EastCountySports.com
Prep softball 2003
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2003 ALL-SAN DIEGO COUNTY CIF SOFTBALL
TEAM
(Selected by a media panel under the auspices of the
San Diego Hall of
Champions)
FIRST TEAM POS NAME SCHOOL YR STATS P Lisa Dodd University City Sr 16-2, 0.16 P Amanda Martinez Vista Sr 25-6, 0.69 C Courtnee Fukuda Rancho Buena Vista Sr .378 INF Kristi Fox Mt. Carmel Sr .430 INF Megan McAllister Carlsbad Sr .419 INF WHITNEY HOLUM VALHALLA Sr .506 INF Chelsi Bush Escondido Jr .514 OF Leslie Reed Escondido Sr .443 OF Stephanie Steel Vista Sr .402 UTIL Whitney Holstun Escondido Jr .347 P Laura Weins Mt. Carmel Sr 22-2, .097 P Lauren Wayman Carlsbad So 16-7, 1.24 P Yvonne Townsend San Dieguito Acad. Jr 21-8, 0.80 P Emily Turner Bonita Vista Sr P-OF Kim Kaye University City Jr SECOND TEAM POS NAME SCHOOL YR STATS P Sarah Akamine Escondido Fr 14-1, 0.20 P Karla Wilburn Torrey Pines Jr 16-7, 0.49 C MALLORY PALMER EL CAPITAN Sr .389 INF NATASHA CHOUINARD WEST HILLS Sr .380 INF MICHELLE BATCHELOR VALHALLA Sr .423 INF Allison Boeckelman Mira Mesa Jr INF Danielle Kinley Carlsbad So .425 OF Kylie Bassett Vista So OF Gina Leomiti Mira Mesa So UTIL Robyne Siliga Vista Jr .400 P Becky Voaklander La Costa Canyon Sr 15-6, 0.66 P Katie Nelson Rancho Buena Vista So 19-6, 0.60 P MARA THORNTON WEST HILLS Fr 15-4, 0.78 P Janae Portugal Westview Fr UTIL Katie Vickers Mt. Carmel Jr (06-16-03)
2003 East County Prep Softball
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The best clutch hitter and defender
on the best team in school
history - not to mention a scholarship to UCLA in her pocket -
are the
ingredients to make Valhalla High shortstop WHITNEY HOLUM the
player of the year on the
All-East County softball team, selected annually by East County
Sports.com.
The senior powered the Norsemen to a 23-8-1
record and their first-ever
outright Grossmont South League title, as the team earned the
top seed to the CIF
Division II playoffs before finally falling in extra innings of
the
championship contest. For the season, Holum, batted .506 and registered
a stellar 26-game
hitting streak, leading the Norsemen to a final ranking of seventh
in the San
Diego Sportswriter/Sportscasters Association county poll.
Holum won a close vote over Valhalla third-baseman
MICHELLE BATCHELOR, who
was selected the Grossmont South League player of the year. Batchelor,
one of
four Norsemen on the All-East County first team, will attend Loyola
Marymount in
the fall.
Meanwhile, the late-season controversy on
who would be named the North League
player of the year finished with mixed results, as El Capitan
catcher MALLORY
PALMER was tabbed the field player of the year, while the pitching
award went
to freshman MARA THORNTON of league titlist West Hills. Both were
first team
selections by the EastCountySports.com staff.
West Hills, which advanced to the CIF Division
II semifinals before falling
to eventual champion Escondido, placed four players on the East
County elite
team. The other three are first-baseman NATASHA CHOUINARD, who
earned a softball
scholarship to Penn State, junior shortstop MARKIE VARELA, and
junior catcher
KATIE ROLF.
Grossmont was the only other team with multiple
selection to the first team,
listing senior first baseman ANGELIQUEA BLACKMON and junior shortstop
TARYIN
CASILLAS.
The remainder of the squad includes Monte
Vista senior pitcher MELISSA
BARRON, Santana freshman catcher LAURIE LINDOW, and Christian
sophomore pitcher
MELISSA OWENS, who paced the Patriots to a berth in the CIF Division
IV title game
before falling to champion Westview.
Two other players who gained second team
berths and who were ignored by
league coaches were Valhalla junior STEPHANIE SWEAT and Granite
Hills junior
infielder VALERIE VITALE.
Mount Miguel pitcher BREANNA FELIX was tabbed
to the All-East County team for
the second straight season. She will play Division I softball
for Radford
University next season. Senior catcher ASHLEY LOVELADY of Grossmont
is also a
repeat honoree, along with Mount Miguel senior first baseman EBONY
THORPE.
Palmer and Holum were the lone returnees to the first team.
Santana mentor JOHN BOBOF was tabbed the
coach of the year after leading the
young Sultans to the CIF Division III semifinals (second-ranked
and eventual
champion University City finally defeated them) and an overall
record of
21-10-1.
(06-09-03)
2003 ALL-EAST COUNTY SOFTBALL TEAM
POS FIRST TEAM SCHOOL CLASS
P Melissa Barron Monte Vista Senior
P Melissa Owens Christian Sophomore
P Mara Thornton West Hills Freshman
P Lacey Wilson Valhalla Sophomore
C Savannah Brown Valhalla Junior
C Laurie Lindow Santana Freshman
C Mallory Palmer El Capitan Senior
C Katie Rolf West Hills Junior
1B Angeliquea Blackmon Grossmont Senior
1B Natasha Chouinard West Hills Senior
SS Taryin Casillas Grossmont Junior
SS Whitney Holum Valhalla Senior
SS Markie Varela West Hills Junior
3B Michelle Batchelor Valhalla Senior
Player of the Year - Whitney Holum, Valhalla
Coach of the Year - John Bobof, Santana
POS SECOND TEAM SCHOOL CLASS
P Breanna Felix Mount Miguel Senior
P Domonique Guerra Grossmont Freshman
P Alex Sobel Grossmont Senior
P-1B Stephanie Sweat Valhalla Junior
SS-P Amanda Beasley Mount Miguel Senior
C Alysha Daigle Monte Vista Sophomore
C Ashley Lovelady Grossmont Senior
SS Adriana DeJong Helix Junior
SS Taylor Kelly Santana Freshman
1B Heather Locher El Capitan Senior
1B Kyleen Murray Christian Junior
1B Ebony Thorpe Mount Miguel Senior
2B-CF Valerie Vitale Granite Hills Junior
3B Sipau Lee-Noa Helix Sophomore
(06-09-03)
2003 ALL-GROSSMONT SOUTH LEAGUE SOFTBALL
Champions: Valhalla
(Selected by League Coaches) FIRST TEAM POSITION NAME SCHOOL YEAR Pitcher Melissa Barron Monte Vista Senior Infielder Michelle Batchelor Valhalla Senior Infielder Whitney Holum Valhalla Senior Catcher Alysha Daigle Monte Vista Sophomore Pitcher Lacey Wilson Valhalla Sophomore Catcher Savannah Brown Valhalla Junior Infielder Amanda Beasley Mount Miguel Senior Pitcher Adriana DeJong Helix Senior Infielder Ebony Thorpe Mount Miguel Senior Infielder Vanessa Moreno Granite Hills Senior - Pitcher of the Year - Melissa Barron, Monte Vista Fielder of the Year - Michelle Batchelor, Valhalla - SECOND TEAM POSITION NAME SCHOOL YEAR Utility Lyndsay Calhoun Monte Vista Senior Outfielder Kim Hayden Valhalla Sophomore Utility Alison Tino Granite Hills Sophomore Pitcher Amanda Jones Steele Canyon Sophomore Catcher Jade Shipp Mount Miguel Senior Pitcher Sarah Castillo Monte Vista Sophomore Infielder Sipau Lee-Noa Helix Sophomore Pitcher Sarah Alberts Helix Junior Infielder Danielle Glenn Helix Senior Pitcher Breanna Felix Mount Miguel Senior -
HONORABLE MENTION
Granite Hills: Valerie Vitale (Jr); Jessica Talman (Jr); Cody
Widdes (So).
