Eagles Punch Ticket To CIFSDS Semifinals

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 17, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

DIVISION I

EL CAJON – Mia Downes drove in five runs on two hits to help power the No. 1 Granite Hills Eagles to an 8-0 victory over No. 5 Carlsbad on Friday afternoon.

Downes would put the big blow on the Lancers in the fifth inning when she hammered a ball deep to center field over the fence for a grand slam which gave the Eagles a 6-0 lead and was her third home run of the season.

Prior to the big blow, Downes would give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead when she doubled in a run in the bottom of the first inning.

They would extend their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Peyton Wells belted a solo home run over the center field fence.

Kailey Sandoval would add to the Granite lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when she doubled in both Sofia Mujica and Audrey Smale to make it 8-0.

Ashley Yeargain would pick up her sixth win of the season as she allowed no runs on two hits over four innings of work in which she struck out one. Kaleigh Baugher threw three innings in which she allowed no runs on two hits while striking out five.

Both Downes and Mujica tallied a pair of hits each for the Eagles.

With the win the Eagles push their overall win streak to five in a row extend their home winning streak to seven games and punch their ticket to the semi-finals. Their overall record is now 17-9.

The last time the Granite Hills Eagles were in the semi-finals was in 2022 when they lost the first game of the playoffs to Helix they had to go on the road which included a semi-finals victory over Helix 4-2 and they would go on to claim the CIF Division II championship over Poway 8-4.

DIVISION I

SPRING VALLEY – Bouncing back from a heartbreaking road loss the No. 4 Steele Canyon Cougars behind stellar pitching blank the No. 8 Rancho Buena Vista Longhorns 3-0 on Friday afternoon.

Bailey Evans who drew the start for the Cougars gave a strong performance as she shutout the Longhorns over four innings.

Offensively the Cougars would provide just enough starting with an RBI single by Kayala Hopkins in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-0.

Later in the bottom of the fourth and still clinging to the one-run lead the Cougars would add another run thanks to Kamea Sunarine who with two outs roped a ball left field for an RBI double scoring Danika Lakin to make it 2-0.

Steele Canyon added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Hailey Trujillo saw what the defense was giving and laid down a perfect bunt which allowed Michaela Heinan who came in a courtesy runner for Marina Gonzalez to race home safely for a 3-0 lead.

Evans who was blanking the Longhorns allowed four hits while walking three and striking out two. Gonzalez would come in and toss three innings of relief to earn the save in which she allowed one hit while walking three and striking out three.

The win by the Cougars eliminated the Longhorns and moved their overall record to 19-7-1 and they will next play in the third-round challengers bracket contest which they will host against Carlsbad to be played on Saturday for a scheduled 11 AM start time.

Otay Ranch 6, Patrick Henry 0

CHULA VISTA– Six runs the middle three innings doom the No. 7 Patrick Henry Patriots as they fall to No. 3 Otay Ranch by a score of 6-3 on Friday afternoon in second-round action.

Patrick Henry would get on the board first in the top of the second inning after Leila Ludwig grounded out scoring Rachel Earner, and Brooke Taylor hit a sacrifice fly of which both led to runs scored and a 2-0 lead.

They would add to their lead in the top of the third inning on an error by the Mustangs that led to Izzy Ervin scoring and an RBI single by Angelina Mazon scoring McKenna Gieger which made it 4-0.

Unfortunately, the momentum would swing the Mustangs way in the bottom of the fourth as Nat Lozano tied the game up with a two-run home run.

Belle Will who started for the Patriots would go five innings in which she allowed three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three but wouldn’t factor in the decision. Zoe Rutherford who came into the game in relief would be tagged with the loss as she allowed three runs on one hit in her inning of work in which she walked one.

The loss by Patrick Henry snaps their three-game winning streak and also puts their overall record at 17-13. They will now travel to take on No. 6 Mission Hills in a third-round elimination game on Saturday to be played at 11 AM. Mission Hills lost 5-2 to Bonita Vista.

IVISION II

CHULA VISTA – Six runs scored in the bottom of the fourth inning by the No. 2 Eastlake Titans dooms No. 3 Christian as they fall 7-2 on Friday afternoon.

Neither team’s pitching was giving an inch to the other’s offense for the first three and a half innings as the Titans finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning as they took advantage of multiple opportunities.

Those opportunities included five hits of which four led to runs scored along with scoring on an error and in the end a 6-0 lead.

Christian offensively would wake up in the top of the fifth inning as Lucy Sherburne drove in Reese Danczak with a base hit to left field which was followed by an RBI single by Ashley Wood that allowed Tyler Krystek who doubled earlier in the inning to come in and score to make it 6-2.

Unfortunately, Ava Barrios who has been one of the best pitchers in the county didn’t have her best stuff as she allowed six runs on five hits over four innings of work in which she walked four and struck out four as she took the loss. Sienna Staite came in and tossed two innings of relief in which she allowed one run on four hits while striking out one.

The loss snaps the Patriot’s three-game winning streak and a spot in a third-round elimination game on Saturday that is scheduled for an 11 AM start time against No. 11 Mar Vista who lost to Mt. Carmel and also a team the Patriots previously beat 13-3 in the first round.

DIVISION III

EL CAJON – A big nine-run sixth inning helps the No. 7 Grossmont Foothillers surge past the No. 11 Coronado Islanders 14- 4 in six innings on Friday afternoon.

Freshman Sophie Plunk would get the scoring going for the Foothillers in the bottom of the second inning with two outs as she roped a base hit to left field scoring Ashley Beard to make it 1-0.

More two-out scoring for Grossmont in the bottom of the third inning helped to extend their lead to 4-0. Ashley Beard would drive in Samaria Roope and Nakhia Lee scored on the throw while Plunk drew a walk that allowed Jenna Ennis to come into score.

Roope would successfully steal home in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 5-1.

Later in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Foothillers would explode scoring-wise thanks to Heidi Villa who singled, Carleigh Wenck who into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, Skyler Glover walked to score a run, Plunk singled in a run, Madison Busch singled in another run, Roope was hit by a pitch that allowed a run to score, both Lee and Ennis drew walks that scored runs and Villa drove in another run on a sacrifice fly.

Roope earned the victory allowing four runs on eight hits over six innings in which she walked five and struck out two.

Grossmont with the win improves to 12-13-2 and will next take on No.2 Point Loma a team they previously lost to 11-1 in the first round. They will face the Pointers who lost to top-seeded Sage Creek 2-1 in an elimination third-round game on Saturday at a scheduled 11 AM start time.