CIF: El Cap knocks off third-seeded Knights

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 21, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

By Adam Paul

Division I

#6 EL CAPITAN 4, #3 SAN MARCOS 3 – Winning on the road is always a tough thing but to win a road game in the playoffs is really tough and that is exactly what the El Capitan Vaqueros did on Wednesday as they held on to knock off the San Marcos Knights.

The Vaqueros early on would lead 1-0 thanks to Gabrielle Garcia who with two outs doubled in Ciara Bernardini.

San Marcos would tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning as they took advantage of a Vaqueros miscue.

El Capitan would take the momentum back in the top of the fourth inning when again they would pull off two out magic as Sofia Simone drove in a run and on the same play Ryleigh Vesco would come into score on an error to put the Vaqueros up 3-1.

Later in the game in the top of the sixth the Vaqueros again would strike with two outs when Bernardini singled to center field to bring home Vesco to score an insurance run.

The extra run scored in the top of the sixth inning would come in handy as San Marcos would score two runs to pull within a run before Makenna Burton came in and retired the next two batters to end the threat and the game.

Freshman Addison Higuera who drew the start went six and one-third innings in which she allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits while walking two.

Offensively the Vaqueros tallied nine hits of which Higuera, Garcia, and Simone led the way with two hits each.

El Capitan who has now won six in a row and improve to 17-13 overall and will now travel down to the South Bay to take on the #2 Eastlake Titans on Friday.

#2 EASTLAKE 3, #7 STEELE CANYON 2 – With both pitching staffs strong the Eastlake Titans were able to take advantage of a couple of opportunities in the third and fourth innings and were able to hold onto defeat the visiting Steele Canyon Cougars on Wednesday afternoon.

Early on the Cougars would strike first when Ily Barclay lined a double to center field that would bring home Isabella Azevedo to make it 1-0.

Unfortunately the early lead by the Cougars was wiped out when they committed an error that led to Eastlake tying the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the first inning.

The Titans would break the tie in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Bryn Grayson and they would add another run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run.

Steele Canyon tried to scratch back into the game and did when in the top of the sixth inning Belle Will with two outs drove in Barclay to pull within 3-2.

Payton Sos who started for the Cougars would take the loss as she allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits over six innings in which she walked one and struck out seven.

The loss by the Cougars snaps their two game winning streak and drops them to 16-13-1 and also into the elimination bracket where they will travel to San Marcos on Friday.

Division II

#2 WEST HILLS 7, #10 HELIX 1 – Thanks in part to a big third inning that saw the West Hills Wolf Pack push across four runs they would go onto the defeat the visiting Helix Highlanders on Wednesday afternoon out in Santee.

The pivotal third inning in which the Wolf Pack did the damage they did it all with two outs as they took advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

Ava Goodman would drive in Kristina Deal for the first run on a ground ball out, the next batter Gianna Burgin would single to left field to score Sofie Jo Grosch to make it 4-0, a couple of batters later Amber Foley would drive in Burgin and the last run came on a Highlander error that allowed Lili Leija to plate to make it 6-0.

Prior to their big inning West Hills would open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning thanks to ground outs by both Katy Spargo and Goodman to make it 2-0. Scoring on both ground outs were Deal and Maddie Aylesbury.

Helix would score their lone run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when Clarissa Torres with two outs single to right field allowing Naviah Conchas to plate.

Lauren Farace who started for the Highlanders would take the loss. On the day she allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits over two and two-thirds innings in which she walked one and struck out one.

Burgin who would be called on to start the game would pick up the victory as she went three innings in which she allowed no runs on two hits while walking one and striking out four, Goodman came into the game and finished things out as she pitched four innings in relief in which she allowed the one run on four hits while walking one and striking out four.

The loss by Helix snaps their four game winning streak and drops their record to 17-7 and now they will next take on #6 Sage Creek on the road in an elimination bracket contest on Friday.

Meanwhile, West Hills who with the win have now won three in a row and move to 18-9-1 on the season. They will now take on #3 Escondido Charter who have won six games in a row on Friday afternoon at home in a winners bracket second round contest.