Helix:
Monte Vista: Sireenah Cruse (Jr); Alyssa Parker (Fr); Donalee
Lewis (Sr);
Savannah Moyes (So); Brooke Fogwell (Fr).
Mount Miguel: Ashley Beasley (So); Megan Mitchell (So).
Steele Canyon: Alexandra Young; Amy Antoine; C.Rouleau.
2003 ALL-GROSSMONT NORTH LEAGUE SOFTBALL
Champions: West Hills
(Selected by League Coaches) FIRST TEAM Position Name School Year Catcher Mallory Palmer El Capitan Senior Infielder Heather Locher El Capitan Senior Catcher Laurie Lindow Santana Freshman Infielder Taylor Kelly Santana Freshman Infielder Angeliquea Blackmon Grossmont Senior Infielder Taryin Casillas Grossmont Junior Catcher Katie Rolf West Hills Junior Infielder Markie Varela West Hills Junior Infielder Natasha Chouinard West Hills Senior Pitcher Mara Thornton West Hills Freshman - Pitcher of the Year - Mara Thornton, West Hills Player of the Year - Mallory Palmer, El Capitan - SECOND TEAM POSITION NAME SCHOOL YEAR Outfielder Kasey Mytinger West Hills Sophomore Infielder Rochelle Sandberg Santana Junior Infielder Aimee Benz Santana Sophomore Outfielder Taryn Proctor Santana Freshman Pitcher Michaela Crain El Cajon Valley Senior Pitcher Domonique Guerra Grossmont Freshman Catcher Ashley Lovelady Grossmont Senior Pitcher Alex Sobel Grossmont Senior Infielder Kim Whitlow El Capitan Senior Pitcher Courtney Bell El Capitan Junior -
HONORABLE MENTION
El Cajon Valley: Nicole Cope (Jr); Tawni Macke (Jr); Marissa Utley
(Fr).
El Capitan: Ashley Hart (Fr); Stephanie Nulton (Sr); Ashley Sampo
(Sr).
Grossmont: Brittany Garcia (Jr); Monique Gonzalez (Fr); Lisa Green
(Sr).
Santana: Margeaux Bass (Jr); Vaness Gaoa (So); Kristen Medrud
(Fr).
West Hills: Kellie Bryan (Sr); Amy Johnson (So); Denise Triplett
(Sr).
Christian's Melissa Owens whirls a pitch
on Saturday (5-31-03)
2003 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
SDCIF Playoffs - Championships
EastCountySports.com
LA JOLLA - The choice seemed correct. The
timing seemed sound and on the mark.
However, a hustle play turned into misfortune when a throw across
the diamond
by the Escondido High defense was off the mark, keeping Valhalla
alive after
tying Saturday's (May 31) CIF Division II championship contest
with two outs
in the 7th inning.
Yet one inning later, it was the Norsemen
defense that landed in the same
position. And heartbreakingly, an extraordinarily similar mistake
was made,
allowing the No. 2-seeded Cougars to escape with the San Diego
CIF Division II
crown by edging top-seeded Valhalla, 2-1, at the UC San Diego
Softball Complex.
Escondido cleanup batter Whitney Holstun
made an effort to bunt, but the ball
popped up and landed near the feet of Norsemen pitcher LACEY WILSON.
Realizing the runner at second base needed to freeze, Wilson turned
and fired in an
attempt to gain a force out at third. But when the ball caromed
to the
left-field fence, senior Leslie Reed turned the corner and raced
home to give the
Cougars the championship.
"Lacey thought she had a play, so she
tried to make it," explained Valhalla
coach DOUG HARTUNG. "We were all trying to come up with something
and put
ourselves into a position to win."
Instead, it was Reed who placed Escondido
in position to claim its first
crown since 1999. The center-fielder was 4-for-4 and scored both
runs for the
Cougars. She opened the 8th with a scratch single, followed by
a base hit to left
by Chelsi Bush to setup Holston.
KIM HAYDEN, who registered two of Valhalla's
four hits, also scored the
team's lone run when her team was about to face match point in
the 7th. After an
earlier double, Hayden laced a sharp, one-out single up the middle,
followed by
a base hit by STEPHANIE SWEAT.
ALLISON JOHNSON then bounced a hard grounder
to third, but when the Escondido
throw failed to connect at first, Hayden easily scored.
"I wanted a hit and was trying to do
it for the team," said Johnson, a
sophomore DH. "I didn't see the ball until the first-baseman
missed it."
Meanwhile, Hayden was in a celebratory mood
after knotting the game and
realizing the Norsemen still had two runners in scoring position
with only one out.
"I saw the ball go, so I ran home then did a little dance," she noted.
However, Cougars pitcher Sarah Akamine,
who missed much of the first-half of
the season due to injury, got out of the jam. She eventually recorded
the
victory, running her final season ledger to an impressive record
of 14-1, despite
hitting two batters with pitches.
Wilson finished with nine strikeouts, even
though her error allowed an
unearned run to decide the outcome in Valhalla's first-ever trip
to the finals after
securing the school's first outright Grossmont League title the
previous week.
The setback also marks the end of the high
school career for UCLA bound
shortstop WHITNEY HOLUM.
"Last night (Friday), I felt really
proud of this team and felt good that we
made it to the championship game," said Holum. "But
this morning, I realized I
really wanted to win it, too. But we can't hang our heads - this
is the best
Valhalla has ever done."
WESTVIEW 2, CHRISITIAN 0 - One of the top pitching performances in SDCIF
playoff history was out-shined by a bunch of youngsters Saturday
(May 31) at UC
San Diego in La Jolla.
