D1: Five-run fifth gives Cougars enough roar to claw to title game

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 26, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

By Adam Paul

STEELE CANYON 8, CHRISTIAN 6

SPRING VALLEY (5-26-26) – In a contest that saw both teams combine for seven errors and multiple lead changes the host Steele Canyon Cougars scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and made them stick despite a pair of late runs by the Patriots as they claimed the San Diego CIF Division I semifinals victory on Tuesday afternoon to move onto the Division I CIF championship.

Steele Canyon with no score in the game would strike first in the bottom of the third inning as they would take advantage of an error by the Patriots to plate a run followed by a one out RBI single by Sophia Jackel to make it 2-0.

However, the momentum would jump to the Patriots thanks to Pressly Villalva who drove in a run and Samantha Baca hit a ball to right field that would go for a two run inside the park home run for her fifth of the season and a 3-2 lead. They would add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning when Villalva drove in Ava Barrios to make it 4-2.

Steele Canyon though would claw back on four hits that would lead to five runs plating which included a run scoring on an error, passed ball and a wild pitch. The last run by the Cougars came via a sacrifice fly by Marina Gonzalez that allowed Belle Will to tag up from third and score extending the lead to 7-4. The Cougars would add another run in the bottom of the sixth inning when with one out Payton Sos launched a solo shot deep to center field for her fourth of the season to give them an 8-4 lead.

Christian would threaten in the top of the seventh inning with Keeleyana Carrizosa driving in a run and Alyssa McCurty grounding out which led to Villalva scoring to make it 8-6. Despite the two runs scoring Ava Hendricks would get Sienna Staite to fly out to center field to end the threat and the game.

For the Patriots, Ava Barrios who started would take the loss as she allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits over two innings in which she walked one and struck out two, McCurrty came in and tossed four innings of relief in which she allowed two runs (zero earned) on four hits while striking out five.

Earning the win for the Cougars was Hendricks who over three and two-thirds innings of relief allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out two, Will who started went three and one-third inning in which she allowed three runs (three earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out three.

The loss for the Patriots officially ends their season with an overall record of 14-15-1.

On the other side the Steele Canyon Cougars remain hot as they now have won eight games in a row to push their overall record to 20-11.

The win also moves them into the CIF Division I championship game where they will meet the winner of the Torrey Pines/Mission Hills semifinals as Torrey Pines edged Mission Hills 3-2 to force a playback game on Wednesday.

If Torrey Pines ends up beating Mission Hills then it will be a reunion of sorts as the current head coach for the Falcons is former Steele Canyon Head coach Julie Neubauer who led the Cougars to back-to-back CIF Division III championships in 2006 & 2007.

For Coach Kevin Pearlstein of the Cougars who will looking to win his first ever CIF championship it will be the third time he has guided the Cougars to a CIF Championship contest. The first time was back in 2017 when they reached the CIF Division II title game in which they lost 7-4 to league rival Santana and the other time was only a couple of seasons ago in 2024 when they reached the Division I title game where they lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision.