Sultans Claim Mayor’s Cup In Wild Day Of Action Across The County

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 24, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

SANTEE (4-23-26) – Trailing late in the game by a score of 8-4 the Santana Sultans managed to claw back and rally with five runs scored over the fifth and sixth innings and would hold on claim the 9-8 victory to claim not only the Mayor’s Cup but an important Grossmont Hills league contest on Thursday afternoon in front of a huge crowd.

The Sultans would strike first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning when Samantha Mora for the second straight game launched a solo shot deep to center field to lead off the inning, later in the inning Gabby Sneddon would drive in Paityn Miller to make it 2-0.

The two run momentum would be short lived as West Hills would put up a six spot in the top of the second inning. Leading off the inning Sophia Zayac after seeing eight pitches would take the next one and crank it deep over the left field fence for a solo home run, later in the inning Reegan Veltre would tie the game at 2-2 as she laced a base hit to right field to bring home Kiara Rabaya, a couple of batters later Katy Spargo with two outs cleared the bases with a double to left field scoring Lilyana Brzeczek, Amber Foley and Veltre to give them a 5-2 lead, the very next batter Maddie Aylesbury would drive in Spargo to round out the scoring.

Santana would answer back in the bottom of the inning and cut down to two runs when Miller belted a two-run blast to center field to pull them within 6-4.

Rabaya though in the top of the third inning would single in a run to make it 7-4 in favor of the Pack. A couple of innings later in the fifth Aylesbury hit her third home run of the season a solo home run to left field to make it 8-4.

Knowing they were running out of opportunities the Sultans in the bottom of the fifth inning would manage to push across a pair of runs including a two out RBI single by Hailee Powell to plate Alyssa Cipro.

Now trailing 8-6 Santana would pull within 8-7 on a sacrifice fly by Cipro that allowed Miller to come into score.

With two outs and still trailing by a run the following batter Brynn Warren would get her only hit of the game in a crucial moment as she singled to score Sneddon to tie the game at 8-8 and advance Lily Sowinski to second base, the next batter Shannon Davey came up and on a 2-2 count lined a base hit to center field and in the process bring home Sowinski who raced all the way from second into score the game winning run which brought a loud roar from the home crowd.

However, the Wolf Pack didn’t go down without a fight and in the top of the seventh inning would make things very interesting.

Leadoff hitter Haylee Kai singled to right field, she would be lifted for Jillian Piro as a pinch runner, the next batter Spargo would single to left field and on the throw both her and Piro would advance to second and third with no outs. The next batter Aylesbury after four pitches would get hit which loaded the bases.

Now with the bases packed the Wolf Pack were back in business but Ashlyn Darrow would retire the next two batters via pop outs and Piro tried to make things happen as she attempted to steal home but would be caught stealing to end the game.

Both teams would combine for 24 hits with Santana outhitting West Hills 13-11 in the contest.

Wolf Pack starter Aylesbury would take the loss as she allowed 9 runs of which all were earned on 13 hits over six innings n which she walked 7 and struck out 3.

For Santana, Darrow who drew the start would earn her first Mayor’s Cup victory as a starter as she went all 7 innings in which she allowed 8 runs of which 2 were earned on 11 hits while walking none and striking out 4.

West Hills with the loss has dropped three games in a row and falls to 8-12 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Meanwhile Santana winners of four games in a row improve to 11-9 overall and 3-0 league play to remain a top of the Hills League.

Santana after today’s win snaps a three game losing streak to city rival West Hills and a two game losing streak in Mayor’s Cup play.

GRANITE HILLS 12, EL CAPITAN 11 – In another wild one the Granite Hills grabbed the victory in walk-off fashion over the El Capitan Vaqueros on Thursday afternoon in Grossmont Hills action.

The dramatics for the home team Eagles came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Shea Benson singled to center field which allowed Olivia Cirar to come around and score the would be game winning run.

Both teams were in the slugging mood as El Capitan would tally 18 hits and Granite Hills would collect 16 hits on the day.

Granite Hills early on jumped out to the early lead with four runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to Iliana Cruse who tripled in a run along with Jazlyn Thomas who roped a three run double.

The Vaqueros would get on the board in the top of the second inning when Bailey Evans drove in Addison Higuera to make it 4-1.

The Eagles though answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning on another double by Thomas to make it 7-1.

El Capitan behind a solo home run by Higuera, Cassidy Sterling hitting a solo home run and Sofia Simone knocking in a run would pull within 7-5 in the top of the fourth inning.

A couple of innings later in the top of the sixth inning the Vaqueros go onto take their first lead of the game as they pushed across six runs on six hits to take a 11-8 lead. Sterling would deliver what would end up the biggest blow of the inning as she doubled in a pair of runs.

