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© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-19-10) — The East County softball regular season came to a conclusion a day early after two of Wednesday's scheduled contests were moved ahead by 24 hours.

All of the maneuvering didn't seem to matter, as the favorites all came out on top.

SANTANA 10, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 (5 inn.) – In the lone ballgame actually slated for Tuesday (May 18), the Sultans completed a perfect 12-0 run through the Grossmont Valley League schedule after blanking the visiting Braves on just three hits.

Santana opened the home half of the 1st inning by rocking back-to-back-to-back home runs, each to a different portion of the ballpark. MICHELLE THILLE opened with a shot to right, AMANDA GRABLE went deep to left, then KAYTI GRABLE went to center for her East County leading 10th homer of the season.

Both Grable sisters finished with 2-for-2 efforts, both scoring twice, while EMILY SCHISLER went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

For El Cajon Valley, MERLINDA LOPEZ slugged a double.

MADISON HANTEN knotted the game with a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning, bringing home MICHELLE BEASLEY (single and stolen base).

Beasley then teamed with sister GABRIELLE BEASLEY for consecutive doubles in the 5th to take the lead. The 3-run rally continued with a bunt single toward first base by AMANDA HARTNETT, who then stole second base and came home on a 2-run single to right field by Hanten.

For the contest, Hanten batted 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Gabrielle Beasley went 3-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run single in the 6th to score IRENE BLUMENSTOCK (also 2-for-3) and MOLLY HUTCHISON.

MONTE VISTA 6, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 – The Monarchs kept the Matadors winless in Tuesday's (May 18) regular-season finale.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (5-18-10) — All the talk about which school -- West Hills or Mt. Carmel -- should be the top seed when the SDCIF Division II playoffs open Saturday (May 22) nearly turned moot.

There the Wolf Pack stood, facing a Helix ballclub which owns just four victories this season, yet trailing heading into the 7th inning with their postseason future on the line.

"We needed to put some of our starters back in," admitted West Hills coach MICHAEL APPLEBAUM, who allowed his assistant coaches to operate Monday's (May 17) regular-season finale. "We had to scramble, but we got the job done."

After Helix snapped a tied ballgame with a run in the 6th, making an upset a real possibility, SAVANNA BAGGETT slammed an RBI double to again knot the ballgame, then NOELLE JOHNSON and BRI AUSTIN struck for consecutive run-scoring singles in the 9th for a 7-5 Grossmont Hills League victory over the host Highlanders.

West Hills (25-2-1, 9-1 GHL) should maintain its No. 2 ranking in the San Diego Section. The CIF will announce postseason seeds and pairings on Thursday (May 20).

Meanwhile, Helix (4-24, 0-10 GHL) saw some light for a more successful season in 2011 after this year's campaign was ravaged by injuries. However, fielding its projected line-up for the first time since the opening weeks of the season, the Highlanders gave scares to both West Hills and Granite Hills to finish strongly in every way except on the scoreboard.

"We showed a lot of heart and hung in there," said Scotties coach KELLIE BRYAN. "It was nice how we played the last two games."

Not only did Helix take the early lead, they proved resilient after West Hills took a 4-2 lead to quickly tie the game in the see-saw affair.

Then in the 6th, Helix senior catcher SHALEY MADRUGA came through on Senior Day by batting 4-for-4 plus a walk, capping a 3-RBI performance with a run-scoring single to bring home CHANELLE WARD for a 5-4 lead.

However, with just three outs remaining, the heart of the Wolf Pack batting order responded.

Johnson, the third baseman in yielding the pitching duties to MELISSA EGGLESTON, singled to open the 7th. BRI AUSTIN replaced her on the bases after a fielder's choice, then stole second base to move into scoring position. Baggett delivered to force extra innings.

In the 9th, MICHERIE KORIA was hit by a pitch, then stole her fourth base on the afternoon. Johnson followed with a hard grounder through the infield for a basehit with Koria scoring the tie-breaking run. Johnson took an extra base on the throw to the plate, then came home on Austin 's basehit.

Madruga finished with three RBI, registered run-scoring singles in the 1st, 4th and 6th. Meanwhile, CLAUDETTE SMITH reached base on all five of her trips to the plate, collected a pair of doubles, a single and walked twice, raising her batting average above the .400 plateau.

Trailing 2-1, West Hills took its initial lead after posting three runs in the 4th, featuring a leadoff homer by senior JENNA BASNIGHT, her fifth of the season.

Grable slugged three doubles to tie both the school and East County record, falling one shy of the section mark of four. After getting her trio of 2-base hits, she had a shot at a fourth after slapping a basehit to the outfield, but traffic on the basepaths forced her to settle for a single.

However, the three doubles gives her 20 for the season, a new SDCIF standard, snapping the 19-year old mark of 19, set by Alison Peckham of Holtville in 1991.

For the contest, Santana slugged eight doubles. Impressive, but not the school or section record, which the Sultans hold at 11, set against Marian Catholic (now Mater Dei) in 2004.

Meanwhile, catcher KAYTI GRABLE slugged a pair of home runs. She now breaks her deadlock for the East County lead with Grossmont's AUBRIE MAY, leadinbg 9 to 7.

STEELE CANYON 2, GROSSMONT 0 – LORENA KLOPP and MOLLY HUTCHISON each belted their 3rd home runs of the season in the 1st inning, giving the Cougars a tie-breaker victory over the visiting Foothillers to claim second place in the Grossmont Hills League.

Klopp lead off with a shot to left-center field. Two outs later, Hutchison followed with an identical blast. The rest of the ballgame saw Klopp (10 strikeouts) and Grossmont's RACHEL STALFORD (3) exchange zeroes on the scoreboard. Klopp finished with a 2-hit shutout.

Meanwhile, Stalford was aided by all three of her outfielders.

"They all took away at least one basehit from us, while the center fielder took 2 or even 3 away from us," said Cougars assistant QUINN RENFRO.

Of course, center field was patrolled by senior CORAL KASDEN, who has started virtually every Grossmont game in her four seasons with the Hillers. The others making nice catches were AMANDA PORTER in right and LAUREN VALLELY in left.

EL CAPITAN 3, MONTE VISTA 0 – For the second straight meeting, the Vaqueros snapped a scoreless tie with a late barrage, this time posting all three of their runs in the 6th in a blanking of the visiting Monarchs.

