D-2: Vaqs pull-up boots, stay alive
- Updated: May 22, 2022
2022 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
LAKESIDE (5-21-22) – Five runs scored by the El Capitan Vaqueros over the middle innings was all they needed as they would go on to beat the Grossmont Foothillers 5-2 in a CIF Division II Elimination game on Saturday morning.
Early on things looked good for the Foothillers as they would score the game’s first run when Katelynne Parent hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Natalie Emery to tag up and race home to make it 1-0.
The momentum though would shift to the Vaqueros in the bottom of the second inning when Maddie Taylor led off with a solo home run over the left-field fence to tie the game up, a couple of batters later Hailey Mulligan would double with one out and would come into score as Aubrey Thorne lined a single to left field to give them a 2-1 lead.
Taylor once again would add to the lead this time in the bottom of the third inning when she double in Dominique Garcia to make it 3-1. The Vaqueros would add another run in the inning when Mulligan drove in Taylor to extend the lead to 4-1. They would later add another run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a double by Garcia that scored Addi Leone to make it 5-1.
Grossmont would score another run in the top of the fifth inning when Na’Khia Lee drove in Isabel Cervantes to make it 5-2. The Hillers would threaten in the top of the sixth inning as Parent and Eliana Vasquez each drew back-to-back walks to start off the inning but Brooke Horn was able to get out of the inning as she retired the next three batters.
The Hillers down to their final at-bat in the top of the seventh inning would start off with Ashley Beard reaching on an error, she would be thrown out on a fielders’ choice by Emery who would advance to second on a Lee base hit. With runners on first and second and one out, Horn would retire the next two batters to end the game.
Caitlyn Potts took the loss for Grossmont, she would allow four runs on five hits while walking one over 2.1 innings, Dezirae Miller would come in and finish things out as she went 3.2 innings in which she allowed one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one.
Horn for the Vaqueros picked up the win as she went all seven innings that saw her give up two runs on six hits while walking three on the day.
With the loss, the Grossmont Foothillers are eliminated from the Playoffs and finish the season 13-17.
El Capitan with the victory improves to 21-8 and advances to take on league foe Granite Hills in a challengers bracket third-round elimination contest on Tuesday afternoon for the right to advance to Semi-Finals to be played at SportsPlex USA in Santee on Thursday.
