Valhalla    ab r h bi Mater Dei    ab r h bi
Hipwell lf   3 0 0 0  Morales ss    3 1 1 0
Kohel rf     3 0 1 0  Herrera 1b    3 0 1 0
Wallace 3b   3 0 0 0  Jamison 2b    3 0 0 0
Uy cf        3 0 1 0  Munoz cf      3 2 1 0
Thomas dp    2 0 1 0  Gonzales c    2 0 1 1
Howard 2b    2 0 0 0  AHernandez pr 0 0 0 0
Iuliano ph   1 0 0 0  Carrillo 3b   3 0 1 0
Ingrassia c  2 0 0 0  White p       1 0 0 1
Schmidt ph   1 0 0 0  AHernandez lf 1 0 0 0
Metsch 1b    3 0 0 0  Quiroga ph    1 0 0 0
Federico 1b  3 0 1 0  Finch rf      2 0 0 0
TOTALS      23 0 4 0  TOTALS       21 3 5 2
 
 Valhalla        (20-13)  000 000 0 - 0 4 1
 Mater Dei Cath. (18-11)  200 100 x - 3 5 0
 
GWRBI-none.
E-Howard. LOB-Valhalla 6, MDC 3. CS-Howard.
S-Gonzales. SF-White.
 
PITCHING SUMMARY
Valhalla          ip   h   r  er  bb  so
 Madara L        6.0   5   3   1   0   2
Mater Dei Catholic
 White W         7.0   4   0   0   3   9
T-1:32.

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
LA JOLLA (6-1-14) — Mater Dei Catholic pitcher Kelly White thoroughly believed the mental game meant far more than any physical mistakes, allowing the Crusaders to claim the CIF Division 2 softball championship over Valhalla.

"I was given the opportunity to walk their top hitters when I was able to get others out," said White, a sophomore already verbally committed to Ole Miss. "They really wanted to hit, but I was able to get into their head by not giving them any pitches to hit."

White "unintentionally" walked three batters – including Grossmont Conference home run record-holder CARLEE WALLACE twice – as her nine strikeouts and only four hits allowed were enough to down Valhala,3-0, in Saturday's (May 31) San Diego Section finale at UC San Diego.

The crown was the schoolk's fifth consecutive, but first in Division II.

A throwing error allowed Mater Dei to score two times in the 1st inning, immediately dictating an alteration on how White pitched.

"It changed everything regarding strategy on how we pitched to Valhalla," added White. "And we stuck with it for the rest of the game."

Two of White's walks were issued to Wallace and MIRANDA THOMAS in the 4th inning. It was the only time the Norsemen placed a runner into scoring position, but White quickly escaped the jam with a strikeout.

"Really, (White) was no better than any of the other pitchers we aced during the playoffs," noted Thomas, who splits Valhalla 's pitching duties with ASHLEY MADARA. "We just put enough hits together."

It's a long-time reality in softball which baseball is learning – it doesn't matter what the other team scores if you don't score at all.

The lone earned run by Mater Dei came right after Valhalla stranded two runners in the top of the 4th. Freshman Kelsey Munoz beat out an infield single to the hole at shortstop, and moved to second base on Eva Gonzales' bunt.

Amissa Carrillo singled to left field, forcing Munoz to advance only to third, but White followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the insurance run.

Valhalla finished with a 20-13 record under head coach Mark Obney, gaining the school's third CIF runner-up finish despite several keys changed to the batting order during the season. The school's lone championship came in 2004 under current Grossmont College head coach Doug Hartung.

"We still believed we have a chance to win CIF all season, so this wasn't surprising to us," said Norsemen first baseman LadySARA FEDERICO, a co-captain with Thomas. "Everyone on this team believed in each other."

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
LA JOLLA (5-31-14) — While those in the know continue to research to verify the fact, it is believed that Mountain Empire High head coach LINDSAY SUTTON has become the first CIF San Diego Section person to claim girls fastpitch championships as both a player and a coach.

On Friday (May 30), her RedHawks rallied from a 6-1 deficit to upend San Diego-Southwest, 11-9, in the Division 5 title contest held at UC San Diego.

Sutton was the 2002 East County player of the year when playing for West Hills High. But the question was whether she played for the Wolf Pack when the school claimed the Division I team title in 1999.

"Lindsay and a couple of the other freshmen on the JV were called up for the playoffs," said STEVE SUTTON, the head coach of the '99 titlists and Lindsay's father. "So, yes, she was in the dugout, in uniform, when we won it her freshman year."

The Sutton family also reached the final two other times, but fell to La Costa Canyon in Division I play in 2000, then lost to Mira Mesa in the 2002 Division II finale.

Still, three title game appearances over a 4-year career is quite impressive.

CIF sanctioned play did not exist for many of the women who captured titles as coaches, especially in the early years. Plus, since the 1980s, most of the champions have been coached by men, leaving just a small window of opportunity for a woman to achieve both.

Steve Sutton also claimed a coaching crown with Grossmont in Div. 2A in 1989, nipping USDHS, 2-1.

Valhalla      ab r h bi San Pasqual  ab r h bi
Hipwell lf     4 2 1 1  Demmianiuk 3b 4 2 2 0 
Kohel rf       4 3 2 1  Harrison rf   2 0 1 0
Wallace 3b     4 3 3 5  Homan ph-rf   2 1 1 1
Uy cf          4 3 1 0  Graves cf     3 1 2 5
Thomas p       5 1 2 2  McCollister c 2 0 0 0
Guthro pr      0 1 0 0  Huffman c     2 0 0 0
Ingrassia c    5 0 3 1  Ponce rf      2 1 1 0
Iuliano pr     0 1 0 0  Rowen ph-rf   2 0 0 0
Gallo pr       0 1 0 0  Bowers dp     4 1 1 0
Metsch 1b      4 0 1 0  BSwitzer 2b   3 1 1 0
Schmidt ph     1 1 1 1  Barnett 1b    1 1 1 1
Howard 2b      2 0 0 1  Hay ph        3 1 0 0
Iuliano ph     2 0 1 1  DSwitzer ss   3 1 2 3
Federico 1b    3 1 1 2  
TOTALS     38 17 16 15  TOTALS    34 10 13 10