AMBER TAYNTON finished with a 1-hit shutout, striking out eight without issuing a walk.

"Amber did a good job mixing her pitches," said El Capitan coach JOE COTA. "She threw a few more off-speed pitches than usual to keep Monte Vista off-balance."

The big inning saw ALISHA WYCKOFF single, move to second on a DELANIE GOURLEY sacrifice bunt, then third when a ball hit by CATHERINE BROWN was booted. Then the runs rained in.

Senior KELSEY MOODY singled home Wyckoff. MEGAN METHENY knocked in Brown with a basehit, then KARA HOSTETLER poked a single to bring home Moody.

VALHALLA 11, GRANITE HILLS 1 (5 inn.) – In a battle between the teams' No. 2 pitchers, the Norsemen made Senior Day at Leto Field memorable after run-ruling their chiefs rivals. The decision left the teams tied for fourth place in the Grossmont Hills League.

Granite Hills first baseman NICOLE OBNEY knocked in TARIN MARKS with a 2-out basehit to center in the 1st. From then on, it was all Valhalla, which scored 11 unanswered runs to bounce back from a pair of embarrassing shutout setbacks last week.

DIONNA SMITH ignited a 4-run reply in the bottom of the 1st with a 2-out double, opening a stretch of six consecutive Norsemen hits.

"Dionna just got the whole team going," said Norsemen coach DOUG HARTUNG. "After she got that first hit, it was like everyone on the bench suddenly believed they could get it done. She opened the door for us."

Following Smith's double, TORREY ROOK singled, MADISON LABSHERE doubled to tie the ballgame, followed by consecutive RBI basehits by KIANA BROWN, CANDICE STAMPER and NORMA REDMAN.

Smith finished with a 3-for-4, five RBI performance. She drove in a pair of runs in both the 2nd and 4th innings, then registered the walkoff basehit with an RBI single in the 5th.

Meanwhile, Stamper finished with a complete-game 2-hitter, closing her pitching effort with 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-15-10) — Santana and West Hills high schools, as expected, wrapped up league titles in Friday's (May 14) East County softball action.

Under the new Grossmont Conference alignment for 2009-10, the Sultans took the Grossmont Valley League to capture a pennant for a conference record-tying fourth straight season.

What wasn't expected was yet another victory by El Cajon Valley, which established several milestones in continuing a strong finish to its season.

EL CAJON VALLEY 13, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 (5 inn.) – The Braves matched a season high by scoring eight times in a single set of at-bats, run-ruling the visiting Matadors during Friday's (May 14) Grossmont Valley League ballgame.

Earlier, El Cajon Valley scored eight runs against SD-Southwest on Mar. 19. Both times, the outburst came in the 2nd inning.

The victory also gave ECVHS a 3-game, season-series sweep of Mount Miguel, the first time the Braves swept a league set from a single opponent since 1993 (Valhalla).

After the Braves secured a 4-1 lead through the first inning, KAMERYN ROJAS provided the big blow with the bases loaded in the 2nd, slamming a 3-run double to left field.

Also garnering two hits for El Cajon Valley were NOELLE PONTIUS and ALISSA GARCIA, while EVELYN GLAUDE banged an RBI double in the 4th.

Garcia was the winning pitcher, allowing just three hits while backed by error-less defense by the Braves (9-14, 3-8 GVL), the most victories by the school since 2004.

SANTANA 1, EL CAPITAN 0 – Sultans first baseman KAYTI GRABLE rapped a two-out, solo homer in the 1st inning, the lone run in Santana's pennant-clinching victory to take the inaugural Grossmont Valley League crown.

El Capitan pitcher DELANIE GOUREY struck out 8 batters in a losing effort.

No further information was reported.

WEST HILLS 5, GROSSMONT 1 – West Hills officially clinched the Grossmont Hills League title by knocking off Grossmont on Friday (May 14).

The Wolf Pack scored five times before the host Foothillers could counter in the 6th in simple fashion. CORAL KASDEN, a four-year starter in centerfield for Grossmont, opened with a walk, then scored when junior KAITLYN NICKS belted a triple down the left-field line.

No other information was reported.

The top of the Granite Hills line-up sparked the team to 2-run rallies in the 1st and 5th innings.

On both occasions, MORGAN KURTZ registered basehits (the second time on a bunt), then was replaced on a fielder's choice grounder by CHAYLAH ZETSCH. Shortstop JENNY LAHITTE then reached base on a walk, followed by an error, before the script altered.

In the 1st, NICOLE OBNEY walked, then a throwing error on a Mejia grounder saw both runs score. In the 4th, Obney grounded to the right side to bring home Zetsch for an RBI, then Mejia lifted a sacrifice fly to center field for the 4th run.

A pair of lightly-used Helix underclassmen made things interesting in the 7th. After a lead-off walk to sophomore GABRIELLE GUZMAN, freshman KAI PENN singled, followed by the Smith's line drive for the homer to trim the deficit to a single run.

The lone basehit was a wind-altered single to center field, which saw the defender back up, only to watch the ball get knocked down by the steady breeze.

Steele Canyon posted three runs in the 1st innings, two coming on a basehit by TORI YANITOR. The freshman finished with three RBI, including one when getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 5th.

Klopp aided her own cause by reaching base on all four of her trips to the plate. She batted 2-for-2 with an RBI, walked twice, and scored three times.

Meanwhile, NICOLE RANDEL celebrated her 18th birthday with run-scoring singles in the 1st and 4th innings. Also registering two hits for the Cougars were MOLLY HUTCHISON (with two walks) and AMANDA HARTNETT.

Meanwhile, slumping Valhalla was shutout for the second straight outing.

CHRISTIAN 11, SERRA 4 – The Patriots posted 11 runs over the first three innings before the host Conquistadors could respond, wrapping up a second place finish with Mira Mesa in Friday's (May 14) Eastern League finale.

Senior catcher ALLIE SCOTT celebrated some good off-field news with one of her best displays of offense this season.

MARY GRABOWSKI and Scott combined for consecutive RBI singles in the 1st. Scott then keyed a 7-run explosion in the 2nd with a 2-run homer to center, scoring MONIQUE ELLIOTT (single), who was the winning pitcher.

