Day For The Ages By Both Mujica, Spargo

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 25, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

GRANITE HILLS 14, HELIX 3 (5 inn.) – When one hears the name Granite Hills softball one of the first players that comes to mind is senior catcher and UCLA bound Sofia Mujica whose prep career has etched her name in greatness with many of the greats to ever play in not only East County but San Diego as a whole.

But on this day it wasn’t big sister Sofia while yes had a great day of her own at the plate her younger sister Alexis Mujica who is only a freshman provided the power punch.

Alexis Mujica (3-4, 3 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI) against the Helix Highlanders put on a show and showed why the future is very bright at Granite Hills and in the process etched her name in the CIF San Diego Section record book like her older sister.

Granite Hills went to work early as they would push across eight runs all with two outs in the top of the first inning. Mia Downes (2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B) singled, scoring a run, Mujica belted her first career high school varsity home run to left field to bring in three more runs which was followed by Kaleigh Baugher (1-3, R, RBI, HR) hitting a solo shot to deep over the center field fence, Sofia Mujica (4-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B) singled in another run and an error by the Highlanders led to two other runs.

The Eagles would go on to push across four more runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 12-1. Downes doubled in a run, Peyton Wells (1-3, R, RBI, 2B) doubled in a run, and Mujica blasted her second home run to left field, scoring two runs.

Mujica would give her best impression of former major leaguer and hall of famer Mr. October himself Reggie Jackson in the top of the fifth as she went yard for her third dinger of the game to bring home two more runs.

For those too young or not familiar with Reggie Jackson and the reason why he is nick-named Mr. October. He earned the nickname when he was with the New York Yankees in 1977 when he hit three home runs in three consecutive at-bats in game 6 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch the World Series Championship.

Wells who started for the Eagles picked up the win as she went two innings in which she allowed a run on zero hits while walking three and striking out two, Baugher came in and tossed two innings of relief in which she allowed no runs on one hit and struck out four, Ashley Yeargain came in and finished off with an inning in which she allowed two runs on three hits.

On the other side for Helix, Katelyn Woodland would take the loss as she allowed 14 runs on 14 hits over four and two-thirds innings in which she walked three and struck out three.

Ta’Tianna Wright, Lauren Farace, Naomi Parra, and Tatiana Hernandez-Valverde each collected hits for the Highlanders. Wright, Woodland, and Hernandez-Valverde each drove in a run.

The win by the Eagles moved their overall record to 10-8 and 5-1 in Grossmont Hills League and with the loss by Steele Canyon a tie for first place. Helix with the loss sees their record fall to 8-11 overall and 2-4 in league, and a tie for third with El Capitan.

GAME NOTES – The seven runs batted in by Alexis Mujica put her in a tie for sixth in section history. She is also tied for fifth in East County history with Anjie Bryant of El Capitan who accomplished the feat back in 1987. Ahead of them are Jenny Ray of Christian who drove in 12, Ashleigh Hartwig of West Hills who drove in 10, Lorena Klopp of Steele Canyon who drove in 9 and the latest Katy Spargo of West Hills who drove in 8 today vs Monte Vista. In Grossmont Conference history Mujica sits tied for fourth with Bryant. Only Spargo, Klopp, and Hartwig are ahead.

The three home runs hit in a game by Mujica tie her with fifteen others for the most ever in a game and puts her as the fifth ever to accomplish the feat in Grossmont Conference history. The others to hit three home runs in a game previously were Ashleigh Hartwig of West Hills, Sam Beasley of Steele Canyon, Jessie Owens of Santana, and Sarah Nicks of Grossmont.

The four home runs hit by Granite Hills also puts them in the CIF Record book.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

WEST HILLS 16, MONTE VISTA 0 (5 inn.) – West Hills sophomore Katy Spargo with her bat helped cap a monster day for the Pack as they easily defeated the Monte Vista Monarchs on Thursday afternoon.

West Hills on Thursday pounded out 21 hits and rolled four innings of three runs scored in them to go along with their four-run fourth inning.

They would start their fireworks in the top of the first inning when Faith Balestreri tripled to right field scoring both Kristina Deal and Spargo. Later with two outs, Abby Farmer singled in Balestreri to make it 3-0.

More of the same in the top of the second inning as Spargo drove in both Amaya Angeli and Maddie Aylesbury and Ava Goodman singled in Spargo to extend the lead to 6-0.

Leading 6-0 the Pack added more in the third when Deal belted a two-run home run to left field and Spargo again drove in another run to put the score at 9-0.

West Hills in the top of the fourth inning would add four more runs to push the lead to 13-0.

Aylesbury drove in Kiera Allen, and Spargo doubled in a run to round things out.

The Pack would finish out their day in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Deal who drove in a run, and Spargo with two outs doubled in a pair of runs.

Aylesbury who came into the game in relief would toss four innings in which she no runs on three hits while walking one and striking out eight. Goodman who started went one inning in which she allowed no runs and no runs while striking out two.

West Hills moves to 13-8-1 overall and 5-0 in Grossmont Valley League play while Monte Vista falls to 3-15 overall and 1-4 in league play.

GAME NOTES: Katy Spargo and her eight RBIs put her tied for fifth in CIF San Diego Section history. As far as East County history she is fourth behind Lorena Klopp of Steele Canyon who drove in 9, Ashleigh Hartwig of West Hills who drove in 10, and Jenna Ray of Christian who drove in 12. As for Grossmont Conference history, she is in third behind Klopp and Hartwig.

Spargos’ eight runs batted in are second in school history only behind Ashleigh Hartwig who drove in 10 runs against Montgomery back in 2018.

As for team records the Pack with their 21 hits in the game enter into the record books for CIF.