The Nation's Only FREE Recruiting Service Double-Click HERE or logo for Information HOME RUN LEADERS (Regular Season Final) Player School HR Terese Diaz Helix 8 Alyssa Dronenburg Jessie Owens Helix Santana 7 Amanda Carpenter Lorena Klopp Jesika Perea Santana Steele Canyon Monte Vista 6 Kelsey McIlonie Santana 5 Rachel Failla Jenny Lahitte Ashley Renaldi Jessica Schatz Santana Granite Hills Grossmont Granite Hills 4 Britty Balough Amber Beebe Jazmin Daigle Leslie Kuhne Alex Miller Kelley Seitz Jayme Talmich Lauren Vallely Santana Santana Steele Canyon El Capitan West Hills Valhalla Grossmont Grossmont 3

PITCHING WIN PCT. (Regular Season Final) Player School W-L Jessie Owens Santana 12-0 Britty Balough Santana 16-2 Jenny Lahitte Granite Hills 12-2 Lorena Klopp Steele Canyon 9-2 Terese Diaz Helix 16-6 Torrey Rook Valhalla 6-3 Brittani Bertussi Granite Hills 9-5 Kristy Valles West Hills 9-7 Ashley Renaldi Grossmont 5-4 Sarah Grohman El Capitan 4-4 Chelsea Velovich West Hills 4-5 Julianna Duncan El Capitan 6-8 Briitany Fishtrom Grossmont 6-9 Whitney Mullins Monte Vista 8-11 Others of note -- Jessica Alderson (WH) 4-0, Gabrielle Beasley (SC) 4-0, Irene Blumenstock (SC) 6-1, Ricki Gentry (Chr) 4-2, Megan McGirr (Val) 3-2, Angela Uy (Val) 3-3.

© East County Sports.com
LINDA VISTA (5-16-08) -- In an alignment process which closely matched game results and various rankings from throughout the region, the CIF-San Diego Section released the team seedings and playoff pairings for all four divisions of the fastpitch championships. Among the 52 schools advancing to postseason play, nine hail from East County, including four among the top seeds in Santana, Steele Canyon, Christian and Granite Hills.

As expected, Santana (28-2), which owns the second-best overall record in the section, received the top seed in Division III. The Sultans received a first-round bye into next Tuesday's (May 20) quarterfinals, hosting the winner from Saturday's (May 17) opening contest between No. 9 seeded Mount Miguel (10-18) and No. 8 Valley Center (12-14).

Two-time Division III titlist Steele Canyon has been elevated in classification, now competing in the highly charged Division II tournament field. The Cougars (20-5-1), the three-time winners of the Grossmont South League, also gained a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed. They will host the winner among No. 6 West Hills (17-12) and No. 11 Hilltop (18-9), which gained the home-field berth as a league champion to force the Wolf Pack to play on the road.

Also gaining a No. 3 seed is Christian in Division IV, which carries a field of 16 teams. Thus, none of the schools gain a bye, with the Patriots (11-12) hosting Vista's Guajome Park Academy (13-6) in Saturday's first round. Game time against the Frogs will be 2 p.m. at Roma Dawson Field.

The biggest surprise among the top seeds may belong in Division I, where Granite Hills (21-7-1) nosed out Rancho Bernardo for the No. 4 spot. The Eagles gained a bye, but their opponent is not guaranteed.

Despite RB's Broncos being placed fifth, they will travel for the playoff opener at Eastlake, the bottom seed at No. 12, which won a coin flip with Mesa League co-champion Bonita Vista to be declared league champion and gain an automatic first-round home contest (even though the seeding committee placed the Barons higher -- No. 11 -- in the tournament bracket).

Also in the upper half of the Division I bracket, Helix (19-9-1) gained a home berth, as the No. 8 Highlanders entertain No. 9 Mira Mesa. The teams met earlier this season when the Marauders were guest entrants to the Grossmont Conference Tournament, taking a 7-2 decision over the Scotties.

In Division II, Grossmont (13-14-1) is seeded 8th, and will host No. 9 Ramona (15-15), while No. 5 Valhalla (16-15) will need to conquer the heat of the Imperial Valley with a game at El Centro-Southwest (18-8). The Eagles are at home due to capturing the Imperial Valley League crown.

In Division III, El Capitan (13-15) was disappointed at its No. 10 seed, but actually gained a very winnable contest to reach the quarterfinals, as the Vaqueros open at Clairemont (10-14-1).

Official CIFSDS brackets are here: DIV-1, DIV-II, DIV-III, DIV-IV.

Double-Click for Further Information

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SANTEE (5-14-08) -- The old "good news, bad news" adage tipped the way of the Grossmont Foothillers to close the regular season on Tuesday (May 13).

LAUREN VALLELY slugged a pair of home runs, helping Grossmont build a mammoth 9-1 lead before West Hills scored seven times to move within a run. But in the 7th, the Hillers' ASHLEY RENALDI belted the second home run in as many days, giving Grossmont some momentum entering Saturday's (May 17) postseason opener with three victories in four outings.

"We scored a bunch of runs in the first game (a 7-6 win), then we got blasted (a 12-1 loss) in the next game," Grossmont coach JERRY LERUD recalled. "Then today, both things happened."

The Hillers offtset a 1st-inning run by the Wolf Pack with nine consecutive runs. Included was a 4-run, 2nd-inning rally, featuring a 2-run double by MADI HILL. Grossmont then scored three times in the 4th, with KAITLYN NICKS, JAYME TALMICH and Renaldi all collecting an RBI each,

However, Renaldi countered with her homer, then she pitched the final inning to close out the victory.

Vallely finished the day by batting 3-for-4, with three RBI and three runs scored.

Santana 6, El Cajon Valley 0 -- The Sultans completed their 12-game sweep through the Grossmont North League behind the fourth 1-hitter of the season by JESSIE OWENS. The junior struck out 16 Braves, coming within two batters of a no-hitter until DEENA FORD lifted a clean single to left field in the 7th inning.

Owens also walked just one (also Ford), running her season record to 12-0 (with two saves), leading Santana to the league's first undefeated league champion since Grossmont in 1999.