For the contest, Scott batted 3-for-4 with three RBI. Earlier, she learned her father, who was being treated for cancer, was given a clean bill of health after X-rays no longer showed any signs of the disease.

Scott, Elliott and ALLI GUNTER each registered three hits, while Grabowski went 2-for-3 among Christian's 14 hits against the Q's.

Fri., May 14

Eastern League PATRIOTS 11, CONQUISTADORS 4 Christian (20-8) Serra (7-17) 272 000 0 - 11 14 1 002 020 0 - 04 06 0 Elliott and Scott. Fogel, Aguilar (3) and Hernandez. W-Elliott (3-2). L-Fogel. HR-Scott (C) 2nd, one on. Grossmont Valley League SULTANS 1, VAQUEROS 0 Santana (19-7-1) El Capitan (18-11) 100 000 0 - 1 2 0 000 000 0 - 0 5 1 Fyson and Carrillo. Gourley and Brown. W-Fyson (7-3). L-Gourley (7-7). HR-K.Grable (S), 1st, solo. Grossmont Valley League BRAVES 13, MATADORS 2 (5 inn.) Mount Miguel (0-24) El Cajon Valley (9-13) 101 00 - 02 03 2 489 1x - 13 13 0 Called after 5 innings, run rule. Vargas and Quijada. A.Garcia and Snow. W-A. Garcia 1-1). L-Vargas. HR-none.

Grossmont Hills League WOLF PACK 5, FOOTHILLERS 1 West Hills (24-2-1) Grossmont (16-11) 000 041 0 - 5 8 1 000 001 0 - 1 4 1 Johnson, Baggett (6) and M.Koria. Stalford and Dement. W-Johnson (17-2). L-Stalford (13-6). HR-none. Grossmont Hills League COUGARS 10, NORSEMEN 0 (5 inn.) Steele Canyon (18-7-1) Valhalla (18-9-1) 300 34 - 10 10 1 000 00 - 00 01 0 Called after 5 innings, run rule. Klopp and Mo. Hutchison. Rook and Sims. W-Klopp (7-5). L-Rook (11-7). HR-none. Grossmont Hills League EAGLES 4, HIGHLANDERS 3 Helix (4-23) Granite Hills (15-10) 000 000 3 - 3 5 4 200 020 x - 4 4 1 Nakata and Madruga. Mejia and K.Lahitte. W-Mejia (2-1). L-Nakata (0-4). HR-C.Smith (H), 7th, two on.

Christian's Monique Elliott (99) beats the throw to first base for a bunt single vs. Scripps Ranch. The Falcons first baseman is Taylor Tye.

Scripps Ranch Falcons at Christian Patriots (Photo & slideshow by Jill Gentry)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-13-10) — Back in 1979-80, the experiment to place Christian High School in the Grossmont Conference ended after just a single season.

So for 21 seasons, Patriots softball was relocated to the City Conference, dominating the Harbor and Central leagues (1981-2001) by placing first or second in 19 of those campaigns.

So it was on to the City's Eastern League, a circuit filled with much larger Division I and Division II programs. Yet Christian seems to be finally coming of age.

Not only did the decision hand the league-champion Falcons their first loss in league, it virtually assured Christian of its second straight runner-up finish in a league which also includes formidable foes in Mira Mesa and Patrick Henry.

"Scripps Ranch is a great team that played through the whole game," said Christian's RICKI GENTRY. "To beat a team like them is special."

Valhalla Norsemen at Grossmont Foothillers (Slideshow by Steve Crisci)

Much ado about Grossmont © East County Sports.com EL CAJON (5-13-10) — An important point of conversation over the past 72 hours, as coaches from around the county huddle to discuss CIF playoff seedings, what do you do with the Grossmont Foothillers? Just like El Camino, which also played .500 ball into early April before getting hot, the Hillers' roller-coaster start has been replaced by several nice winning streaks. No fewer than five different coaches told East County Sports that El Camino should be seeded third or fourth after last week's victory over Rancho Bernardo. Well, since Grossmont owns a recent triumph over then No. 1 West Hills, shouldn't the Hillers be allocated a similar high seed like the Wildcats? "It's nice to know lots of people are talking about us, because there are just so many good teams in the county this year," said Foothillers head coach JERRY LERUD. "You talk about the El Camino example, so I'm sure we'll receive equal consideration." Grossmont gained several more points after whipping the visiting Valhalla, 7-0, in Wednesday's (May 12) Grossmont Hills League affair. The contest was delayed more than 10 minutes due to a swarm of bees in the 1st inning. Hillers pitcher RACHEL STALFORD held even with Norsemen starter TORREY ROOK for three quick innings -- after a bee attack -- before Grossmont broke through with two runs in the 4th, then five more in the 6th. The big inning featured an inside-the-park grand slam by third baseman AUBRIE MAY, who now leads all East County batters after smacking her 7th homer of the season. Grossmont snapped the pitchers' duel with a pair of unearned runs. After CORAL KASDEN reached on an error, two outs later, HAYLEY KASDEN singled, with both advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch. LAUREN VALLELY followed with a line single to right, scoring the sisters. Vallely also collected a run-scoring single in the 6th, followed by May's shot down the left-field line on her slam. Stalford finished with six strikeouts in throwing her 4-hit shutout.

Grossmont's Aubrie May slides in safe for an inside-the-park grand slam to help the Foothillers top visiting Valhalla, 7-0. (Photo by Steve Crisci)

"They like to throw me a lot of change-ups -- they don't give me anything," said Scott. "So I was ready for it."

Waiting on the pitch, Scott avoided pulling the ball, planting the pitch out near the scoreboard in right-center field.

Scripps Ranch demonstrated why it owns first place for a reason, counter-punching to tie the game again when Taylor Curran slugged a 3-run homer in the 6th.

However, Schulz reached base on an error, then Gentry pulled her shot down the left-field line and into the swing sets beyond the fence for her game-winner.

"I just need to have confidence in myself," noted Gentry. "And when our team plays that way, no matter what other team we play, we can be successful."

In the 7th, Gunter, the winning pitcher, was aided by a pair of sparkling defensive stops.

Following a lead single, shortstop MONIQUE ELLIOTT flagged a hard grounder ticketed for center field. Not only did Elliott snare the ball on the short hop, she recovered in time to step on second base, then throw to first base for the double play.