  Valhalla   (20-12)  005 722 1 - 17 16 1
  San Pasqual(16-14)  020 035 0 - 10 13 7

GWRBI-Wallace.
E-BSwitzer 2, DSwitzer 3, Powell, Graves,
Federico. LOB-Val 7, SP 4. 2B-Kohel, Barnett,
Demmianiuk. 3B-Hipwell, Graves. HR-Wallace 2
(13), 3rd, two on, 6th, one on; Thomas (10),
3rd, one on; Graves, 5th, two on. CS-Hipwell.
S-BSwitzer. SF-Federico.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Valhalla          ip   h   r  er  bb  so
 Thomas W        5.2  11   9   8   1   1
 Madara          1.1   2   1   1   0   1
San Pasqual
 Flores L        3.2   8  12   2   4   4
 Switzer         0.1   1   0   0   2   0
 Powell          3.0   7   5   3   1   1
WP-Flores, Powell. PB-Ingrassia.
T-3:27.

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (5-30-14) — On a night when the Valhalla High record book needed several chapters to be heavily updated, the Norsemen earned an opportunity to capture the program's second CIF championship by advancing to the Division 2 title game after downing top-seeded Eastlake and San Pasqual in Thursday's (May 29) playoff action at Sportsplex USA.

In the process, senior third baseman CARLEE WALLACE also created a new page in East County and Grossmont Conference ledgers, slugging a pair of home runs against the Golden Eagles to give her a new record with 13 for the season.

In addition, senior MIRANDA THOMAS went deep once in each ballgame to fuel the offense, lifting her season total to 10 to also register a major dent among the legion of all-time home run hitters.

Valhalla, forced to win twice to escape the losers bracket, raced to a pair of early leads in both contests to down Eastlake, 6-2, then San Pasqual, 17-10, in the highest-scoring postseason game (team and combined) in school history.

The previous single-game scoring mark was 13 in a 2003 shutout of Hilltop.

Wallace tied the record with a go-ahead shot in the 3rd inning. Down 2-0, San Pasqual registered two quick outs, but an error and a walk brought Wallace to the plate.

Her first swing was a line shot down the left-field line, but it duck-hooked foul. So the San Pasqual coach came to the circle to talk to the pitcher.

"I felt they were going to throw me the same pitch, which they did," recalled Wallace. "But this time, I was better able to wait on the ball and took it out.

DANIELLE UY reached base on the second error of the inning by the same defender, setting up Thomas for her 2-run shot to an identical spot beyond the barrier in left field.

Among the first dozen Valhalla runs, 10 came unearned, as the Golden Eagles finished with seven errors. But the Norsemen also came through with timely hitting to drive those runners in, including a 2-run single by No. 9 hitter LadySARAH FEDERICO, when the ballclub posted seven more runs in the 4th to mount a 12-2 cushion.

Carlee Wallace (20) is greeted at home plate following her East County record 13th homer of the season for Valhalla to reach the championship ballgame,. (Photo by Erica Ingrassia)

The contest then dragged over the final 90 minutes with a series of slow substitutions, a brief meeting of the protest committee, then San Pasqual scored just enough runs in the bottom of the 5th and 6th innings – once on a 3-run homer by Noelle Graves – to avoid the run rule and extend the contest even longer.

It was hideous and laughable at the same time in an outing which lasted 3:27 hours and ended just moments before 11 p.m. But when your on the up-side of a 10-run margin, such anxiety was easy to withstand.

Especially in the 6th when Wallace registered her record homer. Following a basehit by Kohel, she took an extra base when an outfielder whiffed on picking up the ball. San Pasqual pitched to Wallace despite an open base, sending another blast to left field.

"I didn't think it was a big deal – I just wanted to get some more runs because San Pasqual wasn't rolling over," said Wallace. "But when I got to the dugout, that's all the players were talking about, saying 'that's No. 13, that's no. 13.'"

For the ballgame, Wallace went 3-for-4 with three runs and five RBI. In addition, freshman catcher LEXI INGRASSIA batted 3-for-5.

The Norsemen (20-12) reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2005, when they posted a solid 26-6-3 mark, one year after capturing their lone CIF title in 2004, taking the Division 2 crown by downing West Hills 2-1 (10 innings), Patrick Henry 3-0, and Escondido 1-0.

In addition, the ballcub has clouted 39 homers this season, two shy of the CIFSDS mark.

East County Sports' Game of the Week  Presented By...              ...Celebrating Our First Anniversary! Sat., May 31 CIF Division 2 Championship Valhalla vs. Mater Dei Catholic, at UCSD, 2 p.m.

The ballgame remained scoreless until the 4th, when Thomas slugged a 3-run homer. Hipwell started the rally with a double, Wallace singled, but was erased on a fielder's choice by Uy before Thomas pulled the ball to deep left.

The blast came off Eastlake pitcher Samantha Manti, who had retired the first nine batters, when she registered six of her nine strikeouts.

Both teams scored twice in the 6th.

In the 7th, Valhalla saw Ingrassia belt a ground-rule double, moved to third on a ABIGAIL METSCH bunt, then Hipwell lifted a ground-rule double to center for the RBI.

Valhalla's Ashley Madara fired her second straight shutout in limiting host Valley Center to just six singles in a 10-0 Norsemen triumph. (Photo by Erica Ingrassia)

Many would argue this didn't happened, especially if you were a member of the Valhalla Norsemen, which played eight teams from the current Open Division and posting five victories along with a second-place finish in the strong Grossmont Hills League.

Unfortunately, the CIF "awarded" the ballclub with a low No. 8 seed, then were eliminated in the Play-In round.

This season, the seeding for the Norsemen was even lower at No. 10, meaning a long succession of road games away from Leto Field.

However, Valhalla is thriving as road warriors.

On Tuesday (May 27), the Norsemen gained their third postseason triumph after driving at 45 minutes from Orange Nation, this time traveling almost to Riverside County to registering a surprising run-rule victory at Valley Center, 10-0 in six innings, in a Division I elimination contest.

The decision advances Valhalla into the challenger bracket semifinals on Thursday, to be held at Sportsplex USA in Santee . A pair of victories are needed that day to gain a berth in Saturday's championship round at UC San Diego.

Valhalla is slated to meet top-seeded Eastlake at 3 p.m., with the victory meeting the loser of the 5 p.m. winners bracket final between San Pasqual and Mater Dei Catholic in a 7:30 p.m. start.

Colliding for a Valley Center foul popup is Valhalla catcher Lexi Ingrassia (18) and third baseman Carlee Wallace. (Photo by Erica Ingrassia)

In addition, it was Wallace's 11th homer of the season, tying her for third place on the East County-Metro single season list with former West Hills standout KASEY MYTINGER in 2005. The record is 12, meaning Wallace will have at least one additional contest to equal the mark.

Two pitches later, DANIELLE UY also homered for a 3-0 Valhalla lead. In the 3rd, freshman catcher LEXI INGRASSIA belt a 3-run shot, also scoring MIRANDA THOMAS and EMLY HOWARD.

The power display backed the shutout pitching by LASHLEY MADARA.. The senior allowed just six singles and struck out four in posting her second consecutive postseason shutout. She matched the feat of former El Capitan standout DELANIE GOURLEY (who's now playing the Women's College World Series with Florida), who turned the trick over each of past two seasons.

Hipwell paced the offense by batting 5-for-5, while Ingrassia went 2-for-2 with a walk, collecting three RBI.

Division 2
EASTLAKE 3, PATRICK HENRY 2 — Speaking about problems with the revamped CIF playoff system, the powers that be decided to schedule the crossover games between the upper ad lower brackets one round earlier than normal, leaving this unfortunate elimination match-up between the top two seeded teams in the division.

The No. 2-seeded Patriots grabbed at 2-0 lead, the but the top-seeded Titans roared back with a pair of unearned runs in the 6th inning to tie it, then won in walk-off fashion in the 7th to end the season for Patrick Henry, which entered the tournament rated seventh in the state in Division 2 by Cal-Hi Sports.

The offense was fueled by CASSIE VAN TIL, the centerpiece in both rallies.

Patrick Henry opened the scoring in 3rd inning when SYDNEY JAMES singled, moved to second base on a passed ball, then scored when Van Til found the gap in left-center field for an RBI double.

In her next at-bat in the 5th, Van Til did one better, ripping a triple, then scored on a deep sacrifice fly to center by CRISTIONA "C.C." CACCAMISE.

However, Eastlake got even on a two-out throwing error allowing the hosts to get even. A key to the inning was a ball driven down the left-field line which was deemed foul by Patrick Henry defenders, but a late fair call came from the umpire.

The extra batter affected the game's outcome an inning later.

With the Titans able to turn over their batting order, senior shortstop Haydn Christensen (the leadoff batter) was able to gain an extra at-bat, when she singled home a runner from second base.

The game-clinching basehit, making a winner of sophomore pitcher Samantha Manti (16-8), who registered eight strikeouts, including five by the middle of the Patriots line-up.

MADISON JAMES was the hard-luck lose despite tossing a 5-hitter. She struck out four batters.

Earlier, Christensen was robbed by Patriots third baseman MADDY BARRAZA by lining out to the junior, who then fired across the diamond to DANI ROMERO at first base for a double play.

Senior pitcher Megan Leyva survived allowing two runs to the Falcons in the 6th by delivering the game-winning basehit, sending a basehit up the middle to bring home shortstop Natalie Peters (single, advanced on a walk) from second bas.

Following five scoreless frames, the Falcons broke through with a pair of run-scoring singles by the bottom half of the batting order.

The rally started when MICHAELA PRINCE doubled to left-center, then a ball hit by ALISON PETTY was booted to place runners on the corners. A ground out advance Petty while Prince held her ground, then consecutive RBI singles to left by BRITTANI LAUTER and KERRI RITTER – both sophomores – gave Scripps Ranch the lead.

The Falcons finished an up-and-down season with a 13-16-1 ledger. The ballclub loses only two seniors in shortstop SUSANNE MORRIS (to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo) and catcher BRYANNA DATKO (Texas-Arlington).

Torrey Pines catcher Shelbianne Evans lined this basehit up the middle for the game-winning run in the 8th inning, leading the Falcons past West Hills, 5-4, in CIF Open Division action. (Photos by Kelli Kaelber, TPHS parent) Torrey Pines nips West Hills in extra innings By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com CARMEL VALLEY (5-25-14) — Torrey Pines junior catcher Shelbianne Evans slapped an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning Saturday (May 24), allowing the host Falcons to stun West Hills, 5-4, in a CIF Open Division elimination contest. Evans, part of all-left-handed battery with pitcher Monroe Peed, sent a sharp grounder up the middle, offsetting a West Hills run in the top of the frame. "I'm just trying to hit the ball hard and put it in play," said Evans. "The entire team fought hard because we didn't want to lose." Emma Wong opened the rally with a single to left, moving to second base on a wild pitch. Emily Wolking beat the throw to first for a bunt single, then Stavi Augur tied the ballgame with a sacrifice fly to right field. Two batters later, Evans delivered the game-winner for the two-time defending Division 1 champions.. "There have been so many games we lost in the 7th inning this year," noted Augur. "It was nice that our hard work allowed us to win one like that." The difference of two defensive plays looked to be the difference in favor of the Pack. Tied at 3-all in the 6th, Augur sent a deep drive to left-center field. However, West Hills centerfielder BRANDY McCRYSTAL raced to the fence and grabbed the ball to rob the freshman from Encinitas. Many observers believed the ball was ticketed to sail over the 3-foot fence. Two innings later, a ball which evaded the Falcons defense gave West Hills the lead in the 9th. Following a two-out double by RYLEIGH DOBYNS, KAYCEE AQUININGOC sent a sharp grounder up the middle. However, the ball tipped off the glove of Torrey Pines' back-up shortstop, slowing the ball just enough as it trickled into the outfield to allow Dobyns to take an extra base to score and secure a 4-3 advantage. West Hills catcher CORTNEY HORNE batted 2-for-4 in what turned out to be her final high school contest. Horne went 2-for-4, including a 2-out single in the 1st, eventually scoring on a wild pitch to grab the early lead. In her next at-bat, she clouted a home run to left field despite an ocean breeze. The other Wolf Pack run came in the 4th when KELCI ELLIS-ALVAREZ singled, with courtesy runner MELISSA CASTILLO scoring on a deep double by PAIGE BOWLER. Note: Torrey Pines head coach Jon Moore entered the season tied for first place for most career wins by a North County coach. Division 4 ESCONDIDO CHARTER 10, MONTE VISTA 6 — Another slow start meant elimination from the CIF Division 4 tournament for the Monarchs after the host White Tigers scored in every inning in Saturday's (May 24) second round game at Kit Carson Park. "Once again, we gave up five runs in the 1st inning," said Monte Vista coach JOE DE MARS. "But the team kept fighting. If you would've told me we'd bring the tying run to the plate, I would take it." After the big inning by Escondido Charter, they added single runs every inning thereafter to mount a 10-3 lead. But Monte Vista never rolled over. In the 7th inning, consecutive basehits by SIERRA GOLDHAGEN, GEENA HENDERSON, HANNA CAOLE, VASSIE CALDERON and BRITTANY JACOBSON resulted in three runs. However, the ballclub left the potential game-tying run at the on-deck circle in falling just short. "We're a young team and will return a bunch of players for next season. We can carry over this experience to keep getting better," added the coach. The Monarchs finished the season with an even 13-13 record, the school's best since going 17-12-1 in 2006.