AMANDA CARPENTER ran her hitting streak to 12 straight contests (11 were multiple-hit outings), going 2-for-4 on Tuesday (May 13) to make her 14-for-18 in her last five ballgames. The leadoff batter once again opened the scoring on her first at-bat, this time setting the table with a single, eventually scoring on a KELSEY McILONIE basehit.

Carpenter and McIlonie were joined by RACHEL FAILLA and AMANDA GRABLE by going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Meanwhile, the Braves said goodbye to four players on Senior Day -- all honors students -- in COREY RAINEY, a 4-year varsity starter, and 3-year varsity performers in KARI SATROM and JESSICA GIBSON. All three will attend San Diego State, while the fourth senior, DALIA SERRANO, heads for cosmetology school.

Senior Day at Santana featured a 4-0 victory over West Hills to celebrate its GNL crown. The Sultans need one additional victory to become the first undefeated GNL titlist since Grossmont in 1999. (Photo by Carla Sunudo)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-13-08) -- A long season plagued by nagging injuries may leave the Grossmont Foothillers on the fence in acquiring an SDCIF playoff berth when pairings are announced Thursday afternoon. But for one day at least, some of the walking wounded can look back at one solid performance.

On Monday's (May 12) Senior Day at "the top of the Grossmont summit," senior ASHLEY RENALDI not only pitched a 4-hitter, she drove in all of her team's runs with a grand slam, powering the Foothillers past El Capitan, 4-1, on the penultimate day of the Grossmont North League season.

"It's not a coincidence -- Ashley is healthy and she pitched well," said Hillers coach JERRY LERUD. "Everything was working today."

Renaldi kept painting the generous outside corner, striking out nine Vaqueros for the contest.

"The umpire called a lot of outside strikes, which helped," noted Renaldi, who became the first East County player to slug two grand slams this season by parking a 2nd-inning shot over the centerfield fence.

"Both grand slams came to put us ahead in games we needed to win," she added. "Maybe she lost a little concentration after the error, so she hit a batter then she had to throw one to me."

Earlier in the season, similar scoring situations failed to materialize. But on this occasion, a pair of breaks set up the bases-loaded situation.

Following a clean single by senior ADRIANNA NAU, an error and a hit batsman would load the bases for Renaldi, who then jumped on a 1-0 pitch.

"I was on second base, and I just saw it sail over the fence -- I knew it was gone the second Ashley hit it," said third baseman JAYME TALMICH. "Now if we do well against West Hills, then we can do well in the playoffs."

El Capitan, which was playing its regular season finale with a bye date on Tuesday's schedule, got one run back with a pair of two-out hits in the 4th inning.

Following a lead walk to catcher CATHERINE BROWN, Renaldi nearly left her stranded with a pair of strikeouts. However, HEATHER BREWER beat out a scratch single on a ball in the hole which was deflected by the third baseman to the shortstop, but the throw was a touch late.

JULIANNA DUNCAN then collected the RBI with a basehit up the middle, allowing Brown to score from second base.

Following the contest, all four Grossmont seniors confirmed their college plans.

Renaldi will play for the Lady Braves of Ottawa University, an NAIA program located in Kansas; HANNAH ESCALANTE is ticketed for Olivet Nazarene University of Illinois (52-10 record), which just gained its fifth NAIA World Series appearance since 1997; Nau reaffirmed her move to San Francisco State; and Talmich will play for Grossmont College, the reigning Pacific Coast Conference champions.

Santana 4, West Hills 0 -- The Wolf Pack would prefer to no longer play at Santana High anymore. After suffering a loss by no-hitter in their first appearance of the season at their Santee neighbor, Sultans pitcher BRITTY BALOUGH this time delivered a 1-hitter to again blank the Pack.

Junior centerfielder AMANDA CARPENTER, who leads the Grossmont North League in hitting (based on an unofficial survey of league coaches) at .486, ended this contest early.

Carpenter opened the bottom of the 1st inning with a solo homer -- her 6th of the season -- with senior catcher BRITTANY FENN following with a double off the top of the rail in centerfield.

KELSEY McILONIE singled home another run en route to a 3-0 lead, so by the time AMBER BEEBE -- another senior -- belted a solo homer in the 4th, Balough was cruising to her 16th victory of the season to maintain her deadlock with Terese Diaz of Helix for the East County lead.

Balough finished with six strikeouts without a walk; the lone West Hills hit was a single collected by CASSIDY BAGGETT.

Grossmont South League
Helix 2, Mount Miguel 0 -- In the teams' first meeting, the Matadors scored twice in the 6th inning for a 2-0 victory. In Monday's (May 12) rematch, the visiting Highlanders used a similar script, scoring twice in the 1st to avenge Mount Miguel at Jane Trude Field.

The road victory allowed Helix to snap the tie between the ballclubs in the Grossmont South League standing, as the Scotties finished tied for third place with Valhalla.

TERESE DIAZ spun a 2-hitter for the triumph, striking out nine batters, while ALYSSA BRITSCHGI paced the offense with two hits.

Helix started quickly when NATALIE SMITH reached on an error, replaced by ALYSSA DRONENBURG on a fielder's choice. Diaz walked, followed by a run-scoring basehit by Britschgi, then an RBI double by SHALEY MADRUGA.

Steele Canyon 10, Monte Vista 3 -- The frustrated Monarchs, winless in GSL competition this season, were in perfect position for a plum win to close the regular season when locked in a tie contest through six innings.

However, LORENA KLOPP and KELLY CASH each homered when the Cougars scored seven times in the 7th inning to ruin the storybook ending for Monte Vista.

The rally started on consecutive singles by the BEASLEY sisters -- MICHELLE, then GABRIELLE -- with JAZMIN DAIGLE breaking the tie with an RBI single to right field which resulted in a second run on an error.

Klopp followed with her 6th homer of the season (15th career) -- a 2-run shot well over the centerfield fence -- for a 7-3 lead, then Cash later belted a 3-run blast.