The final Falcons batter looked like she would collect a clean single to right. However, second baseman AMANDA MARCOS made a diving stab of the ball, throwing to first in time to clinch the victory.

"Monique made a great play," added Gentry. "Her range is always impressive"

"But Amanda's play was great because she plays out of position at second base -- she's usually an outfielder. So a play like that is something she's worked hard on all season to make."

Christian (19-8, 6-3 EL) is expected to be the top seed when the Division IV playoffs commence later in the month. Scripps Ranch (18-10, 8-1 EL) is looking at a seed of third or fourth in Division II, behind co-favorites West Hills and Mt. Carmel.

SANTANA 9, MONTE VISTA 1 – MICHELLE THILLE circumnavigated the bases with a 3-run, inside-the-park home run, powering the Sultans past the home-standing Monarchs.

The victory reduced Santana's magic number down to one to officially take the Grossmont Valley League crown, which could occur Friday in Lakeside when they battle second-place El Capitan.

Santana also scored five times in the 6th, two on a triple by KAYTI GRABLE, as she matched sister AMANDA GRABLE in a 2-for-3 effort. However, Amanda Grable failed to register a double, keeping her two away from equaling the CIF San Diego Section single-season record.

For the contest, the Sultans collected 15 hits. Included were 2-for-3 efforts by left fielder CAITLYN ARNDT and right fielder EMILY SCHISLER, making a winner of starting pitcher AMBER SCHISLER, who ran her record to 10-4 to extend the school's streak to 8 straight seasons with at least one pitcher to reach double digits in victories.

STEELE CANYON 10, HELIX 0 – Cougars catcher MOLLY HUTCHISON bombed a 3-run homer in the 6th inning Wednesday (May 12), placing the finishing touches on a 6-run rally to send Steele Canyon past the host Highlanders.

NICOLE RANDEL got the offense going with a 2-run single in the 3rd, when the Cougars grabbed a 3-0 lead. Randel later knocked in a run on a fielder's choice, giving her three RBI for the contest. She also batted 2-for-4, matching teammate MICHELLE BEASLEY,

Meanwhile, designated player LORENA KLOPP went 3-for-4, while pitcher IRENE BLUMENSTOCK struck out six without a walk in tossing a 2-hit shutout at the Scotties.

AMANDA HARTNETT also doubled for Steele Canyon.

Granite Hills outfielder Annette Solano with the running catch against West Hills.

Granite Hills Eagles at West Hills Wolf Pack (Photo & slideshow by Suzy Lahitte)

WEST HILLS 6, GRANITE HILLS 1 – Senior Day in western Santee saw the celebrating Wolf Pack allow an early, unearned run, then quickly regain their focus to score six unanswered runs to knockout the Eagles.

NOELLE JOHNSON struck out seven batters and yielded just four hits to collect the victory, running her East County best record to 16-2. Meanwhile, JENNA BASNIGHT provided the tie-breaking hit, stroking a 2-run double when West Hills answered the early Eagles run with three markers of its own in the 1st.

Of course, the hitting of leadoff batter FAITH KORIA assisted both scoring sprees for the Pack, who scored three times in both the 1st and 4th innings.

ALEX MILLER followed with a basehit, then took three bases on Basnight's double into left field.

In the 4th, Johnson accepted a lead walk, then courtesy runner HEATHER VALLES stole second. The scenario would repeat.

Koria stroked an RB single, then stole second. Hunyady stroked an RBI single, then stole second. Then MICHERIE KORIA reached second base, but with a run-scoring double.

The lone Granite Hills run saw TARIN MARKS walk, reached second on a wild pitch, then score when a ground ball by KIMMY TRIOLO was booted.

EL CAPITAN 10, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 (5 inn.) – In a nice bounce-back by the Vaqueros pitching staff, freshmen NICHOLE BALINGER (4 innings) and DELANIE GOURLEY (1 inning) combined on a 2-hit shutout of the visiting Braves.

MEGAN METHENY and KELSEY MOODY each batted 2-for-3, capping a 6-run outburst to open the scoring in the 3rd inning, Following an RBI single by KARA HOSTETLER, Moody stroked a 2-run single, then scored on Metheny's ensuing double, who then came home on a basehit by AMBER TAYNTON.

Taynton later addeded a sacrifice fly in the 5th, followed by a Balinger line drive to the outfield which was dropped, allowing a fourth run to score in the inning to invoke the run rule to garner another Grossmont Valley league triumph.

El Cajon Valley received basehits from MERLINDA LOPEZ and TIANNA KILGORE.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (5-12-10) — El Capitan High may be the softball team to beat in the near future with its dynamic duo of freshman pitching, but the experience factor proved to be the Vaqueros' undoing.

Winners of league titles in four of the last five seasons, Santana High demonstrated it still has what it takes, all-but-mathematically claiming the inaugural Grossmont Valley League crown by run-ruling visiting El Cap, 13-2 in five innings, in Tuesday's (May 11) first-place showdown.

In a rain make-up affair, the Sultans, which just gained entry into The San Diego Union-Tribune county rankings this week, jumped on the jittery Vaqueros by scoring nine times in the 1st inning to secure another league pennant early.

Santana leads the season series, 2-0, with one ballgame remaining. And with no signs of another contender to upset the Sultans, the school should be able to easily equal the Grossmont Conference record with a fourth straight league title.

The Vaqueros briefly held a 1-0 lead when DELANIE GOURLEY doubled, then came home on a KARA HOSTETLER basehit. However, the advantage was quickly erased.

AMANDA GRABLE paced the Sultans with three RBI, including a sacrifice fly and a 2-run double. The two-base hit was her 17th of the season, equaling the school and East County mark established by AMANDA CARPENTER in 2008. The CIF-San Diego Section record is 19.

Grable's walk in the 1st loaded the bases for about two seconds, as a pick-off attempt saw the ball sail into the corner of the outfield. By the time the ball was retrieved, Grable was able to circle the bases, turning a still-manageable 3-1 game into a one-sided 6-1 blowout.

Santana added four runs in the 2nd for a 13-1 cushion. The Vaqueros only other run came in the 4th, when Hostetler walked, coming around on consecutive basehits by ALICIA ZUNIGA and AMBER TAYNTON, who collected the RBI with her liner to center field.