While Christian High pitcher MELISSA OWENS
spun her second one-hitter of the
post-season, she was upstaged by Westview, a first-year school
fielding sports
teams filled with nothing but freshmen and sophomores.
And the Wolverines now possess something
to place in their trophy case thanks
to frosh Janae Portugal. The pitcher tossed a 2two-hit shutout
and recorded
her team's lone hit which would eventually account for both of
the game's runs
due to an ensuing error, as Westview nipped the defending champion
Patriots,
2-0, for the CIF Division IV crown at the UC San Diego softball
complex.
"They made all the plays and played
errorless ball, and we didn't," said
coach ROMA DAWSON, who guided Christian to its fourth consecutive
championship
game appearance, posting a 2-2 record during the span. "We
made some good plays
on defense, too - it was solid for us all year - but in softball,
one mistake
can cost you a game."
"I'd rather win than get the record,"
said Owens, a sophomore, who struck out
9 and walked 3.
With Westview scheduled to move to Division
III classificiation for 2004,
Christian will be in strong position to reach a fifth consecutive
title contest.
The Pats graduate just two seniors, including second baseman NATALIE
BREEDEN,
who received one of two sportsmanship awards. Portugal was the
other recipient.
"Melissa really stepped it up and did
the best she could - all of us did,"
said Breeden, who will attend Costa Mesa's Vanguard University
next fall. "She
gave us pride and confidence."
The other senior is shortstop KELLI MURRAY,
a multi-sport standout who will
attend fashion school. Meanwhile, Murray's younger sister, junior
third baseman
KYLEEN, is expected to return.
(05-31-03)
Christian's Ashley Paterson scores on a
single by Ashley Dunton during the Patriots' CIF Division IV semifinal
win over Imperial.
2003 EAST COUNTY PREP SOFTBALL
SDCIF Playoffs - Semifinals
EastCountySports.com
POWAY - Outstanding pitching performances again demonstrated that San Diego County continues to be a hotbed for high school softball talent. Among the pitching efforts were a pair of no-hitters in Thursday's (May 29) semifinal round of the San Diego CIF Softball Championships - including a 5-0 victory for Christian High sophomore MELISSA OWENS in Division IV - while reigning county player of the year Lisa Dodd of University City came within a strike of a perfect game, finally settling for a 1-hit shutout of Santana in Division III.
CHRISTIAN 5, IMPERIAL 0 - Owens never came close to allowing a hit, striking out a total of 13 Tigers while walking 2, as the defending champion Patriots whipped the top-seeds from the Imperial Valley.
Third baseman KYLEEN MURRAY paced the offense with a two-run single in her 2-for-4 performance, as Christian did all of its scoring in the 5th inning.
"My rise ball was working very well," said Owens, better known as "Kajh" to her teammates. "It's my favorite pitch, but I only used it half of the time."
Owens has come close to pitching a no-hitter on several occasions this season, but settled for four one-hitters - including Tuesday's whipping of Guajome Park Academy in the SDCIF quarterfinals - before finally completing her initial career gem.
"I hope we're peaking right now," added Owens. "We were a little nervous, but once we got comfortable we starting to hit their pitching."
The closest Imperial came to getting a hit came from Tigers pitcher Lindsay Lugo as she led off the 4th. Her grounder went off Pats' first baseman HEATHER McQUISTON and could have been ruled a hit or an error. However, the ball caromed to second baseman NATALIE BREEDEN, who charged the loose ball and tossed the ball back to McQuiston for the out at first base.
Christian immediately responded with its big inning of offense, as the team batted around.
ASHLEY PATERSON opened the frame with a booming double between the outfielders in right-center field, then moved to third on a KELLI MURRAY sacrifice bunt.
ASHLEY DUNTON followed by placing a blooper over the Tigers' third baseman, as Paterson barely beat the throw home by the shortstop.
"I thought I'd make it home," said Paterson, a sophomore right fielder. "The coach told me to go, but I didn't see the throw (to the plate), but I got in there."
The triumph seemed to be anything but an upset for the No. 4 seeded Patriots.
"We're playing the teams we thought
we'd be playing anyway," noted Paterson.
"And now we get Westview to defend our title against."
The first-year Wolverines, the No. 3 seeds,
received the other no-hitter of
the day in a 5-0 blanking of second-seeded Marian Catholic, the
team the
Patriots beat in the 2002 championship game 1-0.
"In order to beat Westview, we're going
to need to play our best game and go
for it," said veteran Patriots coach ROMA DAWSON. "No
matter what the seedings
were, we thought the best four teams got here anyway, and those
are the teams
you have to beat to win."
Christian pushed across four additional runs, all after two were out.
Following Dunton's single, which turned
into the eventual game-winning RBI,
McQuiston reached on a bunt single.
After the second out was recorded, Breeden
then singled home a run with a
shot to left, Owens walked, then Kyleen Murray blasted a double
to the fence at
the Poway Sports Park. The final run scored on an error when a
grounder by
LAUREN OLDENBURG was misplayed - the lone error of the day for
either team.
Christian has qualified for its 4th straight
trip to the SDCIF Division IV
finals and the 6th time in the last decade. The Patriots have
captured
championships in four of their last five title tilts.
Scoring with a head-first slide is Christian
High's Heather McQuiston, who came home on a single by Kyleen
Murray (background) during the Patriots' semifinal win over Imperial
on Thursday (5-29-03) at Poway Sportsplex.
UNIVERSITY CITY 5, SANTANA 0 - Dodd dominated the Sultans with 14 strikeouts,
while left-fielder Scotti Norman made a lunging, shoestring catch
on a short
liner to open the 5th to keep Dodd's perfect game alive.
Dodd set down the first 20 Sultans she faced
to move within a batter of
perfection. However, Santana senior MARGEAUX BASS, who survived
a marginal 2-2
pitch near the outside corner which was called a ball, rocketed
a change-up to the
fence in left field for a double - the lone blemish on Dodd's
pitching ledger.
On offense, Dodd also recorded a single
to reach 59 hits this season, with
another potential base hit to be appealed to the official scorer
which would
give her a CIF-San Diego Section record 60 should the call be
overturned on
Friday.
The hit in question was a smoking blast
along the ground which whistled past
the Santana second baseman, going between the fielder's glove
and leg, but was
originally ruled playable by the scorer for one of six Sultans
errors leading
to four unearned runs.
"The team has had several opportunities
to close out games like this all
season," noted the soft-spoken Dodd, who earlier in the day
was named the Gatorade
California State player of the year and one of three finalists
for the
national award. "You just do what you have to do for the
team and pick it up if you
falter."
"It boils down to who wants it most."
The top-seeded Centurions will meet Western
League rival Clairemont in
Saturday's (May 30) final at UCSD.
ESCONDIDO 4, WEST HILLS 1 - In a battle of standout freshman pitchers, the
Cougars' Sarah Akamine earned the advantage with 16 strikeouts
-- the highest
total of the day in any division - in her two-hitter.
Escondido third baseman WHITNEY HOLSTON
knocked in three runs to fuel the
offense. Her groundball out to the right side of the infield allowed
LESLIE REED
to score an unearned run in the third. Then Holston broke open
the game with a
two-run single in the seventh to bust open a 2-1 contest.
Despite an uneasy and edgy defense (four
errors), West Hills gained some
momentum after tying the game in the fourth.
Catcher KATIE ROLF blasted a sharp one-hopper
which took a bad hop and
deflected off the side of the head of Cougars second baseman Meghan
Ward. The
defender was okay, but the ball bounced cross-field into the left-center
field gap
as Rolf hustled to second base with a double.
KASEY MYTINGER followed with a two-out single
to right to score Rolf.
However, Akamine would retire the final 10 consecutive Wolf Pack
batters to prevent
any comeback.
With runners at the corners, Escondido took
the lead in the sixth on a
double-steal attempt, as Carly White headed for second. West Hills
anticipated the
maneuver by faking the throw through the infield by having it
cutoff en route,
however, the ball was misplayed and allowed Danya Gomes to easily
race home
from third.
"Take away our nervousness and we could've
taken this team on any other day,"
noted Wolf Pack second baseman KELLIE BRYAN. "But their pitcher
was faster
than anyone else we've seen this year. And for a freshman with
a bad back, she
pitched a great game."
Wolf Pack starter MARA THORNTON struck out
five, with the first two runs she
allowed being unearned.
VALHALLA 1, PATRICK HENRY 0 - The top-seeded Norsemen edged Patrick Henry
(19-10) Thursday night (May 29) in the Division II SDCIF semifinals
in Poway.
LACEY WILSON pitched a complete game, 2-hit
shutout - her 10th shutout of the
year.
Wilson was in command the entire night,
walking 3 while striking out 8.
Patrick Henry never really threatened, in fact, as no Patriot
ever reached 3rd base.
Valhalla (23-7-1), the Grossmont South League
co-champions, used the same
formula it has for most of the season, great defense and good,
timely hitting.
MICHELLE BATCHELOR, JAMIE McNALLY and WHITNEY HOLUM all turned in great plays.
The only run of the game came in the 1st
inning. Holum started the rally with
a 2-out single to center field. She then stole second and scored
on SAVANNAH
BROWN'S clutch, full count single.
LISA WOODEND, MICHELLE BATCHELOR and STEPHANIE SWEAT also had singles.
The Patriots started the 7th off with a
single to left by pitcher Kristen
Sheriff. Danielle Bryan attempted a sacrifice bunt, but it was
quickly fielded
by Batchelor, who turned and fired a strike to a stretching Holum
at 2nd that
cut down Sheriff to take the wind out of the Patriots' sails.
Wilson then
struck out the final two hitters to seal the deal.
Valhalla travels to UCSD on Saturday (May
30) to take on the #2 seed,
Escondido (23-4-1) at 3 p.m.
(05-29-03/Rev. 06-02-03)
SDCIF Playoffs - Quarterfinals
West Hills' Kristina Matthews scored in
the bottom of the 2nd after RBI single by Denise Triplett for
3-0 lead.
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - West Hills freshman MARA THORNTON has proven to be a
money performer all season. But nothing matched her performance
in Tuesday's (May 27) quarterfinals of the San Diego CIF Division
II championships. Thornton struck out 4 and faced only one batter
above the minimum in tossing her first career no-hitter, leading
the third-seeded Wolf Pack past visiting Scripps Ranch, 3-0.
The Pack (19-8-1) advances to meet second-seeded Escondido (22-4-1)
in Thursday's (May 29) semifinals at Poway Sports Park at 7:30
p.m.
Thornton cited she had some idea she was throwing a no-hitter,
but wasn't fully sure until told she completed the feat following
the ballgame.
"All I know is, the harder I work, the less chance they have
for a hit," said the right-hander, who lifted her season
record to 14-5. "I knew in the second inning I wanted to
strive for it."
Two key plays kept Scripps Ranch at bay, including a play by Thornton
after getting pegged in the upper thigh by a sharp Chelsie Tysdal
one-hopper in the fifth inning.
"KATIE (ROLF, the catcher) screamed at me to get the ball,"
noted Thornton. "I grabbed it and threw to first to get the
runner."
Falcons pinch-hitter Tori Piskulick took advantage of a high Thornton
offering and drilled it toward the gap in left-center field. However,
West Hills left-fielder DENISE TRIPLETT came running to make the
diving catch to end the inning and keep the no-hitter alive.
"It hurt, but it was fun," said Triplett of her extended
grab. "I like being
aggressive and to go for the ball. But I thought they already
had a hit, so
it's nice to get the ball and make a play for Mara. She deserved
the no-hitter."
In the amount of time it takes West Hills backers to cry out "Wolf
Pack," the
team was able to score in the 1st.
MARKIE VARELA opened with a triple to right field, but Triplett's
ensuing
drive to right wasn't deep enough for a sacrifice fly. However,
NATASHA
CHOUINARD'S hit landed safely in right to score Varela for a 1-0
lead.
Chouinard went to third after a Rolf single and KASEY MYTINGER
walked to load
the bases. AMY JOHNSON followed with an RBI single to propel West
Hills to a
quick 2-0 advantage.
KRISTINA MATTHEWS opened the 2nd with a base hit, eventually scoring
on a
Triplett single to right to give Thornton more than enough support.
Batting
eighth in the order, Matthews went 3-for-3 as part of the Pack's
nine-hit attack.
"I remembered to eat my Tiger Milk bar and drink my water,"
said Matthews, a
sophomore designated hitter. "It was all the fuel I needed
right there."
The only baserunners allowed by Thornton were on her own throwing
error on an
easy comebacker - "It was my fault," she noted on a
short toss which hit
Tysdal in the back - and a walk to Carla Nava, who beat Helix
by driving in both
runs three days earlier.
However, Tysdal was later thrown out attempting to steal second
by Rolf to
end the 2nd. The Nava walk came with two out in the fourth, as
Thornton then
closed the contest by retiring the final 10 consecutive Falcons.
The victory avenged a 1-0, 9-inning loss to Scripps Ranch during
the regular
season.
VALHALLA 13, HILLTOP 0 - The Norsemen (22-7-1) smacked
visiting Hilltop in
Tuesday's (May 27) San Diego CIF quarterfinals. LACEY WILSON went
the distance
for Valhalla, limiting the Lancers (16-9) to 5 hits while earning
her 9th
shutout of the season. Wilson walked 5 and struck out 7, while
lowering her ERA to
0.49.