Steele Canyon scored twice in the 1st on an error and a sacrifice fly by JAYME JARVIS. The Monarchs immediately answered with a pair of runs, scoring on an error and an RBI single by JESIKA PEREA.

Michelle Beasley batted 4-for-5 to lead a 12-hit attack, while Gabrielle Beasley, Cash (4 RBI) and NICOLE RANDEL all went 3-for-4. Gabrielle Beasley also was the winning pitcher, tossing three shutout innings of relief.

Granite Hills 12, Valhalla 0 -- The neighborhood duel went the Eagles' way after they scored in each of their six at-bats to overwhelm the Norsemen. It was the second 3-hit shutout win in the series by Granite Hills, as JENNY LAHITTE posted the complete-game triumph.

Lahitte also belted a pair of home runs, part of four roundtrippers slugged by the Eagles.

Lahitte hit a 2-run shot in the first to jumpstart Granite Hills to a 2-0 advantage. She later added the second of back-to-back homers, following a 3-run shot stroked by KELLEY SEITZ for a 9-0 lead through three innings.

Then in the 4th, left-fielder KYLEE WILSON hit a solo shot in the 5th as part of her 3 RBI for the contest. Wilson added a run-scoring basehit in the 2nd and a sacrifice fly in the 5th.

In a day for the catchers, Seitz finished with 5 RBI, also garnering a 2-run double. Meanwhile, Valhalla senior backstop JESSICA SCHATZ collected all three Norsemen hits.

© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (5-11-08) -- Santana High shortstop RACHEL FAILLA went into Saturday's (May 10) contest knowing the Sultans could clinch the Grossmont North League title, but she had more pressing issues on her mind.

An hour before the opening pitch, her father, assistant coach JOHN FAILLA, was called away on an emergency after receiving a call on his cell phone that his wife was in a traffic accident while on her way to the ballgame.

"John immediately left for the scene of the accident, but asked Rachel to remain at the field," said Santana scorekeeper MARK OWENS. "Apparently, someone ran a red light and collided with her SUV, deploying the airbags."

"John returned during the bottom of the 1st," added Owens. "The SUV was totaled, but Mrs. Failla was safe and sound."

The good news proved inspirational for the younger Failla, who channeled her stress into her batting.

As been expected for the last three weeks, Santana (26-2, 10-0 GNL) clinched the league title. The Sultans need two additional victories to close the regular season to become the first undefeated league champion in a decade (Grossmont, 12-0 in 1999).

AMANDA CARPENTER aided the cause with a pair of doubles and scored three times, while CARA CARILLO, AMANDA GRABLE and JESSIE OWENS went 2-for-4 each.

Miller, a sophomore, slugged a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning, doubling the West Hills advantage to 6-0. Then in the 5th, she lifted her third blast of the season to lead off the frame, followed by a back-to-back shot by CASSIDY BAGGETT. Both Miller and Baggett batted 2-for-3 in the morning ballgame.

KRISTY VALLES went a declared three innings in the rout to receive credit for the victory, with JESSICA ALDERSON going the final four frames for the save.

El Cajon Valley snapped the shutout bid with an unearned run in the 6th.

COREY RAINEY walked to open the inning, then took third on a DEENA FORD basehit, then scored on a passed ball.

© East County Sports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO (5-10-08) -- The challenge proved deeper and more intense, yet Steele Canyon High found a way to capture a third consecutive Grossmont South League crown.

Backed by another shutout by LORENA KLOPP, the Cougars skated past visiting Helix, 4-0, Friday (May 9), becoming the first Grossmont Conference school to capture three outright league titles in a decade.

West Hills last completed the "3-peat" in the Grossmont North League from 1996-98, while Valhalla took three pennants -- one was a co-championship -- from 2003-05.

"It's been amazing -- and it's been the toughest of the three because so many teams are so much better," said third baseman JAZMIN DAIGLE, one of the Cougars' team captains. "Granite Hills is tough and Helix got a lot better. Every game is tough."

Hard-luck losing pitcher TERESE DIAZ dropped her third decision in four starts in May despite carrying a no-hitter through three innings. However, she trailed 1-0 at the time on an unearned run, then allowed two additional runs in the 4th despite the ball barely clearing the infield just once as Steele Canyon continues to discover ways to win.

"I like how my team grows as the season goes on and we peak at the end, as opposed to some teams which peak too soon," noted Cougars head coach JULIE BOHE. "It's all about (winning) league and CIF."

"This league title was the toughest of the three, absolutely -- this is not an easy league."

IRENE BLUMENSTOCK registered the first Cougars hit on a one-out bunt. Left-fielder JAYME JARVIS walked, with both advancing on a grounder to the right side by catcher KELLY CASH.

Diaz thought she escaped the 4th-inning jam by inducing a ground out by MICHELLE BEASLEY. But Diaz' run of recent bad luck continued when a 2-hopper to the second baseman bounded high for a bad-hop single. And with two outs, the runners were both moving and scored easily, giving Beasley a pair of RBI.

Meanwhile, Klopp finished with 11 strikeouts, giving her 28 over the past two ballgames. Diaz collected seven strikeouts in her four innings of work.

"Lorena's very consistent and very fast," added Blumenstock, the No. 2 pitcher for the Cougars. "She's taught me to never get down, even if you walk someone or give up a hit, and to always stay positive."

Steele Canyon (19-5-1, 8-1 GSL) closes the regular season at Monte Vista.

Nelson ignited the comeback from a 4-2 deficit with an RBI double in the 4th, bringing home shortstop GABBY NAIDAS, who scored three times on the afternoon (Fri., May 9). Naidas then led off the 6th with a walk, with Nelson following by depositing a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field.

Valhalla overcame an early 2-0 deficit by scoring twice in both the 1st and 3rd innings.

Freshman TORREY ROOK tied the ballgame with a 2-run double to right-center. Two innings later, a double by JODIE SCHMEHR gave the Norsemen the lead, with AMBER REARDON tacking on by driving Schmehr home on a basehit to the right-center gap.

This time, Monte Vista was beaten on a solo home run by Eagles catcher JESSICA SCHATZ, who belted a one-out shot over the barrier in left field for the game-winning run.