Grossmont Foothillers at Granite Hills Eagles

Did she say 'Yes'? (Photo & slideshow by Suzy Lahitte)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-8-10) — When it comes to dramatic finishes, both Granite Hills and Grossmont high schools come down to the wire as well as any NASCAR race. And with Grossmont Hills League contests among the leaders going into extra innings at an astounding 50 percent clip, no wonder Friday's (May 7) contest would need to go beyond regulation time.

Finally, in 11 innings, DESIREE MEJIA snapped the deadlock with a sacrifice fly, making a winner of JENNY LAHITTE in a 20 strikeout performance in Granite Hills' 2-1 verdict over visiting Grossmont.

The Eagles, which saw its GHL pennant dreams – and possible elimination from the Top 10 rankings – erased earlier in the week, played the role of spoiler by knocking Grossmont out of its first-place deadlock with West Hills.

And the focus was on Lahitte, who's kept Granite Hills in ballgame after ballgame while waiting for a hibernating offense to awaken.

"Jenny is our rock – she is so dependable," said Eagles assistant coach CHRIS NICKESON. "Her pitching is so aggressive. She gets ahead in the count and makes all of her pitches work."

Lahitte's 20 strikeouts equaled a career-best when she tossed her Grossmont Conference record 8th no-hitter against Vista on Mar. 19. The senior also K'd 18 when she registered career no-hitter No. 7 against top-ranked Mt. Carmel on Mar. 9.

Granite Hills answered when CHAYLAH ZETSCH singled to right field, then Lahitte made up for her pitching error by belting an RBI triple to left to extend the contest.

In the 11th, the Zetsch-Lahitte combo again came through. Following consecutive basehits by the tandem, NICOLE OBNEY reached on an error to load the bases, then Mejia lifted a fly ball to right to allow Zetsch to scamper home.

"Because of Jenny, we will still be competitive for the CIF playoffs," added Nickeson. "We just need to get our confidence going and start to hit more."

Koria reached base in the 6th (single) and 8th (walk) innings, then stole second base both times to eventually score. Her thefts raised her season total to 29 stolen bases.

The second baseman initially reached on a ball to the hole at shortstop, beating the throw to first. Koria then raced for second, but when the throw – deemed perfect and directly onto the bag by both coaches – hit the baserunner in the leg and rolled to the outfield fence, Koria circled the diamond to tie the score.

Two innings later, Koria walked and, of course, stole second base. KAELI HUNYADY followed with a slap single over the head of the shortstop, then she stole second to place runners in scoring position.

The game-winner was served by catcher MICHERIE KORIA, who hit a roller to the right side. But with her twin sister running on the play, Steele Canyon 's only option was to first base for the out – and the tie-breaking run.

"Everyone looks for Faith to run, and her sister, too," said West Hills coach MIKE APPLEBAUM. "It's getting harder and harder to steal, but she has so much speed, she just beats the throw."

"It just shows that you can win with small ball – we're not trying to hit home runs."

Koria's runs were the difference in the pitching duel, as the Pack's NOELLE JOHNSON tossed a 3-hitter for the victory, striking out six to top the Cougars' LORENA KLOPP, who struck out 14, yet suffered the setback despite throwing a 4-hitter.

Steele Canyon's run came in the 3rd following one-out walks to AMANDA HARTNETT and Klopp, with Hartnett coming home when MICHELLE BEASLEY lined a basehit to center field.

Valhalla's Torrey Rook is all smiles following her grand slam against Helix. She had 5 RBI.

Helix Highlanders at Valhalla Norsemen (Photo & slideshow by James Labshere)

Stamper improved her record to 6-2 after tossing a 3-hit shutout in Friday's (May 7) Grossmont Hills League victory. She struck out one, recording most of her outs on ground balls to the infield, as the Norsemen played error-less ball.

Rook registered her slam in the 3rd inning to give Valhalla a 10-0 lead. She earlier lifted a sacrifice fly in the 1st, giving her five RBI for the afternoon.

DIONNA SMITH batted 3-for-3 and scored three times, while CORA CORDOVA collected three RBI, including two on a 2nd-inning single to make it 5-0.

Meanwhile, MADISON LABSHERE matched Rook with a 2-for-3 effort. The first baseman also drove in a pair of runs.

MIRA MESA 7, CHRISTIAN 6 (8 inn.) – Freshman shortstop Katiyana Mauga slugged a leadoff home run in the 8th inning, as the Marauders scored twice then held on to subdue the host Patriots in Friday's (May 7) Eastern League contest at Dawson Field.

Mauga sent a tape-measure shot into the parking lot beyond both the left-field fence and the elementary school's swing set, sending the league into a 3-way montage' for second place between the schools, plus Patrick Henry, virtually handing the league crown to Scripps Ranch.

The Patriots built leads of 3-0 and 5-4 with their own power display.

In the 1st, MONIQUE ELLIOTT slammed a triple, scoring on a basehit by catcher ALLIE SCOTT, who then came home moments later when MARY GRABOWSKI slugged her fourth homer of the season. Grabowski, who plays shortstop when RICKI GENTRY pitches, batted 2-for-4 with three RBI, although the effort actually lowered her batting average to .548.

Mira Mesa chipped away to reclaim a 4-3 advantage, but Christian bounced back when JEANNIE VEST smacked a 2-run homer in the 5th. The bomb was also her fourth of the year.

In the 8th, Gentry delivered with two outs by smacking a run-scoring basehit, but Mira Mesa pitcher Lani Vanta escaped to garner the triumph.

The G-Force (Gentry, Grabowski and Gunter) and Scott all collected two hits each among 11 by the Patriots.

Grable now has 16 doubles this season to top her previous career best, matching the old East County mark set by Steele Canyon 's LORENA KLOPP in 2007. The current East County standard is 17 by former teammate AMANDA CARPENTER (2008), while the mark is 19 by Holtville's Alison Peckham (1991).

Grable scored three times, while freshman pitcher AMBER SCHISLER also pounded a pair of doubles, driving home two runs both times to give her four RBI for the contest.

In addition, CAITLYN ARNDT batted 3-for-4 with three RBI for the Grossmont Valley League leaders, while courtesy runner AHNALIN BARKHIMER scored three times.

MONTE VISTA 13, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 (5 inn.) – Both softball teams from these schools have elected to no longer participate with East County Sports except to report the final score.