SAVANNAH BROWN led the way offensively for Valhalla, going 3 for
3 and
driving in 4 runs.
"It feels good - I knew I had to do it all year when teams
pitch around
Whitney, and I was able to step up," Brown said.
WHITNEY HOLUM also had a good day at the plate, with 2 hits and
3 walks.
Holum extended her hitting streak to 25 games and raised her season
batting
average to .523.
"It was a little frustrating not getting to swing the bat,
especially in my
last home game," Holum said. "But Savannah (Brown) came
up and knocked in all
the runs."
MICHELLE BATCHELOR and ALLISON JOHNSON each had 2 hits on the
day, while LISA
WOODEND, KIMMY HAYDEN, and COURTNEY LUDWIG all chipped in singles.
Valhalla now travels to meet Patrick Henry on Thursday (May 29)
at 7:30 p.m.
at the Poway Sports Park.
Santana victors coming off the field
at the end of their 8th inning victory
(4-1) over University of San Diego on Tuesday (5-27-03) in the
SDCIF
quarterfinals.
SANTANA
4, USDHS 1 -
TAYLOR KELLY keyed a 3-run 8th inning with a 2-run home
run as the visiting Sultans (21-9-1) came from behind to knock
off USDHS in 8
innings during Tuesday's (May 27) SDCIF Division III quarterfinals.
Kelly
finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI.
KRISTEN MEDRUD scattered 6 hits and did not allow an earned run
as she earned
her 11th win against 7 losses.
After the Dons capitalized on two errors for an unearned run and
a 1-0 led in
the 4th inning, Santana scrambled back to tie it in the 6th frame.
AIMEE BENZ
singled to left, advanced to second on a passed ball and carried
across the
tying marker on Kelly's base hit.
Two USDHS errors, and a ROCHELLE SANDBERG sacrifice bunt gave
Santana a 2-1
edge in the 8th inning. Kelly's two-run put the game on ice.
Next up for the Sultans is a showdown against top-seeded University
City
(23-4-1) and state home run leader Lisa Dodd Thursday (May 29)
at Poway Sports
Park at 7:30 p.m.
CHRISTIAN 5, GUAJOME PARK 0 - The Patriots leaped over
the Frogs as MELISSA
OWENS pitched a 1-hitter and struck out 12 in Tuesday's (May 27)
SDCIF
Division IV quarterfinals.
ASHLEY DUNTON and NATALIE BREEDEN contributed RBI singles in the
2nd and 3rd
innings to give Christian (14-13) a 2-0 lead. Owens keyed a 3-run
5th inning
with an RBI double as the No. 4-seeded Patriots advance to Thursday's
(May 29)
semifinals against top-seeded Imperial (25-2) at Poway Sports
Park at 3 p.m.
"The girls did a nice job," Christian coach ROMA DAWSON
said. "This is a nice
game to build on."
ESCONDIDO 2, GROSSMONT 0 - With two outs in the 3rd inning
of Tuesday's (May
27) SDCIF Division II quarterfinals, Escondido's WHITNEY HOLSTUN
hit an RBI
double down the left field line (literally drawing chalk) and
the No. 2-seeded
Cougars continued on for the victory over the visiting Foothillers.
Grossmont's best scoring chance came in the 5tth inning. LISA
GREEN hit a
leadoff single to right and went to second on MONIQUE GONZALEZ'
sacrifice bunt.
With one out, Osborne hit a hard line drive right at Cougars left-fielder
Dayna
Gomes, who then caught Green too far off the base for the double
play.
Holstun upped the Cougars' advantage to 2-0 with an RBI single
in the 5th
inning.
Grossmont's final challenge came in the 6th inning. KELLYE ZOLLERS
singled to
center and ASHLEY LOVELADY singled to right. But that's where
the budding
rally stalled.
"We had our opportunities today but just couldn't get that
last hit to
score," said Foothillers coach JERRY LERUD. "Our defense
played a good game and
DOMONIQUE (GUERRA) pitched a sound game."
(05-27-03)
Grossmont's Lisa Green comes home to score
after she led off the fourth inning with a slap single, then came
around on a double by Kellye Zollers (background), while Oceanside
pitcher Sara Robinson (No. 4), and catcher Kristin Braithwaite
(No. 13) watch during the Hillers' win on Saturday (5-24-03).
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - Anybody who thinks that the Santana
Sultans might not be as good as
their record (20-9-1) had better re-evaluate. These girls know
how to hit -
and score - and win. Coach JOHN BOBOF's squad left little suspense
in Saturday's
(May 24) opening round of the San Diego CIF Division III playoffs,
scoring 7
runs in the 1st inning and continuing on to a 16-3 romp over visiting
Point
Loma.
Two-run singles by AIMEE BENZ and KRISTEN
MEDRUD sparked Santana's 1st-inning
exposition. It was just the beginning of a big day for both, as
Benz finished
4-for-5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored, while Medrud toiled 5 innings
to earn
her 10th win in 17 decisions.
RBI singles by Benz, MARGEAUX BASS, and
TAYLOR KELLY stretched Santana's
advantage to 10-3 in the 3rd inning.
The Santana onslaught continued in the 6th
inning. ROCHELLE SANDBERG and
Kelly ripped two-run singles during a 6-run scoring spree that
turned the game
into a rout.
Sandberg, Kelly, Bass, LAURIE LINDOW, TARYN
PROCTOR and DOMINIQUE DeLUCA all
had 2 hits for Santana, which totaled 16 for the game.
Santana advances to Tuesday's (May 27) quarterfinals
at No. 4-seeded USDHS
(17-9).
SAN PASQUAL 3, MONTE VISTA 1 (8) - Monarchs coach SIG CHABROWSKI is convinced
that his Monte Vista softball team doesn't play its best ball
before noon.
"Whether it's playing in Las Vegas
or playing in a CIF game, our girls are
not a 'morning team,'" he said. "I call it the 'Monte
Vista morning curse.'"
The visiting Golden Eagles (10-14) got 3
hits off Monte starter MELISSA
BARRON in the 1st inning but would have escaped unscathed had
it not been for an
outfield error that left the door open for Kim Harris' RBI single.
Missed opportunities haunted the Monarchs
throughout the game. They had
runners at second and third with nobody out in the 3rd inning,
but failed to score.
The Monarchs, who narrowly missed winning
the Grossmont South League
championship in a 13-inning loss to Valhalla, fought back to tie
San Pasqual with a
run in the 5th. SIREENAH CRUSE singled and ASHLEY MILLER ran for
her. Miller
scooted all the way around the bases to score the tying marker
thanks to a pair
of San Pasqual errors.