A solo homer by Monarchs senior KAITLIN McMILLAN seemed destined to stand up. Her 2nd homer of the season carried deep over the fence to left in the 2nd.

However, the Eagles finally equalized in the 6th on an error.

With Schatz at second base, KYLEE WILSON lofted a fly ball to right field. Schatz tagged and took third, but when the throw skipped past all of the defenders to the fence, the senior took the extra base to knot the ballgame.

Winning pitcher BRITTANI BERTUSSI registered 11 strikeouts.

Grossmont North League
El Capitan 12, El Cajon Valley 2 (6 inn.) -- An element missing from the arsenal of the El Capitan Vaqueros all season has been power hitting, but it made a triumphant return Friday (May 9) when they powered three home runs -- including a pair by LESLIE KUHNE -- to get past the host Braves.

Kuhne jump-started the Vaq Pack with a 2-run shot in the 1st inning, then added a 3-run shot in the 6th to complete a 5-RBI performance. In between, KELSEY MOODY tagged a 2-run shot in the 5th for a 7-0 advantage.

The Braves averted the shutout with single markers over their final two plate appearances.

In the 5th, EMILY RAWLS collected a run-scoring single, set-up on a walk to DESIREE GARCIA and a basehit by ALYSSA GARCIA. In the 6th, following an El Cap double play, ECVHS collected consecutive doubles by DEENA FORD (to centerfield) and Desiree Garcia (left-centerfield).

Santana 11, Grossmont 2 -- With the Foothillers still within range in a 5-2 ballgame, the Sultans pulled away with a 6-run, 6th inning, featuring a grand slam by shortstop RACHEL FAILLA to clinch at least a tie for the Grossmont North League title.

Grossmont was on the verge of escaping the 6th when first baseman ADRIANNA NAU fielded a sharp grounder, throwing home to catcher MADI HILL for a force out. But Failla followed with her shot to left-centerfield.

AMANDA CARPENTER again was in the middle of the offensive attack, as the centerfielder batted 2-for-3 with a double, stole two bases and scored three times. Meanwhile, JESSIE OWENS batted 2-for-4 with three steals. Both Sultans also registered an RBI to power a 9-hit attack.

Santana scored twice in its first two at-bats.

In the 1st, Failla had a chance at another grand slam, but was hit by a pitch to force home a run and give her the first of her five RBI for the contest. MICHELLE BRAMLAGE followed with a sacrifice fly to score Carpenter.

In the 2nd, Owens singled home BRITTY BALOUGH -- the winning pitcher who tossed a 4-hitter -- then BRITTANY FENN walked with the bases loaded to plate AMANDA GRABLE.

But whenever Santana scored, the Foothillers would immediately answer.

In the 2nd, KAITLYN NICKS slugged a solo homer, then Hill scored after she walked, coming around on consecutive basehits by KATHARINE MIRANDA and KELSEY ALVAREZ.

© East County Sports.com
LA MESA (5-8-08) -- The topsy-turvy season for the Valhalla Norsemen lists impressive victories over Top 10 ballclubs in Scripps Ranch and Steele Canyon, but blowout defeats to Escondido, Santana and Helix.

The difference in all those contests was simply: When the Norsemen receive solid pitching, they somehow find a way to push across enough runs to win.

On Wednesday (May 7), following an embarrassing 8-1 loss to Helix in the first round of the Grossmont South League schedule, Valhalla gained its revenge.

Backed by a solid pitching effort by freshman TORREY ROOK, Norsemen first baseman KYLA BRANSFORD found a way to register both of the two hits allowed by Helix pitcher TERESE DIAZ, the first good for two runs in the 2nd inning which stood up in a 2-1 road triumph.

"It was my lucky day, I guess. But no offense, you can hit pitchers like Terese once you get used to her," said Bransford, who plans to move to Oregon over the summer. "It was an outside pitch and I just went with it to right field."

Bransford's basehit brought home AMBER REARDON and ANGELA UY, who both walked.

The rest was up to Rook, who scattered seven hits, but made her most important outs in the 7th, setting Helix down in order to leave the Scotties' power hitters in ALYSSA DRONENBURG and Diaz on deck without an opportunity to save the day.

"I think Torrey is awesome -- it was amazing," said Norsemen catcher KELLEY SEITZ, who caught a pair of pop-ups in foul territory in the 7th to preserve the win. "She's doing really well for a freshman."

Dronenburg went 2-for-3, including an infield single to start the 6th, eventually scoring on consecutive two-out singles by ALYSSA BRITSCHGI and KAILAH CANO-RUE. Otherwise, Rook made an assortment of pitches to blank Helix.

"I went out to talk to her after Helix got runners in scoring position," noted Seitz. "I said, "Okay, just focus now,' and for every pitch -- I don't know if you noticed -- she took a really deep breath. Every time she did that, she focused on my glove and hit her spots right on."

Helix second baseman JESSICA FERNANDEZ batted 2-for-4 with a double to the wall in left, while Cano-Rue also collected a pair of hits. Diaz finished with nine strikeouts, yet suffered another hard-luck defeat with the Highlanders' offense stuck in Padres-like mode, eliminating them from GSL title consideration.

Valhalla remains in a tie for second with Granite Hills, yet are two games down to front-running Steele Canyon with two to play, with last-place Monte Vista still remaining on the Cougars' schedule.

"Our record is better than it's been over the past two seasons," boasted Bransford. "Oh, and Kelley runs like a gazelle."

Rook now owns victories over Steele Canyon (its lone GSL setback), West Hills and now Helix, running her record to 6-3.

Dronenburg noted she plays to attend Cal State San Marcos next year, while Seitz will head for Grossmont College , the two-time defending Pacific Coast Conference champions.

Steele Canyon 3, Granite Hills 0 -- The Cougars shocked the host Eagles by scoring three times in their opening trip to the plate, reducing their magic number to one to clinch a third consecutive Grossmont South League crown.

"It's not over yet -- we still need to keep working hard," said Steele Canyon coach JULIE BOHE. "We've got Helix up next and they're a very good team, so we haven't won anything until we've won it."

LORENA KLOPP struck out 17 Granite Hills batters in spinning a 1-hit shutout in her strongest performance since a mid-season injury.

"Lorena is obviously back," added Bohe. "I think Granite only made contact maybe 5-or-6 times."

All but four of the outs were on strikes, with the lone hit coming in the 6th when JENNY LAHITTE followed a one-out walk with a clean basehit up the middle. However, Klopp escaped the minor jam by registering a pair of strikeouts with the potential game-tying run at the plate.

The Cougars scored all three runs in the 1st inning to chase the Eagles' starting pitcher, quickly collecting four of their seven hits.

VANESSA ADAME opened with a clean single, then was sacrificed 60 feet by a GABRIELLE BEASLEY bunt. Klopp walked, with HANNAH ROST inserted as the courtesy runner.

Then the fireworks began with a series of hits.

KELLY CASH singled to center to plate Adame, JAYME JARVIS singled to load the bases, then a NICOLE RANDEL basehit scored a pair. Jarvis and Randel each recorded two hits.

Both contests between the teams resulted in 3-0 victories by the Cougars.

Mount Miguel 5, Monte Vista 4 (9 inn.) -- The Monarchs' quest for their initial GSL victory slipped away after they scored two times to break a 2-all tie in the 7th, only to watch the host Matadors answer with their own pair of runs before plating the walkoff game-winner in the 9th.

Monte Vista catcher opened the scoring when JESIKA PEREA belted a 2-run homer in the 1st, then had a chance for more in the 5th, but left the bases loaded. Mount Miguel immediately answered with two runs in the bottom of the 5th, after Monarchs pitcher WHITNEY MULLINS pitched four no-hit innings.

The Monarchs thought they finally had their long, sought-after win by scoring twice in the 7th. Perea again delivered with an RBI double to right-centerfield, then scored on a basehit to right by Mullins.

Scoring by the Matadors was not reported, although it was reported that SHANICE SUTTON and SONIA RAY both doubled.

Grossmont North League
West Hills 4, El Capitan 2 -- Like Monte Vista, El Capitan saw a 2-0, 1st-inning advantage disappear when the Wolf Pack posted single markers over four of the ensuing five innings to bridle the Vaqueros.

KELSEY MOODY opened the scoring with an unusual play, bringing home CARINA HALE from third base with one of the shortest sacrifice flies possible. Moody sent a flare behind second base, which Wolf Pack shortstop BRIANNA AUSTIN flagged down while running towards the outfield. However, by the time she could stop, turn and fire the ball home, Hale tagged-up and crossed home plate.

PAIGE BORRAS followed with an RBI single to right to bring CATHERINE BROWN. However, West Hills pitcher CHELSEA VELOVICH settled down, closing the ballgame with 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball while her ballclub rallied. She struck out six.

Included were RBI by catcher ARIELLE RODRIGUES in the 2nd, KAELI HUNYADY (4th), CASSIDY BAGGETT (5th), then a solo homer to left-center field by Velovich in the 6th.

Grossmont 4, El Cajon Valley 0 -- Freshman LAUREN MIRANDA collected her second pitching victory of the season, combining with ASHLEY RENALDI on a 4-hit shutout of the visiting Braves.

Miranda (2-1) struck out five batters in her four innings, then Renaldi survived a pair of 6th-inning hits by ECVHS sister combination of DESIREE and ALYSSA GARCIA to pick-up the save. Both pitchers allowed two hits.

Grossmont saw its leadoff batter reach base in the 1st, 3rd and 4th innings, and each scored to slowly expand the lead.

MADI HILL opened with a triple, scoring on a ADRIANNA NAU basehit. CORAL KASDEN opened the 2nd with a basehit, eventually scoring on an error, then Kasden collected the RBI single in the 4th after JAYME TALMICH's leadoff single.

The other run came in the 5th, when KATHARINE MIRANDA walked, coming home on a basehit by KAITLYN NICKS.

The Braves' other basehits were registered by DEENA FORD and EMILY RAWLS.

Eastern League
Christian 9, Morse 4 -- The Patriots completed the regular season with a road victory against the Tigers to beat them out for fourth place in the Eastern League.

Christian book-ended a pair of 4-run rallies in the 1st and 7th innings for the triumph to offset a strong effort by Morse catcher Kayla Calabrese, who recorded an RBI double in the 1st and a 2-run single in the 4th.

The Patriots struck early on a 2-run double by RICKI GENTRY, and consecutive run-scoring singles by ALLIE SCOTT and ALYSSA GRAUL. The Tigers moved to within 5-4, but the Pats again scored four times to win going away.

NICOLE MARCOS' big blow started the offensive output with a 2-run single, followed by RBI basehits from AMANDA MARCOS and ALY GUNTER.

Gentry pitched the first four innings to collect the victory, while Gunter tossed the final three frames to register the save.

Christian collected 10 hits, including three by Scott and a pair by Amanda Marcos.

For Morse, former league MVP Felicia Reifschneider, who signed with San Diego State , batted 2-for-2, reaching base all four times aided by a pair of walks.

Scripps Ranch pitcher Rachel Brown (right) is congratulated by teammates after breaking the CIF-SDS single season strikeout record set by Christian's Sarah Dawson in 1993. (Photo by Jeanne Royce)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (5-6-08) — One of the oldest records listed on the fastpitch pages of the CIF-San Diego Section record book was broken Monday (May 5). And ironically, the feat was broken at the on-campus field at Christian High School.

In an Eastern League contest, Scripps Ranch senior Rachel Brown set a single-season section record with 350 strikeouts, leading the 3rd-ranked Falcons over the host Patriots, 6-0.

The Harvard-bound hurler struck out 10 batters to surpass the milestone, eclipsing the 1993 mark of 347 set by Christian's SARAH DAWSON, who went on to became the 1997 MVP of the women's pro league for the old Orlando Wahoos, and is now an NCAA Division I head coach for Louisiana Tech.

