Cougs bite Falcons, claim road victory

By Adam Paul
Updated: April 27, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

SAN DIEGO (4-27-26) – Three runs scored all with two outs by the Steele Canyon Cougars to break a late game tie is enough to prevail on the road in a big non-league contest 5-4 over Torrey Pines on Monday afternoon.

With the score tied at 5-5 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs and the bases loaded Avigail Hendricks took the 1-1 count and ripped a base hit to right field that brought home both Ariana Angotti and Belle Will to retake the lead 7-5, the next batter Makenzie Mayer reached on an error that allowed Tevia Cohen to plate and the final run came when Hendricks raced home on a wild pitch to make it 9-5.

Despite walking a pair of batters and allowing a base hit to load the bases after retiring the first two batters Delaney Shamaya would get the next batter to fly out to right field for the final out of the game.

Earlier in the game in the bottom of the second inning the Falcons would lead 2-0 thanks to a double Claire McEvoy.

Steele Canyon would pull within 2-1 in the top of the third inning when Peyton Sos drove in Kayala Hopkins.

Mina Crouch of the Falcons would extend the lead to 4-1 when she doubled in a pair in the bottom of the third inning.

Another run for the Cougars would cut the Falcons lead in half thanks to Danika Lakin driving in Hopkins in the top of the fifth inning.

Steele would take their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth inning as Will would score on a misplayed ball hit by Cohen to make it 4-3, the next batter Hendricks doubled in Cohen to tie the game at 4-4 and Illy Barclay a couple of batters later grounded out and in the process Hendricks raced home to give them a 5-4 lead.

Shamaya who drew the start for the Cougars went the distance to pick up the win in which she allowed five runs (two earned) on eight hits while walking three and striking out two.

The win by the Cougars is a big one as it not only extends their winning streak to four games and improves their record to 12-10 overall but also helps them in the CIF power rankings which will determine playoff seedings in a couple of weeks.

SANTANA 17, GROSSMONT 2 – 19 hits pounded out including a combined 7-for-10 by the first two hitters leads to a convincing road victory for the Sultans over the Foothillers on Monday afternoon in non-league action.

Santana would early on after two and a half innings lead 3-0 thanks to Bryleigh Britza who drove in a run in the first inning and Ashlyn Darrow grounding into a fielder’s choice and Shannon Davey singling to left field, each scoring a run.

Grossmont would threaten in the bottom of the first inning as Skyler Glover with one out singled, Madison Busch walked and Roope singled to load the bases. However, that would be the end of the threat at the next two batters would be retired to end the inning.

The Foothillers would get on the board with a run in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Sahara Roope who doubled in Jaidyn Jacques to make it 3-1 and later Busch singled in Roope to pull within 3-2.

The Sultans would answer with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead as Darrow drove in Mora and Britza reached on an error that allowed Kylee Aziz to plate making 5-2.

Later in the top of the sixth inning the Sultans would really start to put the game away as they plated six runs. An error led to a run scoring, Kaitlyn Ruckle doubled in a pair of runs, another error led to a run, and Brynn Warren drove in a pair of runs.

Leading 11-2 the Sultans would extend their lead even more as they scored six more runs in the top of the seventh inning. Ruckle drove in a run, Hailee Powell drove in a pair of runs, Warren singled in a run, and Paityn Miller singled in two runs.

Alexa Freitas who drew the start for the Sultans would earn the win as she allowed seven hits and two runs (zero earned) over three innings in which she walked one and struck out one, Maddie Myrick came in and tossed four innings in relief in which she allowed zero runs on three hits.

On the other side for the Foothillers Saraya Roope took the loss as she allowed seventeen runs (six earned) on 14 hits over seven innings in which she walked eight and struck out three.

Grossmont who has now dropped two in a row falls to 10-9-1 overall on the season.

Santana who has now won five games in a row moves to 12-9 on the season