© East County Sports.com
EL CENTRO (5-25-14) — Valhalla high senior CARLEE WALLACE became the eighth player in East County history to register 10 home runs in a single season Saturday (May 24), lifting the Norsemen to a 7-0 pasting of El Centro-Southwest in a CIF Division 1 elimination contest.

"We just TCB'd: took care of business," said Valhalla head coach Mark Obney. "This was also our trip trip to El Centro,, including two this week, but we're undefeated there."

The Norsemen, which enter the second week of postseason competition for the third time in five seasons, next travel to far North County to meet Valley Center on Tuesday (May 27) at 3:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Valhalla pitcher ASHLEY MADARA survived 97-degree temperatures to toss a complete-game shutout. She stranded four runners at third base throughout the afternoon, finishing with a 5-hitter of the Eagles.

Valhalla scored three times in the 2rd inning, then added two more in the 5th and 7th to pull away.

EMILY HOWARD opened the scoring by drilling a double down the left-field line, coming home on a double to the gap in right-center field off the bat of BRANDI KOHEL. Wallace followed by jumping on a change up for her homer to center.

With the bases loaded in the 5th, DANIELLE UY delivered a clutch, 2-run single to center field. The blow was set up when KAILEY HIPWELL bunted for a scratch single and Kohel walked. Southwest wanted nothing to do with Wallace, so they hit her with a pitch, perferring to face Uy, but that strategy back-fired.

WHen Wallace batted again in the 7th, the Eagles elected to pitch to the senior, but she kept her hot streak going with a sharp single to right, moving to third base on a double by Uy. A wild pitch scored Wallace, then pinch-hitter EMILY ORDONEZ grounded out to the right side to plate Uy.

On defense, Uy in center field and Wallace at third base were credited with several keys stops to aid Madara's shutout.

Division 1
Martin, Lipe, power Scripps Ranch in upset

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
VISTA (5-25-14) — Scripps Ranch High pitcher MAKAYLA MARTIN drilled a 3-run homer, while sophomore LAUREN LIPE drove in the go-ahead run in the 8th inning Saturday (May 24), lifting the visiting Falcons to an upset of Rancho Buena Vista, 4-3, in a CIF Division 1 elimination ballgame.

The Longhorns created one last chance to extend the contest deeper into extra innings, but a strange double play turned by the Scripps Ranch defense found the final out recorded at the plate.

With RBV runners on first and second, Falcons right fielder BRITTANI LAUTER caught a deep pop fly for the second out.

"The runner at second went to third, so Brittani threw the ball to SUSANNE (MORRIS, the shortstop covering second base)," said head coach ALEXA DATKO. "But then the runner at first came off the base and got into a rundown."

Morris fired the ball to CASSIDY DAVIS as the runner at third headed home. So the first baseman relayed the throw home, where catcher BRYANNA DATKO made the tag for a strange 9-6-3-2 double play.

Martin opened the scoring with a 3-run homer to left-center field in the 4th inning, also scoring Lipe and MICHAELA PRINCE, who both singled. RBV answered with three runs in the 5th before Scripps Ranch broke through in the first extra frame.

With two outs, KERRI RITTER and Datko both walked, then Lipe sent a chopper up the middle.

"We got a little lucky because the ball went off the pitcher, then off the end of the glove of the shortstop," added the coach on the go-ahead single.

Scripps Ranch will meet nearby rival Mt. Carmel in Tuesday's (May 27) third round contest, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Division 2
MATER DEI CATHOLIC 11, PATRICK HENRY 9 — The Crusaders tallied three times in each of their first three trips to the plate to mount a 9-2 cushion before staving off a late rally by the host Patriots in Saturday's (May 24) Division 2 winners bracket semifinals in San Carlos.

Freshman Eva Gonzales slugged a 2-run homer in the 1st to jump-start MDC, while juniors Anissa Carrillo and Alexis Morales recorded three hits each.

Patrick Henry second baseman SIERRA ALTMEYER fueled the comeback with a 2-run homer in the 4th. She was walked on three of her other four trips to the plate.

Third baseman MADDY BARRAZA and catcher CRISTIONA "C.C." CACCAMISE each posted three hits for the Pats, including a Barraza double to fuel a 14-hit attack. Two hits were also collected by MONTANA POTTS, CASSIE VANTIL and DANI ROMERO.

However, far too many defensive miscues and errors left the comeback to steep to accomplish.

The second-seeded Patriots next face a difficult elimination contest on Tuesday at top-seeded Eastlake . MDC, the third seed, meets No.9 San Pasqual in the winners bracket final.

Division 3
CLAIREMONT 4, SERRA 3 (11 inn.) — Chieftains No. 9 batter Kim Rose stroked a tie-breaking single in the bottom of the 11th inning, leading Clairemont to end visiting Serra's season in a D3 affair.

Rose, who was earlier lifted for a pinch-hitter, was re-entered into the ballgame and delivered with a liner up the middle to score Yasmine Jameson. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, then Jameson advanced on a passed ball, an illegal pitch when the pitcher stopped her motion.

Ariana Huffman followed with a ground ball, but after the runner was checked at third, the throw was too late for an infield single. Rose then collected her walk-off winner.

"It's okay that coach (Lori Schmersal) hit for me," said Rose. "She's trying to play everyone and she's always fair."

"But I was glad to get another chance."

The ballgame was tied at 3-all through 2 ½ innings before the pitchers took over.

Serra pitcher DARBY TIBBETTS allowed three runs in the 1st, capped by a 2-run double by Kate Braunsdorf, then fired 9 2/3 innings of shutout ball before getting tagged for an unearned run in the 11th.

The Conquistadors comeback saw JORDYNN BARTOLOME double in both CAITLIN LAWLER (single to center) and VAL VALADEZ (single to left) in the 2nd.

In the 3rd, the Lady Q's equalized on consecutive basehits by AMBER WOZNIAK, ASHLEY BLAKELY and TAYLOR CURLEY.

Wozniak finished with three of Serra's 12 hits. Blakely, Curley and Tibbetts added two hits each.

For Clairemont, Huffman and Kourtney Aimelfoa had three hits each.

Patrick Henry's Dani Romero is somewhere in the middle of this mass of humanity after she belted her second home run of the ballgame, a walk-off, 2-run shot in the bottom of the 8th inning to shock Valhalla, 9-7, in CIF Division 2 action. (Photo by Cheryl Cruz)

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
SAN CARLOS (5-23-14) — Patrick Henry High sophomore DANI ROMERO capped a record-breaking display of power with a walk-off, 2-run homer in the 8th inning, lifting the Patriots to a dramatic 9-7 decision over Valhalla in Thursday's (May 22) first round of the CIFSDS Division 2 girls fastpitch championship.

The homer was the sixth of the contest (five by the Pats) to set a section playoff record. It was also Romero's second home of the ballgame, giving her three multi-homer games over the past three weeks.

"Really, all I wanted to do was hit the ball hard, but on the ground," said Romero, who also a established a school record with her 10th homer of the season. "I have been popping-up a lot, but I really wanted to advance HANNAH (McEWEN).

"But my swing was really level and I hit it hard."

The homer was the second of the inning.

After Patrick Henry scored with two outs in the 7th on a SYDNEY JAMES basehit to rally from a pair of 3-run deficits, Valhalla answered right back to re-take the lead when DANIELLE UY blasted a one-out homer to right-center field for a 7-6 advantage.

However, the Pats would also respond in the thrilling contest which also proved agonizing for both ballclubs and their fans.

Freshman catcher CRISTIONA "C.C." CACCAMISE went to center field with a one-out homer to again knot the score at 7-7. McEwen followed with a line single to left, then with two out, Romero struck for her game-winner.

In all, Patrick Henry collected five homers. Added with Uy's blast, the game total of six set a new section postseason mark, and is enough to warrant inclusion in the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book.

Caccamise, who is known for her pro tennis-like grunt when hitting the ball, doesn't mind the minor ribbing she receives, especially when she's able to go deep.

"It's just me breathing out because I hold my breath when I swing because I'm all pumped up," she noted. "All I know is that this was the craziest game I've ever played in -- high school or club."

Valhalla raced to a quick 3-0 lead, capped by a squeeze bunt by MIRANDA THOMAS to score Uy in the 3rd.

However, the Patriots answered with a surge of power, pumping three solo homers in the 3rd.

With one out, Romero found the right-field corner to make it 3-1. Then with two out, MADDY BARRAZA (left line) and SYDNEY JAMES (right-center) went for consecutive shots to pull even.

The Norsemen were not fazed, rebounding with three runs in the 4th after the first three batters reached on a hit batter, single and a walk.

CARLEE WALLACE followed by lining a drive over Romero's head for a double into the right-field corner, scoring catcher ALEXIS "Lexi" INGRASSIA and outfielder KAILEY HIPWELL. Thomas followed with a basehit, allowing Uy to score the second of her three runs on the afternoon.

Down 6-3, Patrick Henry got two back in the 5th when ANYA VANDERSIP lined a 2-run single to left, bringing home Caccamise and SIERRA ALTMEYER.

On Saturday, Patrick Henry hosts Mater Dei Catholic in the winners' bracket semifinals. Meanwhile, Valhalla will again travel to Imperial Valley for an elimination contest against El Centro-Southwest.

Division 1
CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 3, SCRIPPS RANCH 1 — In a game of sticks and stone, the Lady Dons saw their streak of scoring in double figures end at six, but their winning streak reached 14 after nipping the visiting Falcons.

The top seeds, Cathedral scored once over the first three innings, then limited Scripps Ranch to just three total hits.

The lone Falcons run came in the 6th when SUSANNE MORRIS was safe on an error, then was safe at second base when the Lady Dons tried to nail the lead runner on a grounder by MAKAYLA MARTIN, but Morris beat the throw.

A passed ball advanced both runners, then sophomore BRITTANI LAUTER drilled a run-scoring basehit up the middle.

The other hits for Scripps Ranch were recorded by Martin (single to right in the 1st) and LAUREN LIPE (single to the hole at shortstop in the 3rd).

Division 3
HILLTOP 11, SERRA 6 — AMBER WOZNIAK and ASHLEY NLAKELY pounded consecutive home runs in the 1st inning, eventually building a 4-0 advantage. However, the Lancers answered with five runs in the 2nd, going on to take Thursday's (May 22) Division 3 fgirst round game in the South Bay.

The hot start by the Q's saw BROOKE RUSSELL reach on an error. She went 0-for-4, yet reached base three times on half of Hilltop's six defensive misques.

Wozniak followed by drilling a 2-2 pitch over the barrier in center field fo a 2-0 lead. Blakely followed with a blast also to center for a 3-0 advantage.

In the 2nd, LILY CANFIELD led off with a basehit. Courtesy runner JADZIA FREED then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by VAL VALADEZ, a grounder to the right side by JORDYNN BARTOLOME, then Russell reached on an error to score the run.

Hilltop scored five times in the 2nd for a 5-4 lead, then posted three runs in the 5th and 6th innings.

Serra capped the scoring on Blakely's second homer, a lead-off shot to center in the 7th. The first baseman now has five homers on the season.

Division 4
OCEANSIDE 10, MONTE VISTA 3 — The second-seeded Pirates bounded to a quick 5-0 lead before the Monarchs could get into gear in Thursday's (May 27) CIF Division 4 first round contest.

Monte Vista pitcher GEENA HENDERSON was tagged over the initial trip through the batting order, then settled in and set down the 11 consecutive Oceanside batters. The solid pitching stretch allowed Monte Vista to move to within 5-3 before the Bucs pulled away late.

The rally saw the Monarchs post a run in the 2nd, then two more in the 3rd on a booming double to left-center field by SIERRA GOLDHAGEN, scoring both CYANNA MOODY and ASHLEY MORAN (consecutive singles).

Following a 1st-inning, 2-run homer by West Hills' Kendall Marinesi, the Pack received a 3-run homer by Sydney Craven (left) in the 3rd, then a 2-run shot by Alex Guay (right) in the 5th against Carlsbad. The Lancers captured the CIF Open Division opener, 10-9. (Photos by Shuree Horne)

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
CARLSBAD (5-22-14) — The ball was jumping all over the place, making for a dramatic opener in the CIFSDS Open Division championship.

For West Hills High, the movement of the ball was both welcome and troublesome.

On the positive side, the Wolf Pack erupted for three home runs – by KENDALL MARINESI, SYDNEY CRAVEN and ALEX GUAY – all multi-run shots against second seeded Carlsbad. But when the ball also bounced off their gloves on several occasions, the Lancers took advantage with seven unearned runs, including the tie-breaking marker in the 6th inning to claim a 10-9 triumph.

The Pack twice trailed by four runs (6-2 and 9-5) before finally leveling the score in the decisive 6th inning.

After going with the long ball for their first seven runs, the inning started with a line single to left-center field by SIERRA SCHLICTING, then KAYCCEE AQUININGOC was hit in the foot by a pitch.

BRANDY McCRYSTAL blasted a line drive ticketed for the left-field corner, but the ball was snagged at third base for the first out.

However, a wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, with Marinesi following with a sharp RBI single to center, then CORTNEY HORNE lifted a deep sacrifice fly to center to bring home Aquiningoc to tie the ballgame.

Carlsbad senior catcher Erika Piancastelli (Shuree Horne photo) Valhalla High seeks JV softball coach for '15 Details: contact school

The power Pack saw the ballgame's first two batters score, as McCrystal walked, then Marinesi blasted a 2-run shot to center.

However, several errors and a pair of walks allowed Carlsbad to score six times on its first turn at the plate.

"We couldn't hit the ball better," said West Hills head coach MIKE APPLEBAUM. "But when you can't catch the ball and give away runs, it's really difficult to overcome."

Craven trimmed the deficit to 6-5 with a 3-run shot to left-center which sailed beyond the boundary of the softball complex and into the bungalows. A reported was situated just a few feet from where the ball landed, stepping off a 254-foot bash.

Then in the 5th, Horne lined a basehit to left. Guay followed with an identical liner to left, but her ball had elevation and went out for a 2-run blast to make it 9-7.

Note: West Hills' KATIE BYRD, one of East County 's top hitters who missed most of her senior season with an injury, was cleared to play last week. She batted 1-for-3 on Senior Day against Helix, then grounded out as a pinch-hitter against Carlsbad.

CIF SAN DIEGO SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS – Play-In Games

East County Sports' Games of the Week  Presented By...                 ...Celebrating its First Anniversary! DIVISION 1 Wallace's whack lifts Valhalla By Nick Pellegrino © East County Sports.com IMPERIAL (5-21-14) — Valhalla High slugger CARLEE WALLACE is really making up for lost time – and in a big way. Carlee Wallace Other Views Imperial Valley Press   Missing the first month of the season due to the CIF transfer rule, the Auburn bound senior cranked her school-record 9th home run of the season Tuesday (May 20), which was the difference in the Norsemen's 3-1 triumph over the Imperial Tigers in the Division I play-in game of the San Diego Section championships. Wallace went to the opposite field with her tie-breaking, 2-run shot in the 6th inning, capping a three RBI performance. East County (Metro) Record Book Most Home Runs, Single Season   HR    Name, School Year 12 12 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Amber Schisler, Santana Kayti Grable, Santana Kasey Mytinger, West Hills Terese Diaz, Ramona-Helix* Kayti Grable, Santana Mary Grabowski, Christian Molly Hutchison, Steele Canyon Carlee Wallace, Valhalla  Lorena Klopp, Steele Canyon Miranda Thomas, Valhalla Amber Schisler, Santana Aubrie May, Grossmont Alyssa Dronenburg, Helix Hannah Rost, Steele Canyon Kelley Seitz, Valhalla Melissa Owens, Christian 2012 2010 2005 2008 2012 2012 2012 2014 2007 2014 2013 2010 2008 2007 2005 2004  *CIFSDS allowed mid-season transfer. The senior went small ball to open the scoring. In the 1st inning, KYLIE HIPWELL returned to the lineup to drill a leadoff double to right-center field. DANIELLE UY bunted her to third, then Wallace simply placed her bat onto the ball for a lazy sacrifice fly to right field. However, Imperial answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame before both pitchers dug in while the sun set in the Imperial Valley. In sharp contrast to the ballclubs' meeting on May 3 (an 11-0 pasting by the Tigers), Norsemen starter MIRANDA THOMAS was a rock in the circle, closing the contest with 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball. In the 6th, with Uy on base, Wallace decided not to pull the ball in the blustery conditions, with winds blowing in from left field at upwards of 20 miles per hour. So she went with an outside pitch and deposited the ball to the opposite field in right. The homer broke her 3-way tie with Thomas and former All-East County standout Kelley Seitz (2005) for the school mark. Wallace is now tied with current San Diego State standout LORENA (KLOPP) BAUER of Steele Canyon for 8th place on the East County single-season home run list, with at least two more contests available to become the seventh place to reach double figures in a season. Imperial (20-5) had one last chance in the 7th after placing a pair of runners in scoring position, with both poised to score when the next Tigers batter hit a hard one-hopper which deflected off Thomas' glove. However, second baseman EMILY HOWARD was able to stop, change directions to field the ball, then fired to first base in time to end the ballgame. despite the appeal of Tigers head coach ANDREA HORTON, an all-East County standout out of Helix from the late 1990s. Valhalla (16-11) enters the double-elimination portion of the D2 playoffs Thursday with a much milder road trip, meeting Eastern League champion Patrick Henry (24-6), the top seed, in San Carlos.

© East County Sports.com
NATIONAL CITY (5-21-14) — One of the most grievous errors by the CIF seeding committee was this 8/9 match-up, forcing Serra to go to National City to meet Sweetwater. Both were third-place teams in league, but comparing the powerful Eastern League to the Metro Pacific League would be a joke.... until the Red Devils were somehow rewarded with home-field advantage.

However, give the Devils their due, keeping up in Tuesday's (May 20) scoreless contest until sophomore shortstop AMBER WOZNIAK delivered a 2-run homer in the 6th inning, delivering the Conquistadors this Division 3 triumph, 2-0.

Through five innings, Serra struggled against the slow Sweetwater pitching, collecting just two hits, including one by No. 9 hitter VAL VALADEZ. But when she came up again to leadoff the 6th inning, she promptly drilled a double to right-center field.

JORDYNN BARTOLOME followed with a sacrifice bunt, but the next batter was out on a tapper back to the pitcher, leaving Sweetwater with a choice. They could either pitch to Wozniak, or walk her with an open base to face clean-up batter ASHLEY BLAKELY.

In just their second pitchers' duel of the season (they lost to The Bishop's, 3-2), the inexperienced Sweetwater coaches decided to pitch to Wozniak... who sent a shot to center field. Wozniak leads the Lady Q's with five home runs and 32 RBI this season.

Following the celebration, Blakely let everyone know she was fully prepared, too, lambasting a shot off the fence in left-center field for a double.

Meanwhile, Serra pitcher DARBY TIBBETTS completed her shutout. She struck out two without issuing a walk, but the Red Devils did collect seven basehits (all singles), as the bottom third of the Sweetwater batting order went 4-for-9.

Included were consecutive knocks by the trio to open the 5th. However, Serra left fielder CAITLIN LAWLER made a nice catch, then fired the ball to Wozniak covering second base to double-up a Sweetwater runner.

Serra also turned a double play in the 3rd inning to aid Tibbetts.

For Serra, TAYLOR CURLEY also posted a double.

The Conquistadors return to the South Bay to open the double-elimination section of the D3 tournament. On Thursday, they meet top-seeded Hilltop, which listed its record as 18-9 (10-0 in league) on CIF documents, but all other media sources state the Lancers have just 17 wins (only five in league) – no wonder the CIF seeding committee had such a difficult time!

EASTERN LEAGUE SCHOOLS
Prince's majestic outing fuels the Falcons

© East County Sports.com
CARLSBAD (5-21-14) — Sophomore second baseman MICHAELA PRINCE batted 3-for-4, including key hits in both rallies to fuel visiting Scripps Ranch to a mild upset of La Costa Canyon, 5-3, in Thursday's (May 20) 8/9 matchup in the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 championships.

Prince delivered the final of three Falcons doubles in the 1st inning for a quick 2-0 lead, then singled to load the bases to start the 3rd, an inning when Scripps Ranch posted three more runs to take command at 5-1.

ALISON PETTY tossed 5 1/3 strong innings to get the pitching win, striking out five. But when the Mavericks started to get to her for a run in the 6th, MAKAYLA MARTIN entered to garner the save, allowing just one basehit over the final six LCC batters.

"When we get clutch hitting like that, we're pretty tough to beat," said Falcons head coach ALEXA DATKO. "There were stretches this season when we couldn't produce much offense, but since we beat Mira Mesa, everyone in our line-up has been hitting the ball."

The hitting started with the very first batter when BRYANNA DATKO (the coach's sister) led off with a booming double to left-center field, followed by a one-out double to the same space by SUSANNE MORRIS to open the scoring. And when Prince found the left-field line on her double to the corner, it took only about 10 pitches in leaping to a quick 2-0 advantage.

In the 3rd, the Mavericks set the Falcons' plate to a big inning with errors on the first two batters -- LAUREN LIPE and Morris -- before Prince singled to load the bases.

A ground ball by Petty saw the Mavs throw home, but too late to nail Lipe for a run. Two outs later, left fielder EMMA RUCKER collected her biggest hit of the season with a run-scoring single, then Datko walked to force in another run.

Rucker, a sophomore, finished with two hits for the Falcons, who meet top-seeded and No.1 ranked Cathedral Catholic (24-2) in Carmel Valley on Thursday.

The Warriors rallied from an early 1-run deficit with markers in the 4th and 7th inning to send Mira Mesa packing.

The trouble started when they gave up first place in the Eastern League with second-round losses to eventual champion Patrick Henry and Scripps Ranch, then two key starters were lost when they became academically ineligible.

The final straw came when Warriors junior Brooke Koran delivered a clutch RBI single with two outs in the 7th. The line single to right field scored Jenna Murphy, who opened the inning with a walk, moved to second base on a Morgan Pilbin sacrifice bunt, then took two bases on Koran's drive to the opposite field.

Earlier, Mira Mesa scored its leadoff batter in the 2nd inning.

Junior POSITION KYLIE NELSON lined a single to center, then was safe at second when a ball hit to KENDRA HALL went for a fielder's choice when the Fallbrook throw to second base was late.

Two outs later, KRISTEN PARKER's hard grounder to shortstop was booted, making the Marauders' lone run unearned.

The leadoff walk also placed Fallbrook on the scoreboard in the 4th. Dani DeVera accepted the free pass, then promptly scored when Koran doubled.

For the contest, Koran had a part in both Fallbrook runs, going 2-for-2 with a walk, a run and an RBI.

Mira Mesa pitcher ALICIA GARCIA finished with a 5-hitter. She struck out five, but both batters who walked eventually scored in suffering the setback.

The Marauders had runners on base in every inning, but stranded the bases loaded in the 1st, but hit into inning-ending double plays in the 5th and 6th innings, allowing Koran to gain the pitching victory.

Fallbrook (15-9) next meets second-seeded Otay Ranch on Thursday. Mira Mesa's season ends with a 17-10 mark.

Granite Hills' Halle Kyler scores the Eagles' first run to overcome a 4-0 deficit. However, after rying the game, San Pasqual went on to win, 10-4, in a CIF Division 2 Play-In game. Granite Hills third baseman Victoria Hathaway easily handles a soft line drive by San Pasqual. (Photos by Don Wall) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

GROSSMONT CONFERENCE TEAMS
Monarchs turning the corner

© East County Sports.com
SPRING VALLEY (5-21-14) — Advancing to postseason competition once was routine at Monte Vista High before hard times hit the program. Now, the Monarchs earned an opportunity to do something which the school hasn't accomplished in nearly a decade -- win a first-round game in the CIF playoffs.

On Tuesday (May 20), Monte Vista earned that chance following a 12-2 run-rule blowout of lowly Hoover in the Division 4 play-in game, moving into the main draw for the double-elimination section of the San Diego Section tournament.

With a victory against second-seeded (yet hardly scary) Oceanside or in the following ballgame, it would be the Monarchs' first main draw triumph since 2007. The Pirates (12-8), which only finished fourth in North County 's Valley League, do not own any quality wins this season, with one minor exception.

"They beat us in the first week of the season at the Pacific Beach Classic, 6-3," recalled Monarchs coach JOE DeMARS. "We had a 3-2 lead, but they scored four times in the 7th inning, but we're a completely better team than what we were back in March."

One improving attribute is putting away opponents early. Against the Cardinals, four runs in the 1st and 2nd innings made it 8-0, then three more in the bottom of the 5th invoked the run rule on a 2-run double into the right-field corner by CASSIE CALDERON.

Calderon, a sophomore third baseman who was called from the junior varsity, finished with three RBI in her varsity debut, giving Monte Vista much more to work with when they travel to Oceanside.

Early on, CYANNA MOODY and ASHLEY MORAN hit consecutive singles, both advanced on a double steal, then both scored on another basehit by GEENA HENDERSON for a quick 2-0 lead.

SIERRA GOLDHAGEN followed with an RBI single, then HANNA CAOLE lifted a sacrifice fly. Both balls went to center field..

In the 2nd, a series of four singles -- by Moran, Henderson, Goldhagen and Caole -- led two runs, with Calderon later adding another run-scoring basehit.

Meanwhile, Henderson tossed a 1-hitter at the Cardinals, which scored twice in the 3rd after two walks and a double as the only damage off the freshman right-hander.

Moran finished by batting 4-for-4, while Henderson recorded a pair of RBI singles.

RANCHO BUENA VISTA 3, EL CAPITAN 2 — The Vaqueros, seeded dead last in the Division 1 field of 12 teams, carried a 2-0 lead into the 7th inning, but couldn't collect the final three outs in a heart-breaking setback to the No. 5 seeded Longhorns in Vista.

RBV received a leadoff homer by Marisa Rosas, a four-base play (hit and two errors) by Lexi Terrones, then another solo homer by Fale Aviu to end El Cap's dream for an upset.

Meanwhile, the other three games in D-1 play were all won by visiting teams (Point Loma, Scripps Ranch and Fallbrook).

The Vaqueros built their lead with single markers in the 2nd and 6th innings.

With one out, RACHEL ACHENBACH singled, moved to second base on an AMANDA VASQUEZ bunt, then ERIN HUMPHRIES whacked an RBI double to right field (although she was out while stretching for third base).

With the top of the order also starting the 6th, GRACE BURKETT slapped for a basehit toward the hole at shortstop, Achenback singled to center, then Vasquez also singled for a 2-0 lead.

El Capitan pitcher KATIE CARMICHAEL, who is headed for Cornell, carried a 4-hit shutout through six frames.

SAN PASQUAL 10, GRANITE HILLS 4 — In a homecoming game of sorts for several club-ball teammates, the host Eagles rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie, but things fell apart over the final two innings as they were eliminated from the Division 2 CIF tournament by the Golden Eagles in another 8/9 pairing.

Noelle Graves scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the 6th, then San Pasqual added five more markers in the 7th to gain a bid with top-seeded Eastlake.

"Once we get going, it's pretty contagious for us," said Autumn McCollister, who played travel ball with several Granite Hills players, and is now considering an offer from CSU Dominguez Hills. "This is a good time for all of us to start hitting together."

Freshman catcher Samantha Barnett was the key, batting 3-for-4 and driving in three runs. Included was an RBI single to drive in the first run in the 7th.

"That ball seemed to wake all of us up," said Barnett.

A pair of walks and two errors allowed San Pasqual to grab a 4-0 lead in the 1st. The Eagles answered by loading the bases in the 1st, but couldn't get on the scoreboard until the 3rd.

Granite Hills scored three times -- all with two outs -- thanks to the team's top two hitters – HALLE KYLER (2-for-3, RBI) and VICTORIA HATHAWAY (3-for-3, RBI).

The pair went double-single for the first Eagles run, then JESSIE LaPIERRE reached on an error for a second run. BROOKLYN lSCHWEN later scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.

An inning later, Granite Hills moved even following singles by BRIELLE TYSELING and BRIANNA TYSELING, then the first of two doubles by Kyler blooped over the head of the San Pasqual first baseman for an RBI.

For San Pasqual, Lauren Harrison went 2-for-4 with two runs and a pair of RBI, while leadoff batter Hailey Demnianiuk scored three times.