Helix (10-10-2, 1-3 GHL) would mount a two-out rally in the top of the sixth inning, starting with a base hit by LaNiah Broom. She would advance to third on a double by Lauren Farace, with both scoring on a two-run single to center by Kamilah Jones to make it 4-2.

But the small rally by Helix would be short-lived as the Vaqueros went back to business in the bottom half of the inning.

Garcia again, this time with two outs, would drive in Alanna Christiaens. A couple of batters later, freshman Quinnley Morehouse doubled to left field, scoring both Alyssa Fierro and Reese Danzack.

Shelby Vars started for the Vaqueros, going five and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out one. Makenna Burton came in and tossed an inning and one-third in relief, giving up one hit while striking out one.

Katelyn Woodland took the loss for the Highlanders as she gave up four runs on eight hits over four and one-third innings, striking out two. Bloom would toss one and two-thirds innings in relief, giving up three runs on five hits.

Frazier was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, while Garcia, Christiaens, and Bernardini each had a pair of hits for the Vaqueros.

With the win, El Capitan has now won four in a row and remains unbeaten in Grossmont Hills League play.

Santana 8, Steele Canyon 4

JAMUL – A big six-run outburst in the second inning by the Santana Sultans proved to be the difference in holding off a late Steele Canyon rally to claim a 6-2 victory on (Apr.26) in Grossmont Hills League play.

Early on, things were looking up for Steele Canyon (12-8 overall, 1-3 GHL) as Jazmin Williams doubled with one out in the bottom of the first inning.

However, Aurelia Dawson, who would walk another Cougar player, would get out of the inning with Isabella Azevedo’s pop-out to end the threat.

Santana (14-3-1, 2-1 GHL) and their bats would strike in the second inning starting with a two-run double by Kaitlyn Ruckle, scoring both Anabella Heguy and McKenna Miller to make it 2-0. The next batter, Kaitlyn Ours, followed with a hard-hit ball to short that would be misplayed, allowing Ruckle to score, making it 3-0. A couple of batters later, Taylinn Warren doubled in both Ours and Vanessa Ryan and would later score on a passed ball to finish the scoring for the inning.

Another threat by the Cougars would occur in the bottom of the third inning with one out, as Ily Barclay singled, followed by Williams’ singling and Marina Gonzalez being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Unfortunately, all would be stranded as Dawson struck out the next batter and retired the following batter to end the inning.

However, in her first hit of the season, Gonzalez would belt a two-run blast to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring Williams to make it 6-2.

The Sultans would answer with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning, thanks to Emma Schneider, who doubled in Warren and later scored on an error by the Cougars to make it 8-2.

Not going down without a fight, the Cougars would scratch across a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, thanks to Azevedo, who doubled in both Barclay and Williams to cut the Sultans lead in half, 8-4. However, that would be as close as they would get, since the next batter would be retired to end the game.

Dawson picked up the win for the Sultans, going six innings allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out four.

Emma Shellstrom took the loss for the Cougars, going all seven innings and allowing eight runs on 12 hits.

With this win, Santana snapped a two-game losing streak.

Valhalla 6, Grossmont 5

EL CAJON – Two runs over the sixth and seventh innings would propel Valhalla to rally past Grossmont, 6-5. The Norsemen erased a five-run deficit to claim the thrilling victory in Wednesday’s (Apr.26) Grossmont Valley League contest.

After both teams matched each other early on, Grossmont (6-12 overall, 3-2 GVL) would get their bats going in the bottom of the second inning starting with a lead-off double by Katelynne Parent. Ashley Beard reached first on an error, and Iryana Oliver drove in Parent as she singled to center field.

The next batter, Jenna Ennis, would single to right field, scoring Beard to make it 2-0.

But it was Eliana Vasquez who dealt the big blow: a three-run homer over the center-field fence for her first of the year, extending the lead to 5-0.

Valhalla (10-9-1, 4-1 GVL), though, would start to slowly chip at the deficit in the top of the third inning. First, Aubrielle Mckee led off by doubling to left field; she was one of two batters who would come in to score on a passed ball. After Devyn Mack singled, advancing Cadyn Ruffer to third base, the next batter, Mckayla Fish, came through with a single to left that scored Ruffer to make it 5-2.

They would cut into the deficit more, thanks to an error by the Foothillers in the top of the fourth inning that allowed Avery Voth to plate. Mckee followed by scoring on a base hit by Liliana Alvarado to propel the Norsemen to 5-4.

Moving to the top of the sixth inning, the Norsemen would again get going offensively as Naomi Villalva led off by singling to left. Liliana Moscoso then came in to run, and she would advance to second on a ball hit to left by Voth that was misplayed. Both runners would advance to second and third on the ground ball out by Taylor Mack.

Now with runners on second and third and only one out, Mckee came to the plate and hit a groundball out which scored Moscoso to tie the game at 5-5.

Valhalla would take their first lead of the game in the top of the seventh, when Cadyn Ruffer took a 2-0 count and belted it over the center field fence. With what would be her fourth home run of the season, Ruffer gave the Norsemen a 6-5 lead.

Now trailing and down to their final outs, the Foothillers needed something. They almost had it as Nakhia Lee led off by reaching on an error; she would advance to second on a bunt by Carleigh Wenck for the first out, but the ball was misplayed after the out, allowing Lee to advance to third base. Now with only one out the Hillers were in business as Jade Daley came to the plate. Unfortunately, she would pop up for the second out. This was followed by an intentional walk to Parent, which was capped by Beard’s lining out to end the game.

Villalva picked up the win for the Norsemen as she tossed seven innings, allowing five runs on six hits, while striking out four.

Vasquez took the loss for the Foothillers as she allowed six runs on eight hits over seven innings, while striking out two.

Scoreboard

Grossmont Hills League
El Capitan 7, Helix 2
Santana 8, at Steele Canyon 4
Grossmont Valley League
Valhalla 6, at Grossmont 5
Mount Miguel 13, at Monte Vista 2
West Hills at ECVHS