CIF Softball Playoff Wrap-Up: Steele Canyon, Christian victorious

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 17, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

San Diego CIF Division I First Round

#4 Steele Canyon 8, #5 Cathedral Catholic 3

SPRING VALLEY – Eight runs scattered over the first four innings were more than enough, despite three runs given up late as the #4 Steele Canyon Cougars came away with the San Diego CIF Division I first-round playoff victory over #5 Cathedral Catholic on Wednesday (May 17).

Steele Canyon got on the board in the first inning, thanks to lead-off hitter Ily Barclay who laid down a bunt for a single, but the ball was thrown away, allowing her to race around and score for the 1-0 lead.

Kayala Hopkins would extend the lead in the second inning when she roped a double to center field bringing in Danika Lakin on the throw. Hopkins would also score on the play to make it 3-0.

The Cougars knew they had the Dons on the ropes, and they kept the attack going in the third inning as Marina Gonzalez drove in Jazmin Williams. Kamea Seunarine followed with an RBI single scoring Gonzalez, and later in the inning, Hopkins would drive in both Seunarine and Hailey Trujillo to make it 7-0.

Steele Canyon would add another run in the fourth inning, thanks to Williams as she lasered a shot to center field for an RBI triple scoring Barclay.

Cathedral Catholic, needing offense, would finally get on the board in the top of the fifth as they broke through with three runs.

That would be all they would get, as Emma Shellstrom shut them down in the last couple of innings to finish things out.

Sophia Clark, who started for the Dons, would be tagged with the loss as she allowed eight runs on nine hits over six innings of work, while striking out ten.

Shellstrom would pick up the win for the Cougars, going the full seven innings, in which she allowed three runs on nine hits, while striking out two.

With the loss, the Dons see their five-game winning streak snapped, falling to 19-9-1. They will now be relegated to the challengers bracket, where they will face league foe Patrick Henry (whom they beat twice already) at home on Friday (May 19) for a slated 3:30 PM start time.

Steele Canyon, on the other hand, has now won two in a row and moves to 17-11. They now advance to take on the top-seeded Otay Ranch Mustangs, to whom they lost early in the season in a close 3-2 decision in the Cougar Classic. Game time is slated for a 3:30 PM start time on Friday (May 19).

San Diego CIF Division III First Round

#6 Christian 3, #3 West Hills 0

SANTEE – Three early runs were all #6 Christian needed, as two pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout victory over the #3 West Hills Wolf Pack on Wednesday (May 17).

Christian started Allyson Moody (2-3, R, 3B) who was tough in the circle and would limit the Wolf Pack to a single hit over her five innings of work to pick up the win. Ava Barrios came in to finish things off, getting the last six outs to pick up the two-inning save. Both pitchers struck out two on the day.

Helping out the pitching would be freshman Keelayana Carrizosa (1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR), who gave the Patriots an early 2-0 lead in the second inning as she belted a two-run blast over the center field fence.

Samantha Baca (2-3 RBI) would add another run in the third inning for the Patriots with a two-out base hit to center field, scoring Moody, who had led off the inning with a triple to right field.

The lone hit of the game for West Hills came in the fourth inning, when freshman Katy Spargo (1-3) led off with a single to left field.

Now winners of four in a row, the Patriots see their record move to 14-8-1, and they will now advance to take on league foe #2 Mira Mesa, who advanced with a 3-2 win over Mission Vista. The Marauders won both league contests. Game time is slated for a 3:30 PM start time on Friday (May 19).

West Hills sees their two-game winning streak snapped and falls to 17-8-1. They will now be relegated to the challengers bracket where they will host #7 Mission Vista on Friday (May 19) to be played at 3:30 PM.

San Diego CIF Division I First round

#1 Otay Ranch 5, #9 Patrick Henry 2

CHULA VISTA – Four runs scored in the third inning were more than enough to provide the necessary cushion as the top-seeded Otay Ranch Mustangs won their seventh game in a row beating the #9 Patrick Henry Patriots on Wednesday (May 17).

Alexa Munoz garnered the victory for the Mustangs as she tossed seven full innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out three.

McKenna Gieger who started for Patrick Henry took the loss as she allowed six hits and five runs over six innings while striking out one.

Brooke Taylor, Jenna Mallari, Zoe Rutherford, Gieger, Leila Ludwig, Maura Evans, and Lily Glenn each had one hit a piece.

Otay Ranch winners of seven in a row improved to 20-6 on the season and will now host Steele Canyon on Friday (May 19) at 3:30 PM.

Patrick Henry falls 15-12-1 and will now take on Cathedral Catholic for a third time this time in an elimination game in the challengers bracket on Friday (May 17) at 3:30 PM.

San Diego CIF Division II First Round

#8 Westview 6, #1 Santana 3

SANTEE – Despite being outhit 10-9, the Westview Wolverines used four of those to score three runs in the fifth to come away with the big victory on the road over the top-seeded Santana Sultans on Wednesday (May 17).

Westview would take an early 1-0 lead, thanks to a walk by Aleya Colon that scored a run. Santana, though, would tie the game when Emma Schneider doubled in a run in the bottom half of the inning.

Later the Wolverines, after scoring a run in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead, would add more when Leilani Muller belted a three-run shot in the fifth to give them a 5-1 lead.

Santana would make a small rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Taylinn Warren and Kaitlyn Ruckle hit back-to-back singles. Later, Delaney Smith would come up big with two outs, as she smashed a two-run double scoring both Warren and Schneider to make it 6-3.

Anessa Hartman picked up the win for the Wolverines, allowing one run on seven hits over five innings, in which she struck out three.

Aurelia Dawson of the Sultans was tagged with the loss, as she allowed five runs on six hits over five innings of work and struck out two.

Sara Spry, Warren, and Smith each had a pair of hits for the Sultans.

Westview with the upset has now won three in a row and improves to 15-10-1. They now advance to take on #4 Clairmont in a 3:30 PM scheduled start time on Friday (May 19).

Santana has now lost four games in a row and will host Valhalla on Friday (May 19) in an elimination challengers bracket game. Game time is slated for 3:30 PM.

#4 Clairemont 2, #5 Valhalla 0

CLAIREMONT – Despite having not very much offense on Wednesday (May 17), the Clairemont Chieftains would take advantage of the opportunities given to them, as they came out on top over the Valhalla Norsemen.

Limited to only three hits in the game, the Chieftains would use one of those hits in the fourth inning, coming up with a two-out base hit to score the first run.

Later, in the sixth inning, Clairemont would take full advantage of a wild pitch followed by a ground ball out to score the second run of the game.

Devyn Mack would help Valhalla on offense as she went 3-for-3 at the plate. Taylor Mack also tallied two hits.

Naomi Villalva took the hard-luck loss, despite the strong outing. She struck out six over six innings of work, while allowing two runs on three hits.

Clairemont will now host #8 Westview on Friday (May 19) at 3:30 PM, while Valhalla will travel to Santee to take on the top-seeded Santana Sultans on Friday, also scheduled for a 3:30 PM start time.