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LA MESA (5-7-10) — El Capitan High listed two reasons to go with No. 1 pitcher DELANIE GOURLEY in Thursday's (May 6) Grossmont Conference Tournament makeup game.

"We wanted to get her some work because we play Santana twice next week," said Vaqueros coach JOE COTA. "And Helix has been hitting the ball a ton lately."

The Highlanders, already riding high with 14 runs in a pair of contests earlier in the week, suddenly found themselves running into a wall on more than one front. The result was the second career no-hitter by the freshman, as Gourley struck out 18 batters in a 5-0 thumping of the Scotties.

"It was nice for us to get some offense for Delanie and get her a win," added Cota. "But then there are days when just nobody can hit her – it doesn't really matter who she's facing."

Gourley carried a perfect game into the 5th inning when Helix mustered together its lone scoring threat in a ballgame which remained tight at just 1-0.

Scotties catcher SHALEY MADRUGA reached base on a play which both coaches thought was an error. CARLY ACEVES followed with a sacrifice bunt – one of only three non-strikeouts for outs by Helix all contest.

A wild pitch moved Madruga to third, then ELISA RIVERA received the lone walk issued by Gourley, placing runners on the corners. However, the left-hander escaped the threat with a strikeout. El Capitan then answered with three runs in the 6th to break the game open.

Six consecutive Vaqueros reached base on five singles and an error in the 3-run rally.

With one out, KELSEY MOODY, MEGAN METHENY and CYNTHIA GONZALES registered basehits for the first run. ALISHA WYCKOFF reached on an error to load the bases, then Gourley and CATHERINE BROWN both added run-scoring singles.

El Cap added a run in the 7th when KARA HOSTETLER walked, coming around on back-to-back hits by Moody and AMBER TAYNTON for the RBI.

Meanwhile, after Helix apparently started to turn around a disappointing season, featuring the return of No. 1 pitcher KEANA NAKATA earlier in the week, the team ran into more medical trouble even before the first pitch was thrown.

And when McCully was driven from the pitching circle after getting struck in the stomach by a line drive in the 2nd inning, Helix needed to totally revamp its defensive alignment.

El Capitan also needed the services of the trainer.

"They got an icebag for their shortstop, then we needed it," noted Cota. "When the pitcher got hit, we just gave her our icebag. It got kind of comical except for the fact that some people got hurt."

Fortunately, nothing was deemed too serious.

The timing of McCully's exit was fortuitous, as Nakata had returned to active status just 24 hours earlier after missing more than a month with a broken hand.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (5-6-10) — Utilizing two completely different styles of play, West Hills High went with its speed to offset the power display by Valhalla to take a 5-3 decision in Wednesday's (May 5) featured Grossmont Hills League softball contest.

The victory kept the Wolf Pack in a first-place deadlock with Grossmont, but the Norsemen were all-but-mathematically eliminated from the pennant race.

The base-running abilities of MICHERIE KORIA and ALEX MILLER proved to be the difference after Valhalla tied the contest at 3-all in the 6th inning.

It was the second time in recent outings that the Wolf Pack performed the maneuver.

JENNA BASNIGHT then surprised Valhalla when the power hitter put down a push bunt to plate Miller with an insurance run.

NOELLE JOHNSON then retired the Norsemen in order in the 7th to collect another victory. According to her coaches, the sophomore made just two poor pitches all day.

The see-saw affair saw Valhalla take the initial lead on a solo homer by KIANNA BROWN in the 2nd inning, then CORA CORDOVA belted a game-tying, 2-run shot in the 6th after KAITLIN McGINLEY reached base on a bunt single.

In between, Johnson slugged her own home run, a 2-run shot for a 2-1 lead in the 2nd. The blow came following a 10-pitch at-bat by Miller, who finally outlasted Norsemen pitcher TORREY ROOK with a basehit, then a steal of second base.

Johnson finished with six strikeouts with one walk. Rook struck out eight batters without a walk, yet took the hard-luck setback.

Hanten, who was asked to walk-on in February, and Yanitor, who was still in middle school at this time last year, capped the big rally with RBI singles. Both later added run-scoring hits, including a Hanten solo homer in the 5th, in their mirror-like performance.

Meanwhile, LORENA KLOPP and MOLLY HUTCHISON also mirrored each other. The Cougars battery went 3-for-4 each, then the pitcher-catcher combo stopped Granite Hills on just five hits.

"What was so impressive about Lorena wasn't just her 10 strikeouts, it was that she didn't walk anyone," said Cougars assistant coach QUINN RENFRO. "She's really coming on and we hope she'll be 100 percent for the playoffs."

Klopp's recovery from offseason knee surgery has been hampered by extended pitching performances, being too fine and thus walking numerous batters, adding to her pitch count. But with just one walk in her last 18 innings, plus the team's improved hitting of late, Steele Canyon is still considered a threat in the GHL race, then the SDCIF playoffs.

"We are hitting the ball and putting it in play," added Renfro. "Everything is pointed in the right direction right now."

Nakata, out since mid-March to trigger the Scotties' downfall this season, came off the bench and sent the Grossmont Hills League co-leading Foothillers down in order in the 7th. Inspired, Helix then erupted for three runs to move within a run before Grossmont finally closed out the contest.

After yielding a run in the 1st, the Hillers raced to a 6-1 cushion thanks to sophomore third baseman AUBRIE MAY, who batted a perfect 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI.

Included was a 2-run double to secure the lead in the 2nd, bringing home MEGAN CRISCI (single) and LAUREN VALLELY (safe on error). A sacrifice bunt by freshman KAYLA APPENZELLER moved both runners into scoring position.

The Highlanders took one run back in the 6th, then started their 7th-inning surge when KAI PENN was hit by a pitch, scoring on a CHANELLE WARD double to left-center field. Ward then came home on a basehit to center by RAE CARTER.

The future for Helix looks promising – all three are freshman.

Senior catcher SHALEY MADRUGA then knocked in Carter with a single, but Grossmont reliever HANNAH RAPOPORT escaped to register the save for starter LAUREN MIRANDA.

PATRICK HENRY 3, CHRISTIAN 1 – The Patriots aspirations for their first-ever Eastern League crown took a major hit when a young and improving Patrick Henry ballclub parlayed three errors into three runs in the 4th inning to pull out the surprise home-field victory Wednesday (May 5).