Brown finished with a 1-hit shutout, the lone hit being a clean basehit by MONIQUE ELLIOTT on a ball hit over the head of the Falcons third baseman in the 5th inning. Otherwise, Brown kept Christian batters on their heels with a variety of pitches.

"She has a riser and a drop, then a curve which she spots on the outside really well," said Roma Dawson. "And, of course, she has a fastball -- Rachel just has an assortment of pitches to go with to keep batters off stride."

Sarah Dawson was known as a strict power pitcher by firing the ball past batters at the prep, collegiate and professional levels.

In her college career, Dawson amassed a record of 120-56 while registering 151 complete games, 1,242.1 innings pitched, 1,280 strikeouts and 74 career shutouts.

Her complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts and career shutouts all rank in the top 10 in NCAA Division I history while her 120 career wins rank No. 6 entering the 2008 season. And in 1997 during her senior season at UL-Monroe, Dawson earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-America first team.

Brown tied then broke the record in the 6th, when she fanned the side in order.

"She knew she was close -- that's when she took it to the next level," said Scripps Ranch coach Mary Jo Griswold. "Her focus is simply amazing."

Brown preserved her shutout in the 7th after Christian placed two runners in scoring position.

AMANDA PLUM walked with one out, then a throwing error on a grounder by ALLIE SCOTT placed two runners aboard, both advancing on a sacrifice bunt by RICKI GENTRY. However, Brown escaped when a line drive by KARA CARTWRIGHT was caught by the Falcons third baseman to end the contest.

Scripps Ranch (25-3-2) remains in a first-place deadlock with Patrick Henry, which should stand after the teams split the season series. Christian (10-12) can clinch fourth place in the Eastern League with a road victory Wednesday against 5th-place Morse to complete the regular season.

Grossmont North League
Helix 8, Monte Vista 6 (9 inn.) -- Following an 11-inning marathon last Friday, a schedule featuring three games the ensuing week was the last thing Highlanders pitcher TERESE DIAZ desired.

So after the senior slugged a grand slam in the top of the 5th for a 5-1 lead in Monday’s (May 5) match-up with Monte Vista, Diaz was replaced in the pitching circle. However, after the Monarchs scored three times to get even in the 7th, Diaz returned to not only prevent the upset loss, she later lofted a 2-run homer in the 9th inning to complete a 6-RBI performance and keep the Scotties in the Grossmont South League race.

"It would've been a nice victory," said Monte Vista coach SIG CHABROWSKI. "But Terese beat us again -- she's some player."

Monte Vista inched closer against the Helix bullpen, but ALYSSA DRONENBURG belted a solo homer in the 7th, equaling Diaz -- albeit, temporarily -- for the East County home run lead with her 7th of the season.

However, the Monarchs fought back to force extra innings.

The rally started when LYDIA VENIEGAS led-off with her third hit of the ballgame, followed by an AMANDA AGUON basehit. JESIKA PEREA followed with a 2-run double, then she scored on a pair of ground balls to the right side, the latter for the RBI by WHITNEY MULLINS.

Granite Hills 6, Mount Miguel 1 -- The upset-minded Matadors were in position for a second straight upset over a Top 10 rated ballclub after posting an early run, but the Eagles finally took control by scoring all of their runs in the 4th inning of Monday’s (May 5) Grossmont South League contest.

LAUREN HAGEMANN, who collected the game-winning RBI to beat Helix in the 11th inning last week, came through with the clutch hit in the huge outburst. She slugged a 3-run triple with a drive to the fence in right-center field, then capped the scoring by coming home on a basehit by SHAYLA ZETSCH.

The inning started on a bunt single and a stolen base by MEGAN BELIO, then the game was tied on a BRITTANI BERTUSSI basehit. AMANDA OMAHEN singled and JENNY LAHITTE walked to load the bases, with Granite Hills taking the lead on a single by JILL SCIARRI.

The Matadors run saw SONIA RAY single, then circle the diamond on a passed ball, a fielder's choice and an RBI single by GABBY NAIDAS in the 1st.

Steele Canyon 15, Valhalla 0 -- Any Norsemen aspirations for a GSL crown were quickly vanquished Monday (May 5) by the 6th-ranked Cougars, who pounded four pitchers for 15 total hits, including a 2-run homer by LORENA KLOPP. Klopp finished with six RBI, falling a triple short of completing a cycle.

Klopp also pitched the first four innings for the victory, with IRENE BLUMENSTOCK collecting the save with three innings of relief in the combined 4-hit shutout.

JAZMIN DAIGLE added a double and scored four times, while MICHELLE BEASLEY and NICOLE RANDEL collected two hits each.

Grossmont North League
Santana 11, El Cajon Valley 1 (5 inn.) -- AMANDA CARPENTER posted another perfect outing at the plate, going 3-for-3 to give the junior hits in her last 9 official plate appearances, helping the Sultans run-rule the visiting Braves on Monday (May 5). Included for Carpenter was a double and a triple to drive in three while scoring three times.

KELSEY McILONIE (3 RBI) and JESSIE OWENS (3 runs) also went 3-for-3 with a double, while Owens also gained the pitching victory after tossing a 3-hitter. She struck out nine with the lone run being unearned.

Senior CHARISSE GRENNAN added a lead triple in the 4th, scoring on a grounder to the right side by EMILY SCHISLER.

The Braves lone run was provided by COREY RAINEY in the 3rd. She singled and stole second base, advanced to third on a ground out, then came home on a passed ball.

West Hills 12, Grossmont 1 (6 inn.) -- Senior CASSIDY BAGGETT batted 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and three RBI, while sophomore ALYSSA EVJEN belted a solo homer in the 2nd, as the Wolf Pack run-ruled the host Foothillers on Monday (May 5).

The rejuvenated West Hills offense scored in every inning off the Hillers.

"I took my anger out on the ball,” said Evjen on her homer, which is part of a 34-run onslaught over West Hills' last three outings to regain sole possession of second place in the GNL. "We're a young team which is finally growing and learning to play together."

