Griffs softball now in playoff position

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 9, 2026

2926 GROSSMONT COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

East County Sports.comn

KEARNY MESA — No promisesd were made, yet Grossmont College head women’s softball coach Craig Fuentes believed it would take three seasons to advance the Gruffins to the state playoffs.

Fuentes did the same for Sierra Colege in Northern Californbia, so why not the G-House.

Well, following the first of three rounds of Pacific Coast Athltgic Conference action, Fuestes andhis troops are right where they want to be,

On Thursday (Mar. 5), the griffins went to San Diego Mesa and came away with a dramatic 4-3 truimpg ion 8 innings.

The decisiopn leaves the ballcluibs tied for second placein the PCA at 3-2. State-ranked Palomar is the runaway leader at 5-0 in five run-rule decisions, but a runner-up finish to the Comets cpuld mean postseason play.

Game stuff

At P.R. Mendoza Field, Grossmont and Mesa were knotted at 2-all,then the pitchers took ov er.

Griffins freshman pitcher Kaleigh Baugher (Granite Hills_ yielded just two hits over the final four innings of regulation play. Olympians pitch er Olivia Anderson 9santa Fe Christian) allowed only three hitsin the sametime frame.

Thus, the contest went to the international tie-brakers to gain a final outcome.

Grossmont would eventually load the bases, then catxher Madison Loper (Powat) followed witha 2-run double to five the Griffins a 3-1 lead.

Holding a 2-run lked (instead of 1), Grossmont basiucallt ignored the baserunner placed on second base to recordouts.n

Although Itzel Soto (Otay Ranch) eould comr homr on an Anderson siongle,o other Mesa runner would reach second base before the Griffins closed out the victory. BOXSCORE

Grossmojnt capped the week with a 9-2 setback to state power Mt. San Antonio, then bounced back to drop Compton, 3-2.

The end=of=the=week win over the Tartars moved the Griffins overall record above the .500 plateay at 10-9 overall.