Vaqueros And Cougars Clean Up In Hilltop Action

By Adam Paul
Updated: March 14, 2026

2026 EATS COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

By Adam Paul

CHULA VISTA (3-14-26) – In their second game of the day the bottom of the line-up came up clutch as they helped provide the spark in victory as the El Capitan Vaqueros handed the Helix Highlanders their first loss of the season by a score of 7-3.

Offensively, the Vaqueros tallied 12 hits of which Brynlie Ford, Gabrielle Garcia, and Cassidy Sterling accounted for six of those hits in the win. They also drove in a pair of runs and score three times.

Starting pitcher Addison Higuera not only picked up the victory for the Vaqueros but she also helped her own cause at the plate with an inside the park home run for her second long ball of the season in the top of the second inning to lead 1-0.

Helix would tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a ground ball out by LaNiah Broom.

With the score tied up the Vaqueros behind aggressive base running would retake the lead thanks to a successful steal of home by Garcia to give them a 2-1 lead.

Needing insurance run El Capitan went back to work in the top of the fourth inning and managed to behind four hits push across four runs to extend their lead to 7-1. Doing damage in the inning was Ford who started with an RBI single and later in the inning Ciara Bernardini roped in three runs thanks to a triple to center field.

Helix would score a couple of more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI double by Naleia Medina and an RBI single by Amara Okafor.

Higuera in the win went six innings in which she allowed three run (two earned) on five hits while walking three and striking out three.

On the other side for the Highlanders, Vivie Munoz would take the loss as she allowed seven runs (four earned) on eight hits over three and two-thirds innings in which she struck out one.

El Capitan with the win moves to 6-3 while Helix sees their eight game winning streak snapped and is now 8-1.

EL CAPITAN 15, HILLTOP 0 (4 INN.) – Earlier in the day El Capitan’s Addison Higuera started what would be a monster of day by driving in four runs in the route of the host team Hilltop Lancers on Saturday morning.

The run onslaught by the Vaqueros started in the bottom of the first inning as they scored six runs to lead 6-0. Leading the charge in the inning was Higuera who drove in three runs on a ball hit to right field that went for a triple, Quinnley Morehouse hit a sacrifice fly that scored a run and Gwen Hill doubled in a run.

The Vaqueros would extend their lead in the bottom of the second thanks to RBI triples by both Mckenzie Passanisi ad Morehouse.

More of the same in the bottom of the third as the Vaqueros on seven hits scored seven runs. Isabella Farris tripled in three run, Higuera drove in a run, Morehouse doubled in a run and Hill drove in a pair.

Passanisi who started for the Vaqueros allowed only one hit on the day as she fanned six with no walks in four innings of work.

STEELE CANYON 8, CANYON HILLS 2 (6 NN.) – Consistent offense led to scoring in all of the first four innings which led to a victory for the Steele Canyon Cougars over Canyon Hills on Saturday in the late game.

The Cougars would strike in the top of the first inning thanks to Ariana Angotti who lined a single to center to bring home Sophia Jackel for the first run.

Steele Canyon would add another run in the top of the second inning on an RBI single down the right field line by Illy Barclay to make it 2-0.

Another RBI single by Angotti down the left field line in the top of the third along with a fielder’s choice by Kayala Hopkins the Cougars would lead 4-0.

Belle Will would extend the lead for the Cougars in the top of the fifth inning thanks to an inside the park two run home run to make it 6-0.

Pitching wise Delaney Shamaya would step into the circle for the Cougars and get the win behind six innings of work in which she allowed two runs on six hits while fanning seven on the day.

With the win the Cougars evened their overall record to 4-4.

STEELE CANYON 10, OCEANSIDE 1 (4 INN.) – Big offensive second inning leads to a convincing route victory by the Cougars over the Pirates in the early game.

Prior to the big second inning the Cougars started the scoring in the top of the first behind Sophia Jackel who drove in a run and Izabella Thomas who doubled in a pair of runs to give them a 3-0 lead.

Offensively in the second inning the scoring came from Jackel who drove in a run, Belle Will and her RBI single, Ariana Angotti driving in a run on a triple, Thomas driving in a run, Dannika Lankin driving in a run and an error leading to another run.

Angotti would drive in another run in the bottom of the third on a ground ball out to make it 10-1.

Will would earn the win in the circle for the Cougars. On the day she allowed one run (zero earned) on two hits while walking two and striking out eight over three innings. Payton Sos came in and tossed an inning in which she struck out two.

SANTANA 14, CLAIREMONT 7 (5 INN.) – Behind 11 hits the Santana Sultans doubled up the Chieftains in a football score of a game on Saturday morning to claim the morning game.

Santana would start their scoring in the top of the first inning behind Brynn Warren who walked which scored a run, Ashlyn Darrow doubled in a run, and Kaylee Lindahl who roped an inside the park home run to bring in a pair of runs.

Leading 4-1 the Sultans would add another run in the top of the third on an RBI single by Darrow down the left field line.

Clairemont though would tie the game at 4-4 as they pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The momentum by the Chieftains was short lived as the Sultans broke through with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to retake the lead 9-4.

Samantha Mora would drive in a run, Alyssa Cipro singled in a run and Warren would finish things off with a three run single.

Darrow who drew the start for the Sultans would earn the win. On the day she allowed seven runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two over five innings.

HELIX 4, EASTLAKE 0 – In the early game the Highlanders pitching behind Lee Moya limited the Eastlake Titans to two hits in the victory on Saturday morning.

An RBI single by Naleia Medina and error by the Titans led to runs which gave the Highlanders an early 2-0 lead.

A couple of innings later in the top of the third inning the Highlanders would extend their lead thanks to Nikayla Domingo who homered to center field scoring a pair of runs which rounded out the scoring.

Moya who drew the start for the Highlanders struck out five over five innings of work in which she only allowed two hits and no runs in the win.