Trailing 11-8 in the bottom of the sixth inning the Eagles with two outs thanks to Ella Johnson who singled in Taylor Nash which was followed by an RBI double by Allie Amison to bring home Johnson to make it 11-10.

Down to their finals outs and trailing by a run the Eagles started off with a walk to Ashton Frary in the bottom of the seventh inning followed by a single by Cirar to advance Frary to third who would be lifted for Ariana Parent as a pinch runner who came into score to tie the game on a single by Cruse.

After an intentional walk to Nash the following batter Benson delivered the dramatic finish to pull out the come from behind victory for the Eagles.

The loss by the El Capitan Vaqueros is their second in a row and gives them a 9-10 record overall and 0-3 in league play.

Granite Hills snaps a two game losing streak and improves to 6-11 and evens their league record to 2-2.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

LA MESA (4-23-26) – Strong pitching on both sides but in the end the Helix Highlanders would come out on top 3-0 over the Grossmont Foothillers in a battle for first place on Thursday afternoon.

Sophomore Lea Moya who started for the Highlanders earned the win as she shut out the Foothillers over seven innings in which she allowed five hits while walking three and striking out six.

On the other side for Grossmont, junior Saraya Roope took the hard luck loss as she allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

The games first run came in the bottom of the second when Ella Aguayo hit a ball that was misplayed allowing Naleia Medina to come into score to make it 1-0.

A couple of innings later Helix would take advantage of another error by Grossmont as both LaNiah Broom and Jordan Leon would plate to extend the lead to 3-0.

Hitting wise for Grossmont, Saraya Roope would go 2-for-3 at the plate.

The loss by Grossmont gives them a 10-8-1 overall record and 3-1 in league play.

Helix on the other hand has won 9 games in a row and moves to 17-1 on the season and 3-0 in league play to give them a one game lead.

CITY WESTERN LEAGUE

EL CAJON (4-23.26) – Sophomore Alyssa McCurty fired off a one hit shutout as she completely shut down the visiting Scripps Ranch Falcons in the 3-0 victory on Thursday afternoon.

McCurty in her complete game seven innings of work allowed one single hit on the day in which she fanned 7 Falcons while walking two.

Offensively, the Patriots tallied eight hits on the day as Charlotte Baca, Pressly Villalva, Keytyn Ruis, McCurty, Samantha Baca, Liliana Yafuso, Keeleyana Carrizosa, and Sienna Staite all collected hits in the contest.

Christian would put up the first runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Charlotte Baca who hit a sacrifice fly, and Yafuso who singled in a run to take a 2-0 lead. They would score their other run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Carrizosa lined a double to left field allowing C. Baca to come into score.

The Patriots with the win have now won two games in a row and improve to 9-10-1 overall and 2-1 in league play which puts them in second place currently all by themselves behind Point Loma who is 2-0 in league.

NON-LEAGUE

STEELE CANYON 5, BRAWLEY 4 (9 INN.) – Going down to the valley and playing a night game is never an easy deal and can most of the time lead to a long trip home. One of these two occurred on Thursday evening as the Steele Canyon Cougars won a hard fought extra innings affair to make sure their trip back home wasn’t a long one after a defeat.

After rallying for four runs over early to middle innings both teams couldn’t push anything across in regulation which meant bonus ball and with the game tied at 4-4 the Steele Canyon Cougars behind sophomore Sophia Jackel who with one swing of the bat crushed a solo home to right field for her third bomb of the season to give the Cougars the lead.

Jackel not only hit the would be game winning home run but she also doubled in the third inning, and doubled in the seventh inning as she tallied a 3-for-5 night at the plate that included driving in 2 RBI and scored a run.

Brawley would early on lead 2-0 thanks to Sophia Ruiz who doubled in both runs.

Steele Canyon would answer with a run in the top of the second inning as Avigail Hendricks singled but the left fielder would misplay the ball which allowed Belle Will to come into score making it 2-1.

After another run by Brawley in the bottom of the second inning to give them a 3-1 lead the Cougars in the top of the third inning answered back as Jackel with two outs doubled to right field to bring home Payton Sos.

Hendricks would tie the game up for the Cougars in the top of the fourth inning with a solo blast deep over the center field fence.

Brawley would retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on a base hit by Ruiz.

Once again Steele Canyon would answer to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Tevia Cohen who singled down the right field line to plate Will.

Earning the victory for the Cougars was Delaney Shamaya who came into the game in relief who went 7 innings in which she allowed one run on six hits while striking out six, starting for the Cougars was Hendricks who in her two innings of work allowed three runs on five hits while striking out one.

Offensively, Jackel, Hendricks, and Illy Barclay each tallied three hits out of the 12 total by the team on the evening.

Winners of three in row the Cougars improve to 11-10 overall.