Another Exciting Squeaker by Cougars

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

 

By Adam Paul

Grossmont Hills League

STEELE CANYON 3, VALHALLA 2 – Even though they tallied twelve hits in the contest the Steele Canyon Cougars couldn’t quite cash in and would finally score the game winning run in the top of the seventh thanks to newly eligible Bell Will (4-4, RBI) who knocked in the tie-breaking run to procure the victory on Friday afternoon over Valhalla.

Both Will and Payton Sos (4-4, R, RBI, 2B) who transferred in had to sit out the first few weeks and today became newly eligible and quickly went to work as they combined to go 8-for-8 on the day.

Marina Gonzalez (1-4, RBI) who started in the circle for the Cougars would help her own cause in the top of the first as she hit a ground ball out which allowed Sos who doubled in the inning to come home for the first run of the game.

Valhalla though in the bottom of the second inning would take advantage of opportunities as Avery Voth (RUN) would score on a passed ball and Lily Alvarado (1-3, RBI, 2B) doubled in Vanessa Moscoso (RUN) to give them a 2-1 lead.

The momentum that Valhalla had lasted until the top of the third inning when Sos singled to center field allowing Ily Barclay (1-4, R, 2B) who doubled with one out to come around and score to tie the game at 2-2.

Sos who came into the contest in relief would get the win. On the day she tossed five and one-third of an inning in which she allowed one hit while walking five and striking out four. Gonzalez who started for the Cougars allowed two runs on two hits over an one inning and two thirds in which she walked one and struck out one.

Devyn Mack for Valhalla went all seven innings in which she allowed three runs on twelve hits while striking out three in the loss.

Steele Canyon is now 7-5-1 overall and 2-0 in league play while Valhalla falls to 6-11 overall and 1-1 in league.

 

WEST HILLS 3, EL CAPITAN 1 – Two runs scored in the bottom of the sixth inning by the Wolf Pack would end up being the difference as they claimed the victory on Friday afternoon.

West Hills would get on the board first on a ground ball out by Maddie Aylesbury that brought home Kristina Deal to give them a 1-0 lead.

Later in the top of the fifth inning Kylee Frazier with two outs would rip a double to left field that brought home Quinnley Morehouse to tie the game at 1-1.

Moving to the bottom of the sixth inning and the score still tied up 1-1 the Wolf Pack would manage to put runners on base and with one out Ava Goodman would hit a ground ball out that would score both Amber Foley and Aylesbury which broke the tie and gave them a two-run cushion.

Gianna Burgin who started for West Hills would retire the side in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve the victory for the Pack. On the day in the win Burgin walked three and struck out five while allowing one run on three hits over seven innings of work.

McKenna Burton for the Vaqueros took the loss as she allowed three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out one over six innings.

West Hills moves to 9-4-1 overall and 1-1 in league play while El Capitan falls to 5-9 overall and 0-2 in league play.

 

Grossmont Valley League

GROSSMONT 22, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 (5 INN.) – Carleigh Wenck drove in four runs on four hits to help propel the Grossmont Foothillers in scoring their most amount of runs of the season as they won convincingly over the Mount Miguel Matadors on Friday afternoon.

Wenck doubled in the first inning which scored three runs, and also hit an inside the park home run in the fifth inning.

Pitching wise Saraya Roope picked up the win as she fired a complete game five inning one hitter in which she struck out ten.

Jules Short who also tallied four hits in five at-bats would drive in three runs and score three runs, Kaiden Rathfon tallied a pair of hits while driving in three runs and scoring twice. Other contributors included Riley Frankwick who went 4-for-5 while driving in two and scoring twice, Roope had three hits and three RBI including a double, and Heidi Villa went 3-for-4 and scored three runs while Madison Busch scored four runs with three hits.

Grossmont improves to 5-9-1 and 1-0 in league while Mount Miguel falls to 2-5 and 1-1 in league.
 

Non-League

CHRISTIAN 4, MIRA MESA 0 – On a day when only seven this were tallied the Christian Patriots made the most of their opportunities as they came away with the win over the Mira Mesa Marauders on Friday afternoon out at Roma Dawson field.

Taking advantage of a misplayed ball with two outs hit by Kaitlyn Moody (2-3, RBI, 2B) that allowed Tyler Krystek (2-3, 2 R, SB) to plate the Patriots would lead 1-0.

Christian a couple of innings later would extend their lead thanks to Lucy Sherburne (1-3, R, RBI, HR) who belted her third home run of the season over the left field fence for a solo shot and a 2-0 lead, a couple of batters later with two outs Moody ripped a double to center field allowing Tyler Krystek to come in from second base to make it 3-0.  They would add another run in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI double by Pressly Villalva (1-2, RBI, 2B) to make it 4-0.

Ava Barrios who got the starting nod picked up the win for the Patriots as she allowed no runs and no hits over two innings of work while striking out four. Jillian Fraedrich, Sienna Staite, and Alyssa McCurty each threw shutout innings in relief for Christian.

Christian with the victory has now won nine games in a row and moves to 16-3-1 overall while Mira Mesa falls to 4-10 overall.

 

GRANITE HILLS 8, MT. CARMEL 4 – Big day at the plate for Freshman Taylor Nash who drove in three runs via the long ball helped propel the Granite Hills Eagles to the non-league victory on Friday afternoon.

Nash and her long ball along with a run that scored on via an error would put the Eagles up 4-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

They would add more in the bottom of the fourth inning courtesy of home runs by both Peyton Wells and Alexis Mujica which helped to push their lead to 8-0.

Nash besides her day at the plate would take the circle and garner the win as she allowed three runs on seven hits over four and two-thirds innings in which she struck out two.

Mia Downes, Kaylanii Caple, Olivia Cirar, Kayleigh Baugher, Kamryn Flath, Wells, Mujica and Nash all collected one hit each on the day.

Granite Hills with the win moves to 5-10-1 overall.