CIF SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS: El Capitan, Santana stave off elimination

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 20, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

CIF San Diego Section Open Division Playoffs Third Round

#3 El Capitan 5, #6 Torrey Pines 2

LAKESIDE – A late clutch hit by Alanna Christiaens proved to be the game-winning run to break a 2-2 tie that sparked the El Capitan Vaqueros to victory over the Torrey Pines Falcons in an elimination game on Saturday (May 20).

Christiaens not only would spark the Vaqueros offense with her key hit in the bottom of the fifth inning, but she would get things going early on with a two-out two-run bomb to right field to give them an early 2-0 lead.

Trailing now, the Torey Pines Falcons would take advantage of their opportunities in the top of the fourth as Mina Crouch drove in both Kelly Whelihan and Kylee Farber to tie the game at 2-2.

Key hitting by Christiaens in the bottom of the fifth inning put the Vaqueros up 3-2, which was followed by Aubrey Thorne taking a 2-2 count pitch and slicing it through for a base hit to right field that allowed both Addison Leone and Ava Gall to plate, giving the Vaqueros a 5-2 lead.

Despite a leadoff double by Riley Cullivan in the top of the seventh inning, the Falcons wouldn’t threaten any other time as Burton completely shut them down the rest of the way to finish things out.

Georgia Bilski, who started for the Falcons, would take the loss, as she allowed five runs on seven hits over six innings of work, while striking out four.

Burton, who took the loss in the previous encounter against the Falcons, this time around got the win, as she limited them to two runs on three hits over seven innings, while striking out two.

Torrey Pines with the loss is officially eliminated from the playoffs and finishes their season 20-9 overall.

El Capitan, who avenges a 3-1 first-round loss to the Falcons, moves their overall record to 25-4, and will advance to the semi-finals against #2 Rancho Bernardo on Tuesday (May 23), scheduled for a 3:30 PM start time.

The Vaqueros will have to beat Rancho Bernardo twice, with the second game on Wednesday (May 24), also slated for a 3:30 PM start time, if they are to get back to the CIF Championship game, where they last appeared in 2018.

CIF San Diego Section Division II Playoffs Third Round

#1 Santana 4, #4 Clairemont 1

SANTEE – A pair of early runs and late runs along with pitching spur the Santana Sultans to victory as they eliminate the Clairemont Chieftains from the playoffs on Saturday (May 20).

Santana would take advantage of Clairemont in the bottom of the second inning, when Vanessa Ryan hit a ball that was thrown away by the pitcher, allowing Kaitlyn Ruckle to plate and Ryan and McKenna Miller to advance to second and third respectively. Another mistake by the Chieftains with a passed ball led to Miller’s racing home to give them a 2-0 lead.

Moving to the fifth inning and still leading 2-0, the Sultans again would strike, starting with Kaitlyn Ours leading off with a base hit to center field. She would be replaced by Kylee Aziz as a courtesy runner. Later in the inning, with two outs, Emma Schneider would levy the big blow as she belted a two-run blast to left field for her seventh of the season to give them a 4-0 lead.

Clairemont would score their lone run in the top of the sixth inning, and that would be all they would get as Gracie Johnston shut them down.

Johnston in the circle went the distance for the seven-inning complete-game victory, as she fanned five while allowing one run on two hits.

The other notable moment in the game came in the bottom of the third inning when Santana senior Taylinn Warren, with one out, lasered a ball to left field for what would end up as a triple. The significance of that triple is that was her 100th career hit. Warren is the latest player from East County to join the century mark club for career hits. This year both Ava Gall of El Capitan and Sofia Mujica joined the club.

When it comes to Santana Sultans softball history and the century mark for career hits, Warren is the eighth Sultan to accomplish the feat, with the last to do so being Madison Mendez who played from 2016-19.

Others on the list are Sydney Vates who finished with 120 hits from 2013-16, Amber Schisler with 153 from 2010-13, Mackenzie Bennett with 175 from 2015-18, Amanda Grable with 177 from 2008-11 and Kayti Grable who is the all-time leader with 191 from 2010-13.

