Wolf Pack sweep, keep pace with Cougars

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 9, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

GROSSMONT HILLS LEAGUE

WEST HILLS 8, SANTANA 5 – A five run fourth inning and holding off a late rally propel the West Hills Wolf Pack to a crucial league win and season sweep of their crosstown rivals Santana on Friday afternoon.

West Hills would score the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning when Gianna Burgin singled to score Ava Goodman.

The Pack would add more in the bottom off the fourth inning as they used a four hit attack to score four runs in the inning to lead 5-0.

A single by Amber Foley would score a run, a sacrifice bunt by Kiara Rabaya led to another run, Reegan Veltre would drive in a run and Katy Spargo doubled in a pair of runs to round out the scoring.

Later in the game in the top of the sixth down to their final couple opportunities the bats for the Sultans finally came alive as Emma Schneider started things off with a solo home run to center field making it 6-1. After a pair of base hits by McKenna Miller and Bryleigh Britza the Sultans were in business. A couple of batters later with two outs Brynn Warren would take the offering and crush it over the right field fence for her first career high school varsity homerun for a three run blast to pull the Sultans within 6-4.

Still leading by two runs the Wolf Pack would strike back in the bottom half of the inning starting with Kristina Deal drawing a leadoff walk who would steal second base followed by Veltre who was hit by a pitch, Deal would advance to third on a wild pitch and come into score on a sacrifice fly by Spargo to give them a 7-4 lead, a couple of batters later Lili Leija doubled in Veltre to make it 8-4.

Santana would push across one last run in the top of the seventh when Schneider blasted her second long ball of the game a solo shot to center field for her ninth of the season with two outs.

Gianna Burgin who drew the start for the Pack would earn the win as she allowed five runs on seven hits over six and two-thirds of an inning in which she struck out three.

Bella Zuckerman who started for the Sultans would take the loss as she allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings in which she walked two and struck out three.

The win by Wolf Pack was crucial as it keeps them in a first place tie with Steele Canyon and also helps beef up their playoff power ranking for Division II.

Winners of two in a row the Wolf Pack move to 15-8-1 overall and 6-2 in league play while Santana falls to 14-9 overall and 4-4 in league play.

West Hills with the win also gives them a three game winning streak over Santana for the first time since they won three in a row from 2014 when only one game was played to 2015 which was the last time a season sweep was accomplished.

STEELE CANYON 7, GRANITE HILLS 6 – An insurance run in the top of the seventh inning by Steele Canyon was most needed as they managed to thwart a ferocious late inning rally by the Granite Hills Eagles to claim the road victory on Friday afternoon.

Steele Canyon early on would take advantage of opportunities to push across a pair of runs in the top of the first inning courtesy of Belle Will who drove in both Izabella Azevedo and Hailey Trujillo to make it 2-0.

The Cougars would go onto add more runs in the top of the second inning thanks a passed ball that allowed Sophia Jackel to score, Dannika Lakin would score on a fielder’s choice by Mackenzie Meyer and Trujillo would drive in Natalia Gonzalez to round out the scoring.

Later in the fourth inning Trujillo would add to the Cougar lead when she belted a solo home run to left field to give them a 6-0 lead.

However, in the bottom of the fifth inning the bats for the Eagles woke up which led to a five run outburst to pull within 6-5.

Starting the outburst was Mia Downes who singled in Esther Cerda, Olivia Cirar would score on a wild pitch which was followed by a bases clearing double by Kaleigh Baugher that scored Taylor Nash, Downes and Peyton Wells.

Leading by a slim margin the Cougars would manage to push across the insurance run that would end up being needed on a passed ball that scored Natalia Gonzalez.

Granite Hills though in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs score a run when Ariana Heninger doubled in Wells to make it a one run ballgame. That would be the closest the Eagles would get as the next batter would be retired to end the game.

Will who started for the Cougars and pick up the win would allow four runs on five hits over four and two-thirds of an inning in which she walked three and struck out two. Bailey Evans came into the game in relief in which she allowed one run on three hits in two and one third of an inning in which she struck out two.

Wells who would draw the start for the Eagles was tagged with the loss as she allowed five runs on four hits over one and one-third of an inning in which she walked two. Baugher came into the game in relief and struck out eleven in her five and two thirds innings of work in which she allowed two runs on five hits.

Steele Canyon who has now won three in a row moves to 13-11-1 overall and 6-2 in league while Granite Hills falls to 7-15 overall and 3-4 in league.

EL CAPITAN 5, VALHALLA 2 – A three run fourth inning bookended by a couple other runs prove to be the difference as the El Capitan Vaqueros claimed the road league victory over Valhalla on Friday afternoon.

Striking first in the top of the first inning courtesy of an RBI single by Brynlie Ford would give the Vaqueros a 1-0 lead.

Valhalla though would tie the game in the bottom of the second inning when Lily Moscoso with two outs singled down the line in right field to score Vanessa Moscoso.

A couple of innings later in the top of the fourth inning an error by Valhalla on a hit ball by Ford would score Kylee Frazier who led off with a double to come around and score to give the Vaqueros the lead. Later in the inning Trinity Curo would drive in Ford to make it 3-1 which was followed by Isabella Farris scoring on a walk by Addison Higuera.

Another run for the Norsemen in the bottom of the inning came on a Moscoso fielder’s choice that allowed Emma Sloan to come into score.

El Capitan would score another run in the top of the fifth inning when Gabrielle Garcia drove in Ford on a base hit to right field.

Makenna Burton started things in the circle for the Vaqueros and would get the victory. On the day allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings in which she walked two and struck out six.

For Valhalla, Devyn Mack would take the loss as she allowed five runs on eleven hits in seven innings as she walked two and struck out six.

El Capitan with the win improves to 11-13 overall and 4-4 in league while Valhalla who has dropped seven games in a row falls to 7-18 overall and 1-7 in league.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

HELIX 20, MONTE VISTA 0 (5 INN.) – Sophomore Naviah Conchas drove in four runs to lead the Helix Highlanders who easily dispatched the Monte Vista Monarchs on Friday afternoon.

Helix right away went to work as they scored eight runs in the top of the first inning thanks to multiple contributors.

Clarissa Torres doubled in a run, a couple of errors would lead to two runs, Conchas doubled in two runs, Danetta Munoz singled in a run and another error led to two runs.

The Highlanders leading 12-0 would add four runs in the third inning thanks to Nikayla Domingo who drove in a run, LaNiah Broom would drive in a run, another error would lead to a run and Marley Johnson would drive in a run.

Vivenne Moore who started for the Highlanders would get the win. She would allow no runs on one hits over two innings of work in which she struck out three. Katelyn Woodland came in and finished things off as she pitched three innings in which she allowed no runs on no hits while striking out eight.

Offensively the Highlanders tallied seven hits in the game.

Helix moves to 14-6 overall and 6-0 in league while Monte Vista who got their first win of the season against El Cajon Valley drops to 1-15 overall and 1-6 in league.