CIF Championships: Patriots, Sultans, Vaqueros Claim Wins

By Adam Paul
Updated: May 19, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championshops

By Adam Paul

DIVISION I

#10 CHRISTIAN 4, #7 SAN MARCOS 2 (8 INN.) – A mid-game rally to tie the game up followed by a pair of runs scored in extra innings lead to the Christian Patriots going on the road and claiming the victory over the San Marcos Knights in play-in game action on Tuesday afternoon.

Christian who entered the playoffs off of a big win over Cathedral Catholic in the season finale continued their momentum thanks to Pressly Villalva (2-4, R, RBI, 2B) who was able to drive in Lily Reyes (2-4, R, RBI) to put them up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.

However, the momentum was short lived and shifted to the Knights as they pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning thanks to Emily Lew hitting into a fielder’s choice and Isabella Esparza singling which led to another run scoring to give them the 2-0 lead.

Later in the top of the fifth the Patriots would manage to rally to tie the game thanks to Reyes who with one out singled to center field to bring home Charlotte Baca.

With neither team able to break through and score the remaining couple of innings the game would head into extra innings.

Extra innings at first glance didn’t start out well for the Patriots as the first two batters were retired but Villalva came up and roped a ball to center field for a double, the next batter Samantha Baca (1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR) after working the count to 3-1 would on the very next pitch crush it to right field deep over the fence for a go-head two-run blast her fourth of the season to give them a momentum changing 4-2 lead.

Christian pitcher Ava Barrios who came into the game in relief would in the bottom of the eighth inning work herself out of a one out jam of back-to-back singles followed a successful steal of third and the other runner safe at second on defensive indifference to strike out the batter for the second out and follow that up by getting the next batter to ground out to end the game.

Barrios would pick up the win for the Patriots as she allowed no runs on three hits while fanning six over three innings of work. Alyssa McCurty who started the game would allow two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out two over five innings but wouldn’t factor in the decision.

For the Knights, Charlotte Shelton took the loss as she allowed four runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out two in eight innings of work.

San Marcos with the loss is officially eliminated from the playoffs.

Christian on the other hand improves to 12-13-1 overall and moves on into the first round of the playoffs and officially double elimination where they will travel down to the South Bay to take on the #2 seeded Otay Ranch Mustangs on Wednesday to be played at 4 PM.

#5 CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 12, #12 WEST HILLS 2 (5 INN.) – It just wasn’t the #12 seeded West Hills Wolf Packs day as the fifth seeded Cathedral Catholic Dons scored six runs in the first two innings to pull away for the convincing victory in play-in game action on Tuesday afternoon.

West Hills early on would strike first when senior Katy Spargo drove in Reegan Veltre to make it 1-0.

Veltre would drive in the other run for the Wolf Pack in the top of the second inning.

Sophomore Jaedyn Craw for the Pack tossed four innings in which she allowed six runs on eight hits while walking two, Maddie Aylesbury allowed six runs all earned on five hits while walking one.

Cathedral Catholic with win moves on into the first round to take on #4 Torrey Pines on Wednesday.

Meanwhile the Wolf Pack are officially eliminated and finish their season 10-17 overall.

DIVISION II

#5 SANTANA 8, #12 PATRICK HENRY 4 – The duo of freshman Paityn Miller and junior Ashlyn Darrow combined for six hits and four RBI to help the Santana Sultans double up the visiting Patrick Henry Patriots on Tuesday afternoon in play-in elimination game action.

Santana the co-champions out of the Grossmont Hills league started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Brynn Warren grounded out to bring home Kylee Aziz to make it 1-0. They would add to their lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to Kaitlyn Ruckle who grounded out, and Brianna Canty who singled to center, each scoring one run.

After adding another run in the bottom of the bottom of the third inning on a ground out by Hailee Powell the Sultans would push their lead to 4-0.

Patrick Henry would finally get on the board in the top of the fourth inning thanks to Sivan Benami who doubled to right field to bring home Whitley Swain to make it 4-1.

The small momentum the Patriots had would swing back to the Sultans as Darrow would belt a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give them a 6-1 lead.

Another semi-swing in momentum would occur in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Emily Caddy who smashed a two-run home run over the field fence scoring Angelina Mazon to cut the Sultans lead in half 6-3. The Patriots later in the inning would creep even closer when with two outs Adeline McDonald roped an RBI double to left field bringing in Katie Krewson to pull within 6-4.

However, the Sultans would pull away further when with two outs Miller with one swing of the bat belted a two-run blast for the second home run of the day for Santana and give them a 8-4 lead.

Pitching wise for the Patriots, Megan Rader would take the loss as she tossed four and two-thirds innings in which she allowed five runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out one, Teagan Forbes who started but wouldn’t factor in the decision surrendered three runs on four hits over one and one-third of an inning while walking two.

Meanwhile, Darrow who went the full seven innings picked up the win as she allowed four runs on six hits while fanning six.

Other contributors offensively for the Sultans were Samantha Mora who tallied a pair of hits and Gabby Sneddon who had a hit and scored a run.

Patrick Henry with the loss drops their fifth in a row and finishes their season 9-17-1 overall as they are officially eliminated.

Santana wins their second in a row and improves to 16-11 overall and will move onto the first round where they will travel up to the North County to take on #4 Westview to start the double elimination portion on Wednesday.

#6 EL CAPITAN 7, #11 EL CAMINO 3 – Junior Sofia Simone behind a 3-for-3 day at the plate including driving in a run helped propel the El Capitan Vaqueros to home victory on Tuesday afternoon over the visiting Wildcats in play-in elimination game action.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning the Vaqueros starting with a lead-off walk by Simone who would the first of her two bases on the day would come into score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.

El Capitan would jump into a lead they wouldn’t give up thanks to Simone and Ciara Bernardini who each drove in runs to give them a 3-1 lead.

The Vaqueros would go onto extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Bailey Evans would drive in Cassidy Sterling.

El Camino would cut the Vaquero lead in half with a run in the top of the fourth inning.

However, the Vaqueros would answer back with three runs thanks to Isabella Farris who led off with a single and would come around to score, Sterling would draw a walk which allowed Simone to plate and Bernardini would come into score on a ground out by Quinnley Morehouse.

Brooke Stark who started for the Wildcats would take the loss as she allowed svsen runs on 12 hits over six innings in which she walked three and struck out five.

Makenna Burton drew the start for the Vaqueros and would garner the victory. On the day she would allow three runs on nine hits over seven innings in which she walked two and struck out three.

El Camino with the loss is officially eliminated from the playoffs.

El Capitan improves to 13-12 overall and will now move onto the double elimination portion of the playoffs where they will travel up to the North County to take on #3 San Pasqual on Wednesday afternoon.