Baggett's single in the 1st brought home right-fielder FAITH KORIA, who went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Baggett then doubled in the 3rd, then slugged a 2-run single when the Wolf Pack posted four runs in the 4th for a 7-1 advantage.

Catcher MICHERIA KORIA added three hits and scored a pair of runs, while Evjen, BRIANNA AUSTIN and MICHELLE THILLE each registered two hits.

Grossmont's lone run came in the 3rd when MADI HILL tripled into the left-field corner, coming home on a sharp single to centerfield by KATHERINE MIRANDA.

Diaz strikes out 24, but drops 2-on-1 battle © East County Sports.com LA MESA (5-3-08) -- On two fronts, it was a memorable evening for Helix High pitcher TERESE DIAZ -- but the conclusion was far from satisfying. Despite a Highlanders record 24 strikeouts by Diaz -- equaling the 7th-highest total in CIF-San Diego Section history -- the Highlanders fell in a tight Grossmont South League night game, 1-0 in 11 innings, to visiting Granite Hills. The Eagles elected to use a two-sided approach in order to conquer Diaz, intentionally utilizing both of their starting pitchers. So while Diaz began to tire the deeper the contest drifted into the dark of night with each additional inning, Granite Hills reliever JENNY LAHITTE was still going strong after entering in the 5th inning following four shutout innings by BRITTANI BERTUSSI. "It was a strategy we thought about all week," said Lahitte, "It was a way to keep them off-balance and just in case it was a tie game -- it worked out pretty good." "It was good to have Brittani, so we'd always have a good, powerful pitcher in there, then have another strong pitcher to throw them off." Lahitte nearly matched Diaz' pace of two strikeouts per inning, knocking out 10 Scotties in her seven frames, including all three batters in the 10th inning. But even Lahitte appreciated the accomplishment by Diaz. "Terese was excellent and I congratulate her." Diaz' strikeout total is the most by an East County pitcher since Monte Vista's TARA CAMPBELL broke the long-standing section record with 33 K's in a 16-inning victory over Mount Miguel in 2002. Earlier, the record had stood since 1978 when Mount Miguel 's JENNY STALLARD took down 31 Oceanside batters in a 19-inning contest. "It was pretty intense and everyone was pretty excited," said Eagles designated player LAUREN HAGEMANN, who received credit for the game-winning RBI after walking with the bases loaded against a tiring Diaz. "I always go up with the same mindset, always looking to hit, so I just went with the adrenalin." Obviously laboring as her pitch count approached 200, Diaz had allowed five walks over four innings entering the 11th -- part of her game total of nine free passes -- before allowing two additional walks, an infield single to KYLEE WILSON to load the bases, then the base on balls to Hagemann to snap the scoreless duel. For Wilson , not only was she the lone Eagles player to avoid the strike out bug, she reached base on all five of her plate appearances with two singles and three walks. Wilson's reason for success was simple. "I got new contact lenses yesterday," noted Wilson. "And I don't like playing in the night -- you can't see." "Our coaches have been teaching us patience; I just took it to the plate." Wilson was impressed by the Highlanders right-handed pitcher, too. "I give Terese props," added Wilson. "She lasted 11 innings -- she's a stud." The victory vaulted Granite Hills back into the GSL pennant race, sharing second place with Valhalla and moving to within one game of idle Steele Canyon. "We can't lose to the same team twice -- that's our motto," Wilson explained. "We just have to keep our intensity up." Lahitte concurred with additional details. "After our first two losses (in league to Helix and Steele Canyon), we all made a goal that we won't lose to any (GSL) team twice," noted Lahitte, "So far, it's been our big goal -- we've strived to make it work because every single person contributed to this win." Bertussi struck out five Helix batters in her four innings, escaping the 4th after Helix placed two runners in scoring position with one out. But Lahitte delivered some magic after Helix loaded the bases with no outs in the 11th to offset the Eagles' run. SIERRAH MOORE started the rally with a walk, then moved to second on a passed ball. On a bunt by NATALIE SMITH, the play went to third to get Moore , but she beat the throw, then a walk to ALYSSA DRONENBURG loaded the bases. However, Lahitte coaxed popouts to first baseman SAGE WOOD-ROW and Bertussi at shortstop, then Lahitte registered a strikeout to end the 2-hour, 55-minute marathon. Both teams collected four hits. The other Granite Hills hits were recorded by catcher JILL SCIARRI and right fielder MEGAN BELIO; Helix' Dronenburg went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of walks, plus basehits by KAILAH CANO-RUE and ALYSSA BRITSCHGI.

CIF PLAYOFFS Dates Announced -- See Below Christian High's Marcos sisters -- left-fielder Amanda (top) and second baseman Nicole -- make fine catches in Friday's contest. (Photos by Jeanne Royce) Walk-off wallop dooms Christian © East County Sports.com DEL CERRO (5-3-08) -- The best power-hitting catcher in the San Diego Section did it again, much to the distress of the Christian Patriots. University of San Diego bound senior Taylor Hensley rocketed her 7th home run of the season with two outs in the 10th inning, lifting Patrick Henry to a 2-1 Eastern League victory over visiting Christian. Hensley, who drove in Henry's initial run with a single to score pitcher Ciera Ashman (double) in the first, sent a shot which landed halfway between the left-field fence and Navajo Road -- an estimated 260 feet -- in her no-doubter. "This shouldn’t have been that close of a game -- we should've capitalized on this team -- but Christian held us to a really tight game," said Hensley. "We need 100 percent focus in order to win, but we played tight." The victory kept Henry's Patriots (ranked 11th in the county by East County Sports.com, 10th by The Union Tribune) in a first-place deadlock with No. 3 Scripps Ranch with 7-1 league records. "We're going to have to capitalize on Mira Mesa and Serra, because we won't get another chance against Scripps Ranch until CIF (playoffs)," added Hensley. Meanwhile, Christian looks to be locked into a 4th-place finish with a triumph next Wednesday at Morse. "I think we're getting prepared for playoffs -- playing better teams makes you better," said Christian shortstop AMANDA PLUM. "We'll be excited to see Francis Parker in the (CIF Division IV) playoffs." Christian came away even after two innings at 1-1, but could've had more off Ashman. Three singles in the 1st inning found the bases loaded, but Ashman registered one of her 12 strikeouts, as all of the outs in the opening frame came on strikes. An inning later, Christian's ALYSSA GRAUL walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by NICOLE MARCOS, then ALY GUNTER tried to bunt with the infield back with two out. Hensley, again displaying her Division I talent, was all over the ball and fired to first base. However, no one was there to cover the bag, so Hensley was tagged with a throwing error as Graul came down the line to score. Christian had chances all contest, collecting nine hits -- all singles -- off Ashman, but never when a runner was in scoring position. Meanwhile, Christian starting pitcher MONIQUE "Mo" ELLIOTT was solid in the top performance of her freshman season. She struck out five, including all three outs in the 2nd inning. Patrick Henry collected three hits in the 1st, then Elliott allowed just two more hits over the next 9 1/3 innings before Hensley parked a 1-0 pitch toward Mission Valley. Plum, catcher ALLIE SCOTT and first baseman KARA CARTWRIGHT each collected a pair of hits for Christian, which still came out of the ballgame with a positive in its quest for the CIF Division IV championship. "It was a 'good' loss -- if you're going to lose, that's the way and not because of a mistake or an error," added Plum, a senior ticketed to play for Vanguard University in Costa Mesa next season. "Nothing we can do about the homer -- we just have to keep our heads high and keep trying really hard." Valhalla 1, Monte Vista 0 -- In another strong outing by a freshman pitcher, TORREY ROOK of the Norsemen scattered two hits in her home-field shutout of the Monarchs. The victory moved the ballclub to within a game of idle Steele Canyon , maintaining a tie for second place with Granite Hills. Rook displayed some wildness at times with three hits batsmen and a pair of walks, but she got through Monte Vista's main threat in the 1st inning, escaping a runners on 2nd-and-3rd situation with one of her eight strikeouts and a popout. Norsemen senior MEGAN McGIRR, who collected half of her team's four hits, started the game's only successful rally with a leadoff single to centerfield in the 3rd. McGirr was sacrificed to second on a bunt by HALEY HOLTER, but was destined to be stranded when Monarchs pitcher WHITNEY MULLINS got the next two batters. However, JODIE SCHMEHR, another senior, drilled a hot roller up the middle into centerfield for a single to bring home McGirr for the game's only run. The lone hits for Monte Vista were singles by KAITLIN McMILLAN (4th inning) and BRITTANY WRIGHT (6th). CIF-SDS PLAYOFF DATES First Round - Saturday, May 17 At Home sites. Starting time for the first round contests shall be upper brackets at 10 a.m. and lower brackets at 2 p.m. Quarterfinals - Tuesday, May 20 At Home sites. Starting time for the quarterfinal contests shall be 3:30 p.m., unless home team has a lighted facility and wishes to conduct an evening contest. Semifinals - Thursday, May 22 At Sportsplex USA, 12348 Mcivers Court, Poway. The Division III upper and lower bracket semifinal contests shall be conducted at 3 p.m. The Division I, II, and IV lower bracket semifinal contests shall be conducted at 5 p.m. The Division I, II, and IV upper bracket semifinal shall be conducted at 7:30 p.m. CIF-San Diego Sec. Championships - Saturday, May 24 At Sportsplex USA, 12348 Mcivers Court, Poway Div. IV Championship - 10 a.m. Div. III Championship -12:30 p.m. Div. II Championship - 3 p.m. Div. I Championship - 5:30 p.m. Grossmont North League While Santana is running away with the GNL crown, El Capitan made a mess with the middle of the pack. The Vaqueros downed Grossmont, 5-4, while the Sultans downed West Hills in a slugfest, 9-7. Santana 9, West Hills 7 -- Chico State bound senior RACHEL FAILLA utilized a two-prong approach to allow the 5th-ranked Sultans to outlast the Wolf Pack in Friday's (May 2) Grossmont North League ballgame between Santee rivals. On the front end of the contest, Failla opened the scoring with her second home run of the season, a solo shot to leadoff the 2nd inning. The shortstop later flashed her glove to close out the Wolf Pack, registering four of the game's final six outs on short fly balls, including a diving grab behind deep second base for the final out. In between, the teams exchanged the lead in a back-and-forth battle, with Santana holding the advantage behind a 5-for-5 outing by AMANDA CARPENTER. The senior also scored three times, recorded a pair of RBI and stole a base. Following Failla's homer, West Hills scored three times in the 2nd, two coming on a STACIA HOLDMAN basehit. However, Santana immediately tied the game in the 3rd on run-scoring basehits by MICHELLE BRAMLAGE and AMANDA GRABLE, then took the lead for keeps in the 4th on a go-ahead single by Carpenter to bring home AMBER BEEBE. The Sultans advantage went to 8-3 as JESSIE OWENS knocked home a pair, then scored on Carpenter's double. However, West Hills scored four times in the 5th, when sophomore MICHELLE THILLE singled home CASSIDY BAGGETT, then Thille scored on an error. The other runs came on wild pitches. But Owens closed out the Pack over the final 2 1/3 innings for the save. Grable finished batting 2-for-3 for Santana, while FAITH KORIA, MICHERIE KORIA and Thille recorded a pair of his each for the Wolf Pack. El Capitan 5, Grossmont 4 -- The battle for second place in the Grossmont North became a 3-horse race after West Hills lost, then the Vaqueros hung on the down the Foothillers. A 5-run rally in the 4th by El Capitan was barely enough,as the Hillers answered with four runs, yet never could push across the tieing run. HEATHER BREWER when 2-for-3 for the Vaqueros, including a double, then an RBI single to cap the team's big rally. JULIANNA DUNCAN gained the pitching victory, but when Grossmont scored three times in the 6th to make it a 1-run contest, capped by MADI HILL's third hit of the contest. SARAH GROHMAN put out the fire to collect the save. Norsemen pitcher Torrey Rook tossed a 2-hit shutout against Monte Vista, 1-0. (Photos by Sherry McGirr)