Cougars Pull It Out in Extra Innings

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 2, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SPRING VALLEY – In quite the nail biter the Steele Canyon Cougars would prevail 6-5 in eight innings over the Santana Sultans thanks to Lauren Becker (1-4, RBI) who drove in the game-winning walk-off run with a base hit to right field scoring Kayala Hopkins (1-5, 2 R, 2B) on Thursday afternoon.

Steele Canyon would start the scoring first with a run in the bottom of the third inning courtesy of Bailey Evans (1-4, RBI) who roped a two-out single to bring home Hailey Trujillo (3-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B) who doubled a couple batter earlier to give them a 1-0 lead.

The Cougars would add a couple of more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to Marina Gonzalez (3-4, RBI) who drove in Riley Diffenbaugh (RUN) and a walk by Trujillo that allowed Hopkins to come home for the run and a 3-0 lead.

Santana though would get going in the top of the fifth inning when Bella Zuckerman (3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B) singled in Delaney Smith (1-4, R, 2B) who led off the inning with a double to left field. The next batter Anabella Heguy (1-3, RBI) followed with another double to left field allowing Zuckerman to race around and score to make it 3-2.

A couple of innings later the Cougars would add a couple more runs to give them what they thought would be insurance runs.

Danika Lakin (1-3, R, RBI, 3B) with two outs laced a ball to left field that rattled a bit, and in the process, Trujillo came into score and Lakin ended up at third base for a triple, she would come home when Santana unleashed a wild pitch which gave them a 5-2 lead.

But the Sultans who were down to their last at-bats wouldn’t go down without a fight as they again came alive offensively and would rally with three runs.

Santana after a lead double by Zuckerman and a one-out error would pounce thanks to McKenna Miller (1-4, R, RBI) who singled to center to bring home Zuckerman to make it 5-3. A couple of batters later with two outs after Lily Sowinski (RUN) advanced to third on a wild pitch Emma Schneider would drive in Sowinski and Miller came in after an error by the second baseman which knotted the score all even 5-5.

Evans who came into the contest in relief would garner the win as she pitched one inning in which she allowed no runs on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Gonzalez who started for the Cougars would get the no-decision despite going seven innings in which she allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out two.

Ashlyn Darrow who started for the Sultans would get the no-decision as she allowed three runs on seven hits over three and one-third innings in which she walked two and struck out three. Aurelia Dawson came in and went one and two-third innings of relief in which she allowed one hit while walking one and striking out three and Zuckerman who came in and tossed two innings of relief would take the loss as she allowed three runs on four hits over two innings in which she struck out one.

Steele Canyon with the win improves to 15-6-1 overall and remains in second place with a record of 6-2 in league while Santana falls to 9-14 overall and 2-6 in league play.

VALHALLA 10, HELIX 6

Despite committing four errors the Valhalla Norsemen tallied thirteen hits and came away with the road victory on Thursday afternoon over the Helix Highlanders.

Valhalla would jump out early in the second inning as they would push across five runs to lead 5-0.

Lily Alvarado would single in a run, Avery Voth delivered the big blow in the inning as she doubled in three runs, and Devyn Mack doubled in a run.

Leading 5-1 in the top of the third inning the Norsemen added another run when Danica Reed grounded out to bring home Jayden Chiaramonte to give them a 6-1 lead.

Valhalla would extend their lead in the top of the fifth inning when Emma Sloan drove in a run, a couple of batters later with two outs Lily Alvarado drove in two runs to make it 9-1.

Helix despite trailing would come alive in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to five runs scored to pull within 9-6.

A couple of errors by Valhalla would lead to two runs scoring making 9-3 and later with two outs Clarissa Torres would clear the bases with a double to left field scoring Lauren Farace, Leilah Jones, and Lillianna Benabdeljalil.

Valhalla would add another run in the top of the sixth inning to round out the scoring.

Mack would pick up the win for Valhalla as she went the distance throwing seven innings in which she allowed six runs on six hits while walking six and striking out six.

Valhalla with the win improves to 5-19 overall and 4-4 in league while Helix falls to 8-14 overall and 2-6 in league.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

WEST HILLS 15, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 (5 inn) – Senior Amaya Angeli (3-4, 2 R, RBI, 3 SB) collected three hits for West Hills as they cruised to the victory on Thursday afternoon.

The Wolf Pack would start with three runs in the top of the first inning starting with Katy Spargo (1-2, R, RBI) driving in Kristina Deal (1-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB), Samiya Wright (1-1, R, RBI) would knock in Maddie Aylesbury and Spargo would come home on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

A couple of innings later the Wolf Pack broke the game open when Ava Goodman (1-1, R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB) doubled in both Faith Balestreri (1-3, 2 R) and Wright to make it 7-0, later in the inning Deal would double to center field bringing in both Abby Farmer (R, SB) and Angeli to make it 10-0, Aylesbury followed by driving in Deal, Lili Leija (1-2, R, RBI, SB) would drive in Aylesbury and later with two outs Raelyn Gagnon (2-3, 3 RBI, SB) singled in both Leija and Kiera Allen to round out the scoring at 14-0.

West Hills would add one last run in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Gagnon who singled in Balestreri.

Pitching wise Goodman would get the win as she tossed two innings of no-hit ball while striking out four and Aylesbury came in and tossed three innings of relief to complete the combined no-hitter while striking out seven.

West Hills with the win has now won two in a row and moves to 15-9-1 overall and 7-0 in league play.

GROSSMONT 17, MONTE VISTA 0 (5 inn) – Big day for Grossmont’s Nakhia Lee who went 4-for-4 at the plate including driving in a pair of runs and scoring three times in the easy victory on Thursday afternoon.

Leading 3-0 the Foothillers would tack on eight more runs in the bottom of the second inning to widen the lead.

Lee would drive in a run, Eliana Vasquez would hit into a run scoring fielder’s choice, Ashley Beard would drive in a run, Heidi Villa drove in another run, Skyler Glover hit into another fielder’s choice which allowed another run to plate, Saraya Roope drove in a pair of runs and Lee would come up to bat for a second time and this time triple in another run to give the Hillers an 11-0 lead.

Grossmont would add more runs in the bottom of the third inning after Madison Busch grounded out, Villa singled, Jordan Leon doubled, and Sophie Plunk singled, all of which led to runs.

Roope who had a comfortable lead would shine in the circle as she would no-hit the Monarchs over five innings in which she allowed no runs while walking one and striking out eight on the day to earn the win.

Winners of two games in a row Grossmont moves to 9-9-2 overall and 5-1 in league play while Monte Vista drops their third game in a