The unearned runs ruined what otherwise was a standout performance by Christian pitcher ALLI GUNTER, who spun a 1-hitter. The lone hit was a double by Lindsay Thorstenson to leadoff the 1st, then Gunter tossed six no-hit innings yet suffered the setback.

Following a walk and a pair of errors to load the bases for Henry, JISSICA PING lifted a fly ball to the sun in right field. The play was ruled as Christian's third error of the inning as all three Henry runs scored.

The field at Patrick Henry continues to be a House of Horrors for Christian, which has lost its last four outings in Del Cerro.

"We lost Donna Kerr's last game before Patrick Henry had to forfeit all those games three years ago," recalled Patriots coach GEORGE GENTRY. "Then we lost 1-0 on a 10th-inning homer, then last year they pounded us (9-1) after we finally got into first place."

Meanwhile, Christian bats collected nine hits off Henry pitcher Grace Hernandez, yet could muster only one run all afternoon. In the 2nd, MARY GRABOWKSI and JEANNIE VEST both singled, both advanced on a passed ball, then MIRANDA CAZARES knocked in Grabowski with the third basehit of the inning.

Christian now sits two games behind Scripps Ranch, needing to both beat the Falcons, then have Henry also defeat the frontrunners to force a co-championship.

EL CAPITAN 6, MONTE VISTA 1 – The Vaqueros' NICHOLE BALINGER, who is becoming known as "the other freshman," spun a 3-hitter to grab a Grossmont Valley League road triumph from the Monarchs.

Balinger struck out six batters against just one walk in what El Capitan coach JOE COTA believes was one of her best efforts of the season.

"When people talk to me about our pitching, they always mention DELANIE GOURLEY before they see Nichole pitch," said Cota. "Then they want to talk about 'the other freshman' because she's pretty good, too. And this might have been her best game of the season, while ALICIA ZUNIGA had a nice little outing."

Zuniga, another frosh who serves as Balinger's catcher – Gourley is caught by senior CATHERINE BROWN – was in the middle of both El Capitan rallies. For the contest, Zuniga went 3-for-4, driving in the first run of the ballgame.

In the 3rd, KELSEY MOODY singled home Brown, then a pair of Monte Vista errors allowed the Vaqueros to double their lead to 4-0. Then in the 5th, Zuniga singled and stole a base, eventually scoring on a 2-run double to center by sophomore right fielder FELICIA ARCAMO.

"Actually, we were going to pinch-hit for Felicia," noted Cota. "Then as she was about to step to the plate, one of my assistant coaches asked who was going to bat for her. But I just said let her bat – she was going to do something."

SANTANA 15, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 (5 inn.) – She wasn't the Kendra from the show on the E! channel, but after her first pitching performance, maybe she deserves one.

Freshman KENDRA KUPER tossed three shutout innings to garner a save for starting pitcher SHANNON FYSON, as the Sultans needed only five innings to keep the Matadors winless in 21 contests.

Meanwhile, AMANDA GRABLE again added to her impressive career batting totals, going 3-for-3 – all doubles – and driving in four runs, while EMILY SCHISLER also went 3-for-3 and scoring each time.

KAYTI GRABLE went 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a 2-run homer when the Sultans raced to a 6-0 lead in the 1st. But the inning's big blow came from Fyson with the bases loaded, clearing the bases with a double.

In addition, TAYLOR BARY went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI to fuel a 17-hit attack.

Fyson and Kuper combined on a 2-hitter; the lone Mount Miguel hits came back-to-back in the 4th on basehits by CYNTHIA BELL and ANTONIA GARCIA.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-5-10) — The El Cajon Valley Braves celebrated Star Wars Day by swinging their lightsabres to the tune of six doubles among 13 overall hits, downing the visitors from the Death Star better known as the High Tech High Storm of Liberty Station, 13-3 in six innings, in Tuesday's (May 4) non-league softball trilogy.

Braves pitcher MIRANDA MULLENS, playing the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, used The Force in tossing a 1-hitter. With the victory, Mullens raised her record to 8-4, the most victories by an ECVHS pitcher since KAYLEIGH WARNE went 11-14 in 2004.

After High Tech scored twice in the 1st without the aid of a basehit, the Braves' Empire was able to 'Strike Back' behind a pair of doubles by both ALISSA GARCIA and TIANNA KILGORE.

Wearing the R2-D2 equipment was catcher JESSICA SNOW, who rocketed a 2-run double in the 6th. Courtesy runner DIANE FRIAS then ended the motion picture by later scoring to invoke the run rule.

Also hitting a double among the ECV Jedi Council members was NATASHA FERNANDEZ.

© East County Sports.com
MIRA MESA (5-4-10) — Christian High pitcher ALLI GUNTER refused to allow an early unearned run to bother her, yielding just three hits all afternoon to tame Mira Mesa, 6-1, in Monday's (May 3) important Eastern League contest.

The victory all-but-mathematically eliminated the host Marauders from championship consideration, while leaving destiny in the control of the Patriots, who rest one game behind Scripps Ranch with one game left between the ballclubs.

While Gunter survived a tight strike zone to subdue Mira Mesa, the other two phases of the Patriots allowed the ballclub to bounce back. Along with hitting from throughout the line-up, several nice stops – including a pair of running catches by right fielder MIRANDA CAZARES – frustrated the Marauders.

"Miranda made a couple of plays which kept us in the game," noted Gunter. "Our entire team defense picked us up."

Still trailing 1-0 on a Lauren Mersereau sacrifice fly following an error, Mira Mesa pitcher Lani Vanta singled then moved into scoring position. However, Cazares raced toward the line to snag a line drive by No. 3 hitter Katiyana Mauga, then charged in to take away a sinking liner by Mersereau, the clean-up hitter, to end the threat.

Of course, what happens when you make a great defensive play? You always seem to bat in the very next inning and register a hit – in this case, a one-out double by Cazares, who sent a liner to the fence in left-center field.

AMANDA MARCOS then singled and stole second base, then a botched handling of a KEYLEE SCHULZ bunt loaded the bases as the maligned bottom third of the Christian batting order would score four of the team's six runs.

Gunter followed with a line single over the shortstop, with Cazares and Marcos scoring to take a 2-1 lead.

MONIQUE ELLIOTT followed with a hot single over third base to bring home Schulz, followed by a sacrifice fly from RICKI GENTRY to cap the 4-run outburst.

