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D3: Medina, Moya lead Helix past Ramona
- Updated: May 20, 2026
2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION III PLAYOFFS
HELIX 2, RAMONA 1
EastCountySports.com staff report
LA MESA — Helix’s future was on full display Wednesday afternoon.
Freshman Naleia Medina delivered the game-winning hit and sophomore pitcher Lea Moya turned in a complete-game gem as the second-seeded Highlanders rallied for a 2-1 victory over Ramona in the opening round of the CIF San Diego Section Division III softball playoffs.
With the game tied entering the sixth inning, Medina lined a triple down the right-field line that scored the go-ahead run, lifting Helix to its 21st victory of the season and sending the Highlanders deeper into the winners bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Helix improved to 21-4 and advanced to Friday’s second-round matchup against third-seeded Mission Vista, which defeated Bishop’s, 8-1, in its playoff opener. The winner will move another step closer to the Division III bracket final.
Ramona (15-13) remains alive in the postseason despite the loss and drops into the elimination bracket, where the Bulldogs will face University City on Friday. University City advanced into the tournament through Tuesday’s elimination round before falling to Mission Vista in the first round.
The game featured strong pitching throughout.
Ramona struck first in the opening inning when freshman Elisa Gaines produced an RBI groundout, giving the seventh-seeded Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
That run stood up for much of the afternoon as Ramona junior pitcher Braelyn Bolen and Moya traded scoreless innings.
Bolen kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard through five innings, allowing just four hits while receiving flawless defensive support behind her. Ramona committed no errors and consistently worked out of trouble against one of the division’s top teams.
Meanwhile, Moya settled in after the first inning and turned in a dominant complete-game performance. The sophomore scattered seven hits across seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight and walking two.
The Highlanders finally broke through in the sixth.
Sophomore Ella Aguayo tied the game with a sacrifice fly before Medina came through moments later with the decisive blow, driving a triple into right field to score what proved to be the winning run.
Helix’s defense made the lead stand. The Highlanders played error-free softball throughout the contest, with sophomore Nikaylah Domingo leading the defensive effort with eight chances in the field.
Ramona threatened several times but was unable to capitalize despite collecting seven hits.
Senior Taeya Kitchen paced the Bulldogs offensively, going 2-for-3 to account for two of the team’s seven hits. Lilia Ramos, M. Miranda, Emilee Woods, Braelyn Bolen and Evie Brown each added hits for Ramona.
The Bulldogs left 13 runners on base, a statistic that ultimately loomed large in a one-run game.
Bolen deserved a better fate in the circle, allowing just two runs on four hits over six innings while striking out two. The junior kept Ramona in position to pull off the upset before Helix’s late rally changed the outcome.
For Helix, the victory was another example of the formula that has carried the Highlanders to a 21-4 record: timely hitting, strong defense and outstanding pitching.
On Wednesday, a freshman supplied the clutch hit and a sophomore ace delivered seven innings in the circle, helping Helix survive a determined challenge from a Ramona club that proved it belonged in the Division III field.
The Highlanders now turn their attention to Friday’s winners-bracket showdown with Mission Vista, while Ramona begins the difficult task of navigating the elimination side of the bracket against University City. Meanwhile, Coronado and Mar Vista will meet in the division’s other elimination-bracket contest.
