D4: Roope, Busch power Foothillers

By Ramon Scott
Updated: May 20, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL

SAN DIEGO CIF DIVISION IV PLAYOFFS

GROSSMONT 12, ESCONDIDO 2

EastCountySports.com staff report

EL CAJON — Junior pitcher Saraya Roope dominated in the circle and junior slugger Madison Busch drove in four runs as second-seeded Grossmont rolled past Escondido, 12-2, in the opening round of the CIF San Diego Section Division IV softball playoffs Wednesday afternoon.

The Foothillers improved to 16-10-1 and advanced in the winners bracket of the double-elimination tournament, while fellow East County representative Liberty Charter suffered a narrow 6-5 loss to Central Union and moved into the elimination side of the bracket.

Grossmont will host sixth-seeded Montgomery on Friday after the Aztecs upset third-seeded Francis Parker, 11-10. The winner will move within one victory of the Division IV bracket final.

Escondido (11-13-1) remains alive despite the loss and will face Francis Parker in an elimination-bracket contest Friday.

Grossmont’s victory wasn’t always as comfortable as the final score suggested.

The Foothillers scored first in the opening inning when a passed ball brought home a run, but Escondido answered in the second. Grossmont committed an error that helped the Cougars tie the game before Mia Baltazar lined an RBI single down the left-field line to give Escondido a brief 2-1 advantage.

That lead lasted only until the bottom of the third.

Freshman Sahara Roope delivered the game’s biggest early hit, ripping a two-run double to put Grossmont back in front. Another run scored on a passed ball as the Foothillers surged ahead 4-2 and never looked back.

Grossmont added three more runs in the fourth inning, another in the fifth and four in the sixth to invoke the mercy rule.

While the offense steadily expanded the lead, Saraya Roope took command in the circle.

The junior right-hander allowed just two hits and two runs, only one earned, across six innings while striking out three. Although she worked around five walks, Roope consistently escaped trouble and prevented Escondido from generating any sustained offense after the second inning.

Busch supplied much of the offensive punch.

The junior finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, repeatedly delivering key hits from the heart of the Grossmont lineup. Busch and freshman Jaidyn Jacques each collected two hits, while Sahara Roope’s two-run double helped spark the decisive third inning.

Grossmont’s lineup received contributions throughout the order. Senior Skyler Glover scored twice and drove in a run, sophomore Juliana Short added an RBI, and senior Alexis Holman also knocked in a run as the Foothillers finished with nine hits and 12 runs.

Saraya Roope helped her own cause offensively as well, scoring four runs while reaching base three times.

The Foothillers overcame six defensive errors by turning a double play and limiting Escondido to only two hits. Baltazar and Ayla Ruvalcaba accounted for the Cougars’ hits, while Baltazar and Sofia Velazquez recorded RBIs.

Grossmont’s victory continued a strong season that has featured contributions from a young core. Freshmen Jacques and Sahara Roope played key roles Wednesday, while juniors Saraya Roope and Busch delivered veteran postseason performances when the Foothillers needed them most.

Elsewhere in the Division IV bracket, Liberty Charter saw its postseason opener end in heartbreak. The fourth-seeded Lions fell to fifth-seeded Central Union, 6-5, and will now face Maranatha Christian in an elimination game Friday. Central Union advanced to face top-seeded Madison in the winners bracket.

For Grossmont, however, Wednesday belonged to the Roope sisters and Busch. Behind dominant pitching, timely hitting and a seven-run outburst over the final three innings, the Foothillers took the first step toward a Division IV championship-game appearance.

Liberty Charter Falls in 10-Inning Heartbreaker to Central Union

ALPINE — Liberty Charter was one swing away from turning a difficult playoff opener into a comeback win Wednesday, but the Lions came up just short in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to Central Union in the first round of the CIF San Diego Section Division IV softball playoffs.

The fourth-seeded Lions battled back twice, including a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, before Central pushed across the deciding run in the top of the 10th.

Liberty Charter (14-5) now moves into the elimination side of the double-elimination bracket, where the Lions will face Maranatha Christian on Friday. Maranatha Christian dropped into the elimination bracket after a 13-2 loss to top-seeded Madison.

The game was scoreless through five innings before Central broke through with two runs in the top of the sixth.

Liberty answered immediately.

In the bottom half, sophomore Megan James put the ball in play with the bases loaded, and three runs came across as the Lions moved in front, 3-2.

Central tied the game in the seventh, then took a 5-3 lead in the ninth, putting Liberty Charter down to its final chance.

The Lions responded again.

Freshman Adalyn Nothwang battled through an eight-pitch at-bat and singled down the right-field line, helping Liberty Charter tie the game at 5-5 and force another inning.

Central regained the lead in the 10th when an error allowed the go-ahead run to score, and Liberty was unable to answer in the bottom half.

Senior Layla Montgomery gave the Lions a complete-game effort in the circle, working all 10 innings. Montgomery allowed six runs, five earned, while striking out three and walking two. She also led Liberty Charter at the plate, finishing 3-for-6 from the top of the lineup.

The Lions finished with 11 hits. Nothwang went 2-for-4 with an RBI, junior Briza Pelayo added two hits, and freshman Summer Svendsen also collected two hits, including a double.

James drove in a run, while freshman Leah Donahue scored twice for a Liberty Charter lineup that continued to pressure Central throughout extra innings.

Defensively, the Lions turned a double play and played clean enough to keep themselves in position deep into the game.

Central finished with 15 hits, with Jayleen Beltran doing much of the damage in the middle of the order. Still, Liberty Charter had multiple chances to win or extend the game and showed the kind of fight that can matter in a double-elimination tournament.

The loss puts the Lions in a tougher position, but their season is still alive.

Liberty Charter will now turn its attention to Maranatha Christian, with the winner staying in the Division IV championship chase and the loser being eliminated.