CIF: Pack’s Goodman tames White Tigers to reach D-2 semifinals

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 23, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

By Adam Paul

Division II

#2 WEST HILLS 7, #3 ESCONDIDO CHARTER 6 – In what should have been an easy victory turned out to be a dramatic nail biter as senior Ava Goodman with the score tied at 6-6 lined a single to center field that allowed Sofie Jo Grosch to come around from second base to score the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning and come away with the walk-off victory for West Hills on Friday afternoon.

West Hills who came into the contest on a three game winning streak struck first blood early and often starting in the bottom of the first inning when Kristina Deal hit a solo home run.

They would extend the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a single by Kiara Rabaya that was followed in the bottom of the third inning by a two-run home run by Maddie Aylesbury. Leading 4-1 the Pack would add a couple more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Rabaya scored on an error by the White Tigers and Katy Spargo grounded out to score Deal to give them a 6-1 lead.

Escondido Charter would score a run in the top of the fourth inning to make it 6-2 and later in the top of the seventh inning down to their final outs they would come alive some more.

The White Tigers would string together opportunities such as an RBI double by Olivia Smith, followed by a ground out that scored a run, an RBI single by Rose Gomez, and a single by Amber Rossback.

Gianna Burgin drew the start for the Wolf Pack. The hurler wouldn’t factor into the decision despite allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over five innings in which she walked three and struck out four. Goodman who came into the game in relief would pick up the win. In her two innings of work she would allow four runs on seven hits while striking out one.

It was quite the slugfest as Escondido Charter outhit West Hills 12-11.

The loss by Escondido Charter snaps their six game winning streak as their record falls to 22-5. They will now take on Sage Creek who defeated Helix in an elimination game on Saturday.

Meanwhile, West Hills now winners of four games in a row move their record to 19-9-1 on the season move on to the semi-finals to be played on Tuesday for the first time since 2017 when they lost a heartbreaking 10-9 elimination bracket contest in eight innings to #6 Carlsbad who went onto win the Division I CIF championship over top seeded Patrick Henry.

They will await the winner of the Sage Creek/Escondido Charter game.

#6 SAGE CREEK 3, #10 HELIX 1 – Two runs scored by the Sage Creek Bobcats in the bottom of the fifth inning prove to be the difference as they win a home elimination game over the visiting Helix Highlanders on Friday.

Sage Creek would strike first as they took advantage of an error by the Highlanders to push across a run in the bottom of the first inning to lead 1-0.

Later in the fourth inning still trailing 1-0 the Highlanders would gain some momentum as Nikayla Domingo would belt a solo home run to tie the game 1-1.

The momentum for the Highlanders wouldn’t last long as the Bobcats would score twice in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo home run and a fielders’ choice to retake the lead 3-1.

Kassidy King would earn the win for the Bobcats. On the day she would strike out twelve while only allowing the one run on four hits over seven innings.

Katelyn Woodland who started for the Highlanders would take the loss as she allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits over five innings in which she walked three and struck out four.

The loss by Helix sees their season end on a two game losing streak and an overall record of 17-8.