Gentry batted 2-for-2, plus a walk and the sac fly, then capped a two RBI performance with a single in the 6th. Marcos and Gunter, who both reached on errors, would score as Marcos came home on the basehit, then Gunter raced in when Gentry smartly got intentionally caught in a rundown.

Gunter lifted her record to 12-4 with the victory.

The top third of the Patriots line-up – Gunter, Elliott and Gentry – collected two hits each, while JEANNIE VEST surprised Mira Mesa with a scratch single to open the 2nd.

Grossmont pitcher Rachel Stalford (Photo by Steve Crisci)

After scoring four times in the 7th inning to secure a 5-0 lead, the host Falcons answered with 5 runs – all after two were out – yet Grossmont still came out a winner on a "second" game-winning hit by CORAL KASDEN.

The senior center fielder capped the big rally by lining a 2-run single to left field, but it was her RBI single to right field which brought home AUBRIE MAY which ultimately proved to be the difference.

"We're five up with two down – yeah, I thought we had it," said Kasden, who will head to Cal Poly to study bio-chemistry. "And we were still playing hard and not taking it for granted, but Scripps Ranch is a great team, too."

Fumbling away such a lead might have led to a loss earlier in the season. However, Kasden notes changes which have led to Grossmont's recent surge to the top of the Grossmont Hills League.

"We only have three seniors, but the young girls on this team have really raised their maturity level," added Kasden. "We have a bunch of 15-year olds playing against 18-year olds, but now there isn't much difference in their play."

May, the ballclub's rising sophomore standout at third base, agreed.

"Something just jelled – it just happened and we don't really know why," May explained. "Now it's our job to keep it going."

For the first 90 minutes, this contest was a pitchers' duel between RACHEL STALFORD of the Hillers and Scripps Ranch sophomore TAYLOR CURRAN. Both tossed five shutout innings before Grossmont broke through in the 6th.

Freshman AMANDA PORTER slapped a single up the middle, advancing on a HANNAH RAPOPORT sacrifice bunt and a grounder by Kasden. HEATHER DEMENT then sent a chopper to third which tipped off the top of the defender's glove for a basehit and the tie-breaking run.

In the 7th, LAUREN MIRANDA opened a 2-out rally with a basehit up the middle. May walked, then Porter slapped the ball down the left-field line for a ground-rule double.

Rapoport plated May with a hard roller to right for a 3-0 lead, then Kasden also dropped the ball just inside the third-base line for two additional markers.

Scripps Ranch, the Eastern League leaders, then placed the game's outcome in question on consecutive RBI singles by Kaitie Schumacher and Corinna Lopez, with both cashing in on a 3-run homer along the left-field line by shortstop Emily Gusse.

SANTANA 2, EL CAPITAN 1 – The inside edge for the inaugural Grossmont Valley League crown went the way of the Sultans after AMBER SCHISLER tossed a 3-hitter to take the first of a 3-game season series from the Vaqueros

Santana stole seven bases in eight attempts, yet the difference proved to be an unearned run in the 3rd inning.

CAITLYN ARNDT opened with a basehit to center, followed by a single by TARA GRENNAN, But when an outfielder let the ball skip past her, Arndt took two extra bases for a 2-0 advantage.

Santana struck for an early run in the 1st when MICHELLE THILLE also sent a lead single to center. Thille followed by stealing a pair of bases, then came home on a ground ball to the right side by KAYTI GRABLE.

Schisler, who struck out four, carried a no-hitter into the 5th before El Capitan broke through on consecutive doubles by KARA HOSTETLER and AMBER TAYNTON. Both are seniors.

However, the only other hit off Schisler was a Hostetler single in the 7th, but Santana catcher CARLA CARRILLO threw her out attempting to steal when El Cap attempted to emulate the Sultans' strategy.

Vaqueros pitcher DELANIE GOURLEY finished with 15 strikeouts, but suffered the loss after Santana scored its lone earned run just two batters into the contest.

EL CAJON VALLEY 7, MOUNT MIGUEL 6 (8 inn.) – The Braves stormed back from deficits of 2-1 and 6-4 on keys hits by EVELYN GLAUDE and NOELLE PONTIUS to top the winless Matadors in extra innings in this Grossmont Valley League ballgame.

The victory by El Cajon Valley was the school's second in league play this season, matching the school's highest total for league triumphs since 1995, when the Braves went 5-7 in the defunct Grossmont 2A League.

ECVHS tied the game when CHELSEA BALL and MERLINDA LOPEZ each singled, then the team survived a strange double play when an infield fly by ALISSA GARCIA went unfielded and spun foul.

However, the umpires ruled – following a lengthy discussion – that Matadors pitcher NICOLE VARGAS touched the ball, so when Mount Miguel hustled for the loose ball and stepped on third base to force out Ball, the result was a double play.

Unfortunately, if the batter was out for the infield fly, the play at third would require a tag for the out, which the officials mysteriously said happened. Nevertheless, two batters later, Glaude delivered a single to left field to tie the contest.

In the 8th, catcher JESSICA SNOW walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a sacrifice bunt. Pontius followed with a walk, but on the ball four pitch, the ball raced to the backstop and Snow romped home with what proved to be the game-winning run.

For the Braves, TIANNA KILGORE and KAMEREYN ROJAS each collected two hits, including a Rojas double.

No information was reported by the Matadors.

PATRICK HENRY 15, HELIX 9 – We hope the home plate umpire is feeling better after the teams needed more than an hour just to finish the first two innings, when the visiting Patriots mounted a 10-6 lead in Monday's (May 3) free-for-all of offense.

The non-league game featured only one homer, a leadoff shot by Henry's Jessica Ping in the 2nd to make it 8-1. Ping also doubled and drove in three runs.

For the host Highlanders, RAE CARTER and CLAUDETTE SMITH each went 2-for-4, with Smith also collected a pair of RBI on a single in the 2nd when the Scotties scored five times to rally back from a 9-run deficit to make it a ballgame.

Granite Hills catcher Kristina Lahitte successfully blocks the plate to tag Valhalla's Dionna Smith. (Photo by Suzy Lahitte)

YOU MAKE THE CALL! SAME PLAY, DIFFERENT ANGLE HERE (Photo by James Labshere)