Norsemen Hold On To Knock Off Cougars
- Updated: April 25, 2024
2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
By Adam Paul
SPRING VALLEY – Despite allowing a late run that made things interesting the Valhalla Norsemen would hold on for the 4-3 road victory over rival Steele Canyon on Thursday afternoon in Grossmont Hills League action.
Early on with two outs and looking to get out ahead of the Cougars the Norsemen behind a pair of walks would strike as Jayden Chiaramonte (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) dealt a blow as she ripped a two-run double to right field scoring both Bailey Lenz (2 R) and Natalia Marco (RUN) to give them a 2-0 lead.
Valhalla would tack onto their lead in the top of the second inning when Avery Voth (1-5, RBI, 2 SB) hit into a fielder’s choice that would plate Mia Balladares (RUN) to make it 3-0.
Steele Canyon though would answer with a run in the bottom of the third inning when Kayala Hopkins (1-4, RBI) grounded out but in the process, Tevia Cohen (1-1, R, RBI, 2B) raced home to make it 3-1.
Despite the run scored by the Cougars, the Norsemen would answer with another run thanks to Emma Sloan (2-3, RBI) who with two outs lined a base hit to center field that allowed Lenz to race around from second base to score making it 4-1.
Despite trailing by three runs the Cougars the top team in the East County did their best to make the comeback as they were able to push across a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the deficit in half.
Lauren Becker’s base hit to center field in which Kamea Seunarine (2-3, 2 R) raced home and brought the score to 4-2. A couple of innings later the Cougars would strike again as Cohen doubled in Seunarine to pull within 4-3 but that would be the closest they would get as Devyn Mack would retire the side in the bottom of the seventh inning to finish things out.
Mack who started for the Norsemen went the distance tossing all seven innings in which she allowed three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three in the win.
Bailey Evans drew the start for the Cougars, she allowed three runs on five hits over three innings while walking four in the loss. Marina Gonzalez came in and threw four innings of relief in which she allowed one run on six hits while walking two and striking out four.
Other contributors offensively for Valhalla were Preslee Fink who doubled in the game and Taylor Mack who each collected two hits on the day.
The win by Valhalla moves them to 4-18 overall and 3-3 in Grossmont Hills League play and sole possession of second place while Steele Canyon falls to 14-5-1 overall and 5-1 in league play and a tie for first place.
EL CAPITAN 11, SANTANA 6 – El Capitan’s Alanna Christiaens hit two home runs and drove in three as the Vaqueros fended off a late rally by Santana to claim the win Thursday afternoon.
Santana started things off in the bottom of the first inning when Ashlyn Darrow with two outs drove in McKenna Miller to lead 1-0.
The Vaqueros though would answer in the top of the second inning when Christiaens led off and belted a solo shot deep to center field and Ciara Bernardini with two outs singled to left field scoring Domonique Garcia to give them a 2-1 lead.
Moving to the fourth inning with a one-run lead the Vaqueros would extend their lead further as Sofia Simone doubled in Addison Leone and Bernardini would drive in Simone to make it 4-1.
El Capitan wasn’t done scoring-wise as they would go on to push across six more runs on eight hits in the top of the fifth inning to push the lead even further at 10-1.
Christiaens would hit her second home run of the game a solo shot once again to center field, Leone drove in another run, Quinnley Morehouse singled in a run, Kylee Frazier drove in a run, and Christiaens came up again this time drawing a walk that brought home a run and Garcia would drive in a run to round things out.
Trailing 10-1 the Sultans would scratch back with another run in the bottom of the inning when Emma Schneider grounded out but Miller who led off the inning with a double and would advance to third would race home for the score.
The Vaqueros would add another run in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a Sultans error to make it 11-2.
Trailing by nine runs the Sultans wouldn’t make it easy on the Vaqueros as they would do their best with a furious rally.
Sara Spry would start the scoring rally off with a bunt and reached on an error but would score Bryleigh Britza to make it 11-3. Later with two outs, Delaney Smith hammered a three-run blast over the left field fence scoring both Miller and Spry to make it 11-6. That would be the closest the Sultans would get as the next batter Vanessa Ryan would fly out to end the game.
Shelby Vars would pick up the win for the Vaqueros as she went all seven innings allowing six runs on six hits while walking five and striking out four.
Aurelia Dawson started for the Sultans. She would allow seven runs on nine hits over four and one-third innings while walking three and striking out two. Bella Zuckerman came in and tossed two and two-thirds innings in relief in which she allowed four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two.
El Capitan with the victory moves to 9-10-4 overall and 2-4 in league play and a tie with Helix for third place while Santana falls to 8-13 overall and 1-5 in league play.