It appeared that Monte Vista (17-11-1) was
going to claim a victory with a
two-out rally in the bottom of the 7th inning. LYNDSAY CALHOUN
singled to right
and ALYSHA DAIGLE doubled to right center. Since there were two
outs, Calhoun
was coming to the plate full, throttle. The throw beat her and
she was tagged
out.
San Pasqual's momentum carried over to the
8th inning when the Golden Eagles
scored two runs on RBI singles by Laura Kutzner and Deanna Galindo.
"This isn't the way we wanted it to
end," Chabrowski said. "But we had a good
season. We won nine more games than we did last year, and just
missed winning
our second league championship in three years. I'm proud of what
these girls
achieved. And we only lose three seniors, so we should be in the
thick of it
again next year."
Grossmont's Kellye Zollers scores on a basehit
to left field by senior catcher Ashley Lovelady to cap the scoring
in Grossmont's 4-1 verdict over Oceanside in Saturday's CIF Division
II playoff opener on Saturday (5-24-03).
GROSSMONT 4, OCEANSIDE 1 - Following an embarrassing shutout defeat earlier
in the year, Oceanside was determined to get off to a quick start
in its
rematch with Grossmont to open the San Diego CIF playoffs.
Three consecutive singles led to a fast
1-0 Pirates' lead in the first. But
when the Foothillers immediately answered with two runs of their
own, that
response seemed to deflate the Bucs, as Grossmont raced to a 4-1
opening-round
triumph on Saturday (May 24).
The victory advanced the Foothillers (15-11)
to Tuesday's (May 27) Division
II quarterfinals at second-seeded Escondido, starting at 3:30
p.m.
"Oceanside scoring early didn't bother
us because we know we have to score at
least a run to win anyway - it didn't faze us," said shortstop
TARYIN
CASILLAS, who quickly tied the ballgame with an RBI single in
the 1st . "And we all
hit the ball pretty good, so I don't think anyone can beat us
when we're on our
game."
Grossmont scored twice in both the 1st and
4th to pull away, making a winner
of pitcher ALEX SOBEL (8-3). The University of Arizona-bound senior
scattered
eight hits, striking out eight Pirates without issuing a walk.
"I was fired up and nervous at the
same time, which is kind of a weird
combination," said Sobel, who settled down and tossed shutout
ball over the final
six frames. "We just played our game today -- nothing fancy."
One out singles by Annette Boston, Dabina
Aguirre and Kristin Braithwaite
allowed Oceanside to offset a 5-0 blanking at the hands of Grossmont
back in
March. But the Hillers answered with four straight one-out singles
of their own in
the home-half of the inning.
LIQUEA BLACKMON celebrated her birthday
with a line single to right, stole
second, then quickly scored on a sharp single by Casillas to center.
DOMONIQUE
GUERRA then parachuted a hit to left to place runners on the corners.
Then
MONIQUE GONZALEZ singled to right, as a double-error by the outfield
allowed
Casillas to score.
In the 4th, KELLYE ZOLLERS slammed an RBI
double to left, scoring LISA GREEN
who led off with a slap single. Zollers then came home on a run-scoring
single
by senior catcher ASHLEY LOVELADY.
"I saw that their pitcher always seemed
to throw the first pitch right down
the middle to try to get ahead," said Zollers. "So I
waited for it and tried to
pull it."
Lovelady and Casillas finished with two
hits each for seventh-seeded
Grossmont (15-11). No. 10 Oceanside, a Division II school playing
in the otherwise
exclusive Division I Avocado League, finishes at 10-16.
SCRIPPS RANCH 2, HELIX 1 (9 Inn.) - Carla Nava clubbed a pair of clutch hits
for Scripps Ranch, including the tie-breaking blow in the 9th
inning,
powering the Falcons past upset-minded Helix in Saturday's (May
24) CIF Division II
playoff opener.
Nava also registered an RBI single in the
sixth to tie the game immediately
after the Highlanders broke a scoreless tie in the top half of
the inning.
Falcons pitcher Haley Exner barely outdueled
Helix' JESSICA SMITH to advance
to Tuesday's (May 27) quarterfinals at West Hills. Exner struck
out eight with
the lone run allowed being unearned. Meanwhile, Smith struck out
7, but got
burned by two hits which barely landed in fair territory along
the left-field
line in the 9th.
With one out, Scripps Ranch's Ashley Glosz
rocketed a ball down the line into
the corner, circling the bases for a triple. One pitch later,
Nava caught the
inside of the chalk with her shot over third base, sending Glosz
home with
the winning run.
The Falcons (15-11) gave Helix numerous
opportunities due to four errors,
including a pair of miscues, which led to the lone Scotties run.
ANDREA NESS opened the rally by reaching
on an error, then SIPAU LEE-NOA, who
was celebrating her birthday, walked and advanced to second on
a fielder's
choice.
ADRIANA DeJONG followed with a grounder
to third, but when the throw to first
sailed away, Lee-Poa turned the corner to score.
Helix played brilliant defense throughout,
including three consecutive snags
of hot grounders in the seventh, as shortstop DeJong, Smith and
second baseman
KRYSTAL LOPEZ each extended themselves to get to the ball then
made solid
throws to first base.
The Highlanders also turned a double play
in the eighth, as Lopez snared a
line drive and threw to first to double off a base-runner.
Meanwhile, Helix catchers HEATHER NICHOLS
and LAURA SMITH each tossed out
runners attempting to steal. Smith entered the game in the third
for Nichols, who
re-injured a thumb while saving a run when a throw from the outfield
nearly
landed in the Helix dugout.
DANIELLE GLENN registered two of Helix'
three hits, which included a line
shot off the pitcher for a single, then a booming ground-rule
double to the
left-field corner in the fourth. Lopez also doubled for Helix
(11-13-1).
HILLTOP 4, EL CAPITAN 1 - The Vaqueros saw their 2003 season come to an end
at the hands of the Hilltop Lancers in Saturday's (May 24) opening
round of the
San Diego CIF Division II playoffs. El Capitan's ace pitcher COURTNEY
BELL
was out of town and this gave the opportunity to senior HEATHER
LOCHER to show
her stuff.
The 1st inning saw 3 walks, 3 runs and 3
errors. After that, El Capitan
settled down and only allowed 1 additional run in the 4th.
El Capitan had scoring threats with runners
on in every inning. The lone El
Capitan run came in the 6th inning with two runners on and senior
MALLORY
PALMER blasted a home run over the left field fence only to see
it called as a
ground rule double by the home plate umpire who said that it "bounced"
over the
fence. El Capitan ended the season with an overall record of 15-12.
(05-24-03)
Helix's Sipau Lee-Noa scores Helix's run in a 2-1 9-inning loss to Scripps
Ranch on Saturday (5-24-03).
2003 SDCIF SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS - Advance
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Valhalla and West Hills high
schools received high seeds and an
accompanying first-round bye after the brackets were announced
late Thursday
(May 23) for the SDCIF Softball Championships.