Clairemont with the loss is officially eliminated and finishes the season 17-10 overall.

Santana, the top seed, will now advance to the semi-finals where they will host #8 Westview, who beat Clairemont 6-2. The semi-finals game will take place on Tuesday (May 23) slated for a 3:30 PM game time. If the Sultans win they will host and play the second game on Wednesday (May 24), also slated for a 3:30 PM start time.

The Sultans will have to beat Westview twice if they want to make it back to the CIF Championship game, where they last appeared in 2017 and won against Steele Canyon 7-4 to claim the Division II CIF Championship under then-head coach John Failla.

The Sultans with the victory improve to 19-8-1 overall.

CIF San Diego Section Division I Playoffs Third Round

#5 Cathedral Catholic 9, #4 Steele Canyon 1

SPRING VALLEY – The hitting duo of Sereniti Trice and Tyler Price were the big catalysts on offense, as they combined for eight hits to help the Cathedral Catholic Dons to victory on Saturday (May 20), eliminating the Steele Canyon Cougars and avenging an earlier loss in the first round of the double-elimination portion.

Price singled in the first, third, sixth, and seventh innings for the Dons.

Cathedral Catholic would put the game away in the sixth inning, thanks to plating five runs. Trice, Mallory Axline, Kayla Walton, and Ava Torre all drove in runs in the inning.

Steele Canyon would score their lone run of the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning with one out, as senior Jazmin Williams belted a solo shot deep to right field for her eleventh of the season.

Emma Shellstrom drew the start for the Cougars and would take the loss, as she allowed nine runs on fourteen hits over seven innings, while striking out four.

Sophia Clark of the Dons garnered the win, as she struck out seven over seven innings in which she allowed one run on six hits.

Kamea Seunarine, Isabella Azevedo, and Kayala Hopkins each had hits in the game, while Hailey Trujillo went 2-for-3 on the day.

The loss by Steele Canyon officially eliminates them from the playoffs and they finish their season 17-13.

Meanwhile, the Cathedral Catholic Dons improve to 21-9-1 and will advance to the semi-finals where they will take on top-seeded Otay Ranch on Tuesday (May 23) for a scheduled 3:30 PM start time.

CIF San Diego Section Division III Playoffs Third Round

#2 Mira Mesa 10, #3 West Hills 3

MIRA MESA – Despite leading early on, the West Hills Wolf Pack couldn’t overcome a four-run second inning by the Mira Mesa Marauders, who used that to propel themselves to the convincing elimination game victory on Saturday (May 20).

West Hills got going in the first inning, as Katy Spargo, who was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate would, with two outs, lace a base hit to left field. Faith Balistreri followed, lining a double to center field, allowing the speedy Spargo to come all the way around from first base and score to make it 1-0. The next batter, Ava Goodman, hit a ball to center field that was misplayed, which allowed Balistreri to come in to score from second base, giving them a 2-0 lead.

After Mira Mesa scored a run in the bottom half of the first inning and four runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead, the Wolf Pack would score what would end up being the only other run of the game in the third inning.

Maddie Aylesbury, with one out would knock in Kristina Deal on a fly ball deep enough for the tag up to make it 5-2.

Unfortunately, that would be the closest the Pack would get as the Marauders would stymie the offense of the Pack the rest of the way.

Goodman, who dew the start for the Pack, took the loss, allowing ten runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out nine.

Destiny Garcia would get the win for Mira Mesa, as she allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings, while striking out one.

The loss by the Pack officially eliminates them from the playoffs and they finish their season 18-9-1.

Meanwhile, the win by Mira Mesa improves their overall record to 17-11 and they advance to the semi-finals on Tuesday (May 23) where they will host and take on #6 Christian for the fourth time this season. Mira Mesa holds a 2-1 advantage, with the Patriots’ win coming last Friday in the second round by a score of 4-1.

Mira Mesa will have to beat Christian twice if they are to advance to the CIF Championship game, while Christian will only have to win once if they are to advance to the championship game for the first time since 2017, when they beat High Tech SD.