Cougars, Vaqueros crush at Hilltop
- Updated: April 16, 2023
Courtesy, SCHS parent
2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
CHULA VISTA – Early runs by the Steele Canyon Cougars were all that was needed in a victory convincingly against the Mt. Carmel Sundevils, 11-4 in five innings, on Saturday (Apr.15) in the early game of the final day of the Hilltop Tournament.
Steele Canyon would score seven runs over the first couple of innings to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
Spearheading the scoring for the Cougars were multiple hits including an RBI double by Lauren Becker and later Isabella Azevedo roped a two-out two-run double to round out the scoring in the first inning.
Leading 4-0 the Cougars would tack on more runs in the second inning thanks to Becker who drove in a run, Kayala Hopkins doubling in a run, and an RBI ground out by Hailey Trujillo.
More of the same would happen in the fourth inning thanks to multiple errors that would lead to three runs for the Cougars and also an RBI single by Danika Lakin would extend the lead to 11-1.
Emma Shellstrom would pick up the win as went four and two-thirds of an inning, allowing one run on four hits while fanning five on the day.
Steele Canyon 7, Olympian 3
CHULA VISTA – A four-run third inning was the catalyst for the Steele Canyon Cougars as they would go on to win their second game of the day against the Olympian Eagles to finish out the Hilltop Tournament on Saturday (Apr.15).
An RBI single by Lauren Becker, a fielders’ choice by Kayala Hopkins, and later a two-out RBI double by Danika Lakin would provide the Steele Canyon Cougars an early 3-0 lead.
Olympian would strike back with a pair of runs in their half of the first inning to pull within 3-2.
However, Steele Canyon really opened the lead in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Gabrielle Ortega Alves and a three-run blast by Jazmin Williams to center field for her fifth of the season.
Freshman Marina Gonzalez would pick up the win allowing three runs on seven hits over seven innings of work while striking out four on the day.
With both wins, Steele Canyon improves to 11-4 on the season.
El Capitan 8, Clairemont 6
CHULA VISTA – Trailing 6-5 late in the game, the El Capitan Vaqueros would work some rally magic thanks to Aubrey Thorne who drove in a pair of runs on a 3-1 count that helped propel them to the come-from-behind victory over the Clairemont Chieftains, 8-6, on Saturday (Apr. 15) morning in the first game of the final day of the Hilltop Tournament.
El Capitan would start the scoring in the third inning when Thorne drove in Ava Gall and Alyssa Fierro would drive in Alanna Christiaens to give them a 2-0 lead.
After tacking on a run in the fourth inning the Vaqueros would add two more runs in the fifth inning when Christiaens belted a two-run home run to center field for her second of the season.
However, Clairemont would take the momentum in the bottom of the inning drawing a pair of walks to go with a base hit to load the bases, and later with two outs would score runs on back-to-back singles which were followed up by another two runs coming courtesy of an error by the Vaqueros which led to the Chieftains leading by a run.
Shelby Vars got the starting nod for the Vaqueros. She would go five innings, allowing six runs on five hits and striking out three.
El Capitan offensively would tally 17 hits on the day. Dominique Garcia, Ava Gall, Christiaens, Fierro, Addison Leone, and Thorne all had multiple hits in the contest.
El Capitan 6, Calexico 2
CHULA VISTA – Four late runs scored by the El Capitan Vaqueros would catapult them to the victory over the Calexico Bulldogs on Saturday (Apr.15) to finish out the Hilltop Tournament.
An early two-run single by Alanna Christiaens in the bottom of the first inning put the Vaqueros in front 2-0.
Calexico though would finally break thru in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single by Isabella Esquer and a ground ball out by Natalia Gastelum which tied the game up at 2-2.
However, the Vaqueros would take the momentum back as Dominique Garcia in the sixth inning doubled in both Alyssa Fierro and Christiaens to give them a 4-2 lead, Kylee Frazier followed up with an RBI single and Reese Danzak drove in the other run to round out the scoring.
The scoring by the Vaqueros to retake the lead was all Makenna Burton needed as she would shut down the Bulldogs the rest of the way.
Burton on the day went all seven innings in which she allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four in the win.
Christiaens, Addison Leone, Ciara Bernardini, Fierro, and Frazier all had multiple hits on the day as the Vaqueros as a whole collected 14 hits in the contest. Christiaens led the day as she went 3-for-3 at the plate.
With the sweep of their two contests, the El Capitan Vaqueros move to an East County best 16-2 overall.