The Norsemen (21-7-1), champions of the
Grossmont South League, were tabbed
the top-seed in Division II, and will await the winner of Saturday's
(May 24)
first-round contest between El Capitan (15-11) and Hilltop (15-8).
Meanwhile, the third-seeded Wolf Pack (18-8-1),
titlist of the Grossmont
North League, will tackle the winner between Helix (11-12-1) and
Scripps Ranch
(14-11). The sixth-seeded Falcons earned the home game after finishing
in a
three-way tie for second in the Eastern League, nosing out Christian.
However, the Patriots (13-13), a small-enrollment
school playing in a
large-school classification, were still rewarded despite their
.500 showing in both
overall and in league games. Christian was granted a bye as the
fourth seed in
Division IV and will host the winner between La Jolla Country
Day at Guajome
Park Academy.
Half of the Division II field contains East
County teams, with four of them
in action Saturday. The bracket's remaining contests finds North
League
runner-up Monte Vista hosting San Pasqual at 9 a.m., while Grossmont
will entertain
Oceanside at noon.
The Monarchs (17-10-1) were seeded fifth,
while the Foothillers (14-11) were
placed seventh. El Capitan (15-11) was situated in ninth, while
the
Highlanders barely made the field at No. 11.
In Division III, Santana narrowly missed
gaining a bye, tabbed the fifth seed
in its 12-team field. The Sultans (19-9-1) will tangle with Point
Loma in a
10 a.m. start Saturday.
Teams nominated for postseason consideration
included Granite Hills (Div. I)
and Mount Miguel (Div. II), but both schools were eliminated on
the final
ballot in each classification.
(05-22-03)
Valhalla catcher Savannah Brown and pitcher
Lacey Wilson await a ruling that left the Monarchs with just eight
defenders in the 12th inning.
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - For more than a decade, the Valhalla
Norsemen filled the role of
the Boston Red Sox, coming oh-so-close to a championship, only
to falter in
the end. And with upstart Monte Vista in position to steal the
title and
again disconcert the Norsemen, Tuesday's (May 20) regular-season
finale could
have become the most frustrating setback of all. However, senior
third
baseman MICHELLE BATCHELOR laced a run-scoring single to left
in the 13th
inning, sending JAMIE McNALLY home with the winning run in 2-1
victory over
the visiting Monarchs. Thus, Valhalla joins its brethren baseball
team this
season with the school's first-ever Grossmont League softball
championship.
"I was very nervous but I felt confident,"
said Batchelor, who collected two
hits on the day. "I was actually more nervous earlier in
the game, but my
team and coaches made me feel better."
Plodding along deep into extra innings,
and with no fewer than four delays
over the final two innings, whispers started that the teams might
conclude
with a co-championship should Mother Nature finish removing the
remaining
daylight.
The Norsemen scored the decisive run in
power-play fashion, as Monte Vista
was forced to play with just eight fielders - utilizing two outfielders.
Catcher ALYSHA DAIGLE was forced to leave the game due to illness
in the 12th
inning, but the Monarchs had used all available substitutes.
Daigle was taken to an area hospital for
precautionary measures, showing
possible symptoms of exhaustion.
"She started shaking, her fingers were
numb," Monte Vista coach SIG
CHABROWSKI said. "Earlier she was telling us she didn't eat
breakfast -
nothing to speak of -- no lunch or anything. She just started
to feel weak."
With two out, McNally walked, LISA WOODEND
reached on an error, then
Batchelor hit her shot to left field. Valhalla head coach DOUG
HARTUNG,
working in the third-base coaching box, waved McNally all the
way.
"In a situation like that, there is
no hesitation," Valhalla assistant coach
BRUCE WHITLOW said.
"We stood together as a team,"
added Batchelor. "And we didn't let the delays
stump our team."
LACEY WILSON was brilliant after entering
for starter STEPHANIE SWEAT in the
5th . The sophomore tossed eight full frames of shutout ball,
allowing just
3 hits and striking out 9.
"She was hurting and Monte Vista has
seen her a few times," said Wilson
(11-6). "In the fourth or fifth is when I realized I might
have to go in."
Monte Vista stranded eight runners against
Wilson - 14 total for the contest
- including runners at third in the 6th and the 8th. Meanwhile,
the Norsemen
left 16 baserunners, but finally got the big hit following 28
years of
disenchantment.
"This feels awesome," Hartung
said. "I've been a coach for many, many years.
As a high school head coach I haven't experienced this kind of
success
before. I have in travel ball, and in other situations. But this
one of the
best games ever. And we had to earn it - absolutely."
Monte Vista pitchers MELISSA BARRON and
SARAH CASTILLO each were charged with
one unearned run. Barron struck out four and set down 11 consecutive
Norsemen
at one point before leaving with a throbbing arm after eight innings.
Castillo went the final 4 2/3.
The Monarchs scored in the first after their
first three batters got on to
load the bases.
Barron singled, moved to third on a double to left by LYNDSAY
CALHOUN, then
Daigle walked. After an out, ALYSSA PARKER hit a ball which was
deflected by
Sweat, but by the time second baseman McNally reached the ball,
the scratch
single scored Barron.
Sweat was in a similar situation when batting
in the first, but Barron made
the play to end the bases-loaded threat. Then in the sixth, Sweat
had another
chance to tie the game with a runner on third and two out, but
a throwing
error allowed WHITNEY HOLUM to score.
Holum finished 3-for-4 and was intentionally walked twice.
Parker registered three of Monte Vista's
eight hits, while MELANIE MASSEY
went 2-for-5 and walked once. The loss snapped the team's eight-game
winning
streak.
"We came here to win and it didn't
happen," noted Parker, a freshman third
baseman. "We kept playing hard and we'll keep playing hard
in CIF."
"We had the best two teams in East
County out here playing today," noted
Chabrowski. "It came down to the last game, the last inning
and the last
batter to decide the championship."
The CIF playoffs seeding meeting takes place
Thursday (May 22), with opening
round games commencing Saturday (May 24).
WEST HILLS 1, SANTANA 0 - MARA THORNTON scattered 8 hits and struck out 6
as
the Grossmont North League-champion Wolf Pack (17-8-1, 10-2) concluded
the
regular-season Tuesday (May 20) with a victory over the visiting
Sultans
(19-9-1, 6-6).
The only run of the game came in the 4th
inning. NATASHA CHOUINARD singled to
center and KATIE ROLF walked. The runners advanced on a balk.
With two outs,
KELLIE BRYAN singled to score Chouinard, giving West Hills its
15th win in
the last 19 games.
KRISTEN MEDRUD limited the Wolf Pack to five singles in the losing effort.
ROCHELLE SANDBERG, AIMEE BENZ and LAURIE LINDOW each had two hits for Santana.
EL CAPITAN 5, EL CAJON VALLEY 1 - COURTNEY BELL (13-8) pitched the complete
game victory for the Vaqueros in Tuesday's (May 20) regular-season
finale in
Lakeside.
The Vaqueros scored in the second inning
as ASHLEY MARX was hit by a pitch,
stole second base, advanced to third on Bell's bunt and scored
on a passed
ball.
In the 4th inning, ASHLEY SAMPO and HEATHER
LOCHER were hit by pitches and
scored when Bell hit a line drive over the left fielder's head
for a triple.
ALYSSA UNDEN then singled in Bell.
GRANITE HILLS 3, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 - LACY TONER gave up 9 hits, but went the
distance for her 8th win in 12 decisions as the visiting Eagles
(15-12-1,
6-4) edge Mount Miguel and BREANNA FELIX, who tossed a 4-hitter
and struck
out 6.
Mount Miguel took a 1-0 lead in the opening
inning. With one out JADE SHIPP
hit a double to center field. SAMANTHA BIGGERS advanced the runner
to third
on a grounder to second base. EBONY THORPE then hit a line drive
base hit to
drive in Shipp.
Granite Hills countered with a two-out rally
in the 3rd. VALERIE VITALE
reached on an error by the second baseman. VANESSA MORENO then
hit a triple
to right field
The Eagles took the lead in the 4th inning.
JESSICA TALMAN singled, but was
caught stealing by Shipp. CODY WIDDES reached on a base hit and
took second
on an error by the shortstop. JENNIFER WHITMOYER reached base
on an error by
the second baseman and with two out, CHERYL REVERE doubled to
left field to
drive in both runners.
Mount Miguel (9-11, 3-7) attempted a belated
rally in the 7th . AMANDA
BEASLEY led off with a single and Shipp followed with a single
to put the
tying runs on base. Biggers put down a sacrifice bunt to advance
the runners
to second and third. Thorpe hit a ball up the middle and beat
it out for an
infield single, scoring Beasley. But that's where Mount Miguel's
rally
stalled as Toner got the final two outs.
-
SERRA 2, CHRISTIAN 0 - The Patriots (13-13, 6-6) wasted
a powerful pitching
performance by MELISSA OWENS Tuesday (May 20) as Serra claimed
the Eastern
League championship outright.
Owens (9-10) allowed only 2 hits, walked none and struck out 6.
Serra's LINDSAY SOMMER blanked the Patriots
for the second time in as many
starts this season, allowing just one hit while striking out 14.
NATALIE BREEDEN had Christian's only hit.
STEELE CANYON @ HELIX
(No report)
(05-20-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - MICHAELA CRAIN pitched a 4-hit
shutout, walked none and struck out
three as host El Cajon Valley edged the visiting Chula Vista Spartans
5-0 in
Monday's (May 19) non-league action.
ALLISON SWANN singled to score TAWNI MACKE
and KAYLEIGH WARREN drove in a pair
of runs with a base hit as the Braves grabbed a 3-0 advantage
in the 4th
inning.
El Cajon Valley (6-17) scored two more on
a passed ball and a throwing error
in the 5th to provide Crain with a comfortable cushion.
AMANDA SWANN had a double and a single for
the Braves, while Macke stole
three bases.
(05-19-03)
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - Sophomore slugger KASEY MYTINGER
became just the second Wolf Pack
player - and third overall - to slug a home run over the fence
at the West
Hills High softball field, as the hosts topped Eastern League
contender Mira
Mesa, 5-1, in a non-league ballgame Saturday (May 14).
Mytinger went to the opposite field with
her shot to right in the 5th inning,
capping the scoring and making a winner of starting pitcher MARA
THORNTON
(12-5).
The only other homers at West Hills came
by former teammate CRYSTAL MILLER
last season, with Grossmont's ASHLEY BOWKER also clearing the
barrier - twice
- on the field noted for its strong breeze blowing towards home
plate from
left field.
Solid bat control allowed the Wolf Pack (16-8-1) to gain the lead early.
In the first inning, catcher KATIE ROLF
was able to lift a fly ball deep
enough to score MARKIE VARELA with a sacrifice fly.
After the Marauders evened the game in the
fourth, the Pack recieved another
sacrifice fly from KRISTINA MATTHEWS to reclaim the lead, then
NATASHA
CHOUINARD capped the 3-run rally with a booming double to score
two
additional runs.
The victory could also be significant to
next week's CIF playoff seeding
meeting, giving West Hills a victory against divisional opponents
with a
slightly better overall record.
Mira Mesa fell to 20-9, resting in a tie
for third with Patrick Henry, just
one game above Christian High in the Eastern League.
(05-17-03)
Ashley Hart of El Capitan scores on a passed
ball in the third, as West Hills pitcher Mara Thornton covers
home in vain.
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - Reactions were mixed afterwards
when West Hills clinched the
Grossmont North League title outright Thursday (May 15), as a
failed pick-off
attempt allowed the winning run to easily waltz home in the bottom
of the
seventh inning in the Wolf Pack's 2-1 triumph over visiting El
Capitan.
West Hills was awarded its 6th Grossmont League title in eight years.
Twice earlier, Vaqueros catcher MALLORY
PALMER flashed her outstanding
throwing arm, throwing out West Hills speedster MARKIE VARELA
attempting to
steal second base in the first, then picking off KATIE ROLF at
the far side
of the diamond in the sixth.
In between, Palmer kept the contest tied
by blocking the plate and tagging
out KASEY MYTINGER in the third, punctuating the fact that the
Vaqueros'
senior is the top defensive threat in East County.
So when West Hills baserunner KELLIE BRYAN
wandered a bit too far off second
with the potential game-winning run, the expected throw was launched.
Or was
it actually predictable?
"Yes, I took an extra long lead,"
said Bryan, acknowledging an attempt to
draw the throw. "Then I didn't realize the ball was overthrown
until
everybody started yelling at me to get up and run."
The throw was shoulder high, but neither
Vaqueros middle infielder was there
to collect the pickoff attempt. And when the center-fielder allowed
the ball
to run past her to the fence for another error, the Wolf Pack
was handed its
second straight league crown.
"We were a little nervous today, not
putting it away the last couple of
games," said senior first baseman NATASHA CHOUINARD on the
Pack's two-game
losing streak which was snapped. "But it was a huge win and
it's nice to win
another league title in my senior year and go out with a bang."
"Last year's title seemed more exciting,
but this year we have a completely
different morale to the team, so they're two completely different
types of
championships for me. But that's good, too."
The double-error gave the victory to Wolf
Pack starter MARA THORNTON, who
spun a 3-hitter. The freshman struggled early with three walks
and a hit
batsman, yet finished strong by setting down eight of the final
nine batