ROUNDUP: El Capitan, Patrick Henry win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: March 27, 2021

El Capitan's Maddie Taylor. /ecsoftballpics

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

ECS staff report

EL CAPITAN 6 (3-0), GRANITE HILLS 3 (0-2)
LAKESIDE (3-26-21) – Despite an early run given up the El Capitan Vaqueros answered right back and made that lead stand as they doubled up the visiting Granite Hills Eagles on Friday
afternoon.

The Vaq Pack is off to a fast 3-0 start following the first week of this truncated season. The club seeks to better last season’s streak of seven victories to start the campaign.

The Eagles got on the board first in the top of the first inning courtesy of an RBI double by TAYLOR ROSE (2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B) that allowed KAILEY SANDOVAL (2-3, 2R) to score which made it, 1-0.

The early 1-0 lead by the Eagles was quickly erased courtesy of a leadoff home run by HAILEY MULLIGAN (1-4, R, RBI, HR) on the second pitch of the frame, tying the game. A couple of batters later MADDIE TAYLOR (2-4, R) would ground out which allowed ALYSSA FIERRO (RUN) to score which gave the Vaqueros a 2-1 lead.

The Vaqueros would add another as JOJO CHRISTIAENS (1-3, R, RBI) drove on AVA GALL (3-4, R), DOM GARCIA (1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B) would later rope a double scoring both KATY HICKS (2-4, R) and Christiaens. They would tack on a final run in the inning to round out their scoring.

Granite Hills would scratch across a couple more runs in the top of the third inning when Rose again would knock in Sandoval with a double, she would later in the inning steal home safely to
pull the Eagles within 6-3.

Another threat by the Eagles came with two outs in the top of the fifth inning when SOFIA MUJICA doubled to left field but BROOKE HORN (1-1) would get out of the inning.

After scoring their six runs in the first inning the Vaqueros offense scattered hits the rest of the game but the Eagles never allowed for any capitalization.

Granite Hills in the top of the seventh inning started off with a Sandoval single but that would be wiped out as Rose grounded into a double play. Horn would finish off the Eagles as she
retired the next batter to end the contest.

Picking up the victory for the Vaqueros was DAYLA MCAULIFFE (2-2, RBI) who tossed 4 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 2 and walking 1.

Horn pitched the final three frames to register the save.

For the Eagles in the loss, CHLOE KNEPP went 6 innings in which she gave up 6 runs on 13 hits. while striking out 3 and walking none.

For Granite Hills (0-2), second baseman TAYLOR ROSE belted a pair of RBI doubles, coming in the first and third innings.

PATRICK HENRY 11 (1-1), POINT LOMA 2 (0-1)
POINT LOMA – A fifteen-hit barrage by the Patrick Henry Patriots offense helped propel them to the convincing victory over the home team Point Loma Pointers on Friday.

After KAIAH ALTMEYER (2-3, 2R, SB) singled JENEL MALLARI (1-2, R, RBI) followed that with a base hit to bring home Altmeyer to make it 1-0, OLIVIA GIGANTE (2-3, 2 RBI, 2B) roped a double which scored Mallari to make it 2-0, a couple of batters later JESSICA DEWITT (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B) doubled in both ALEXIS HAMPTON (1-2, 2R) and DEZIANNA PATMON (1-2, 3R, 2B, SB).

With the score 4-0, SAVANNAH SUTTON (2-2, R, 3 RBI, 3B) roped a ball right field for an RBI triple bringing in DeWitt and later SYDNEY NEWTON (1-2, R) knocked in Sutton.

The Patriots would push across another run in the top of the fourth inning when they took advantage of a Pointers miscue. The miscue occurred when MCKENNA GEIGER hit a ball to
center field that was misplayed allowing Patmon who led the inning off with a double and stole third base to trot home to make it 7-0.

Point Loma wouldn’t be denied though as they pushed across a couple of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 7-2.

Leading 8-2 the Patriots would tack on their final three runs in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of multiple base hits. Starting things off in the sixth inning Altmeyer singled to right field, a couple of batters she would come into score when Gigante singled to center field and later Sutton would finish things off with a two-run base hit to center field.

SOPHIA SANCHEZ who came in a couple of innings prior in relief of Gigante finished off the Pointers as she retired them in order to end the game.

Gigante for the Patriots got the victory in which she went 3 innings, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while walking 1 and fanning 8 on the day.

EC-SOUTHWEST 5 (2-1), CHRISTIAN 4 (0-3) (8 inn.)
EL CENTRO – A base hit by the Southwest (El Centro) Eagles in the bottom of the eighth inning doomed the visiting Christian Patriots on Friday.

The Christian Patriots snapped the tied ballgame with three runs in the fifth inning.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning the Patriots were able to knot the game at 1-1 when KATE MANES roped a double to left field which allowed ALLYSON MOODY to score.

Later in the top of the fifth inning with one out the Patriots bats would come alive and give them a 4-1 lead. Two of the runs came courtesy of Moody who doubled to center field bringing in both CHLOE HESSOM and RACHEL STEPHENS. The other run came on an Eagles miscue in center field that allowed Moody to come around and score.

Southwest pitchers Melissa Flores and Jessenia Lopez combined to set down the next 10 Patriots batters — five by each — before yielding a two-out single in the eighth. Lopez was the winner with two frames of shutout relief.

The momentum built by the Patriots was short-lived as the Eagles put together a two-out rally and pulled within 4-3. They would later bottom of the sixth inning tie the game up 4-4 with a
double.

Moody who came in for relief took the hard-luck loss for the Patriots as she gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in her 2 1/3 innings of work.

Southwest (3-1) took advantage of a hit batter and an error, as right fielder Jocelyn Cooley, the No. 9-batter in the Eagle lineup, looped a base hit to left field for the walk-off winner.