Cougars Jump Back Into League Race

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 6, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

LAKESIDE (5-6-26) – Five early runs scored and a stellar pitching performance leads to winning formula for the Steele Canyon Cougars as they put themselves back in the league crown race with the 6-1 road victory over the El Capitan Vaqueros on Wednesday afternoon.

Steele Canyon would strike first thanks to Sophia Jackel and Belle Will drawing walks to score both Ily Barclay and Avigail Hendricks, Izabella Thomas grounding out which allowed Payton Sos to plate and Dannika Lakin driving in Jackel to round out the scoring.

The Cougars would tack on another run in the top of the second inning thanks to Hendricks who grounded out and in the process Barclay raced home to make it 5-0.

Later in the fifth inning with two outs Lakin would rope a double to left field which allowed Thomas to come into score to make it 6-0.

El Capitan would finally scratch a run across in the bottom of the inning with two outs as Bailey Evans doubled to center field allowing Cassidy Sterling to come into score making it 6-1.

Pitching wise for the Vaqueros, Makenna Burton who came into the game in relief tossed five innings in which she allowed one run on six hits while striking out one. Addison Higuera who drew the start allowed five runs on two hits over two innings in the loss while walking six and striking out one.

Will who started for the Cougars picked up the win as she struck out eight while walking one over five innings in which she allowed three hits.

The loss by the Vaqueros snaps their two game winning streak as they fall to 11-11 overall and 2-4 in league play.

Steele Canyon on the other hand has won two games in a row and improves to 14-11 overall and 4-2 in league play and positions themselves now only one game behind league leading Santana who is 4-1 in league.

GRANITE HILLS 11, WEST HILLS 10 – Senior Taylor Nash drove in four runs for the Granite Hills Eagles as they rallied with a pair of sixth inning runs to claim the come from behind score fest on Wednesday afternoon out in El Cajon.

Offensively both teams wracked up a total of 28 hits with the Eagles tallying 15 and the Wolf Pack with 13 on the day.

West Hills who came into the game looking to potentially improve their playoff seeding jumped out to an early lead thanks to Katy Spargo who belted her East County leading and San Diego County tied for the lead eleventh home run of the season for a three-run blast over the right field fence, Lili Leija drove in a run, Addison Nuzzo drew a walk to bring in a run, and Reegan Veltre grounded out to bring in a run.

However, the Eagles clawed into the six run deficit when Nash belted a long ball deep to left field for a three run shot of which was her seventh of the season, and Mia Downes drove in a run when she doubled with two outs to bring home Ariana Heninger to pull within 6-4.

Granite Hills would tie the game in the bottom of the second inning thanks to both Nash who singled and Heninger who doubled for the second time in the game.

Granite would take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third inning on a double play ball hit by Halia Patlan and in the process Kaylanii Caple came into score to give them a 7-6 lead.

The momentum and lead would be short lived for the Eagles as the Wolf Pack would reclaim the lead thanks to Sophia Zayac who doubled in a run, and both Amber Foley and Leija driving in runs to make it 10-7.

Still trailing and knowing they were running out of opportunities the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out got a runner on when Caple singled to right field, a couple of batters later with two outs Patlan singled which advanced Caple to third base.

The next batter Olivia Cirar with two outs took the 1-0 count and ripped a liner to center field for a go-ahead two run double scoring both Caple and Patlan to give them the 11-10 lead.

Maddie Aylesbury who stepped into the circle for the Pack and would take the loss allowed 9 runs on 11 hits over three innings in which she walked four and struck out one.

For the Eagle, Allie Amison earned the win as she allowed 10 runs on 13 hits over five innings in which she walked five and struck out one.

West Hills with the loss drops to 9-14 overall and 1-4 in league play while Granite Hills has won two in a row and improves to 7-12 overall and 3-3 in league play.

GAME NOTE – Katy Spargo of West Hills with her home run in today’s game now has 30 career home runs and becomes only the fifth player in East County history to hit 30 career home runs. The others to accomplish the feat were Madison Mendez of Santana (2016-19) with 31, Kayti Grable of Santana (2010-13) with 34, Olivia Gigante of Patrick Henry (2019-22) who also hit 34 and Sofia Mujica of Granite Hills (2021-24) who hit 60 and is the all-time leader in San Diego section history.

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

GROSSMONT 15, EL CAJON VALLEY 1 (5 INN.) – Fifteen runs on nine hits did the trick for the Grossmont Foothillers who cruised to win on Wednesday afternoon on the road to claim the league game.

Grossmont early on in the top of the first inning jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to Madison Busch who drove in a run, a passed ball allowed a pair of runs to score, Destiny Tufugafale singled in a run, Sophia Abarca drew a walk to bring in a run as did Jaidyn Jacques.

They would add to their lead in the second inning thanks to Skyler Glover who drew a run scoring walk, Drew Winchester singled in a run, Sahara Roope drove in a run and Abarca was hit by a pitch that led to a run scoring.

Pitching wise for the Hillers, Saraya Roope drew the assignment and she would pick up the win as she would toss a no-hitter in which she allowed one run (zero earned) over four innings in which she fanned eight while walking three. Busch would come in and toss an inning of relief in which she allowed no runs and no hits.

Both Roope and Tufugafale drove in a pair of runs while Busch tallied three walks to help pace the offense for Grossmont.

El Cajon Valley remains winless on the season with a record of 0-12 and 0-6 in league while Grossmont has won two in a row and improves to 13-10-1 overall and 6-1 in league.

CITY WESTERN LEAGUE

SCRIPPS RANCH 1, PATRICK HENRY 0 – A late run scored in the bottom of the sixth inning by the home team Falcons is the only run needed as they claimed Wednesday’s City League contest.

With two outs and the game tied 0-0 the Falcons sent up Ruby Bryant who took a 1-0 count and laced what would be the game winning run scoring triple to right field.

Pitching wise was strong for both teams in the circle as only four hits combined were tallied in the contest.

Teagan Forbes who would wind up taking the hard luck loss for the Patriots went five and two-thirds innings in which she allowed three hits and one run while walking three and striking out four.

The only hit of the day for the Patriots came courtesy of Katie Krewson.

Patrick Henry has now dropped two games in a row and falls to 9-14-1 overall and 1-5 in league play while Scripps Ranch has won two in a row and improves to 11-9-1 overall and 2-3 in league play.