East County Sports

Falcons give East Co. reverse sweep

2019 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

East County Sports staff report

SCRIPPS RANCH (5-18-2019) – Top-seeded Scripps
Ranch High scored three times in the first inning,
then Santana recorded three errors which led to two
additional runs in the second, as the Falcons claimed
an early lead a for an easy 6-1 triumph over the
Sultans in Friday’s (May 17) first round of the CIF
Division I softball championship.

The ballgame was a make-up from Thursday’s rainout.

The loss left East County squads a collective 0-for-8
in the first round, no matter the division, the
poorest start in regional history.

The previous low-water mark was 2014, when only a
pair of Division V schools remained in the winners
bracket through the first round. Those programs were
Foothills Christian, which scored a late “touchdown”
to bury Chula-Vista High Tech, 28-21, and Mountain
Empire, which won by run rule on the road at
Classical Academy of Escondido, 11-1.

Scripps Ranch quickly loaded the bases in the first
with a single, walk and an error. A pair of bases-
loaded walks to co-captains Sarah Nakahara and Julia
Folkl were sandwiched around a run-scoring single by
junior first baseman Julia Cornelissen produced the
runs.

An inning later, the trio of errors led to a pair of
unearned runs, leaving Santana in a deep hole before
they even recorded a base hit.

The lone Sultans run came in the third on a two-out
double by Lakaila Aquiningoc-David. The third baseman
drove a shot to center field. The inning started when
No. 9 hitter Marilyn Downing led off with a single,
replaced on the bases on a fielder’s choice by
Brianna Jerig, who scored the run.

Otherwise, Falcons pitcher Ashley Tong allowed just
four hits over her five innings to garner the
victory. The junior struck out two, then Juliana Lane
tossed frames of no-hit relief.

The other Sultans base hits were by second baseman
Ashley Madrigal and Jerig, the shortstop.

Scripps Ranch (18-11 overall) will host No. 4 seed
Rancho Buena Vista — an 8-6 winner over University
City — in Saturday’s second round.

Santana (14-11) hosts the 12th-seeded Centurions in
an elimination contest, also on Saturday at 10 a.m.
In the other half of the bracket, Grossmont hosts
Steele Canyon at 2 p.m. in another win-or-go-home
affair.
DIVISION II
El Capitan vs. Patrick Henry:  With construction
continuing into a 15th month to upgrade the softball
diamond at Patrick Henry,  the Patriots have been
forced to play all of their games on the road this
season. This includes Saturday’s knockout contest
with the Vaqueros, which will be held at West Hills
— located exactly nine driving miles between both
schools – at 2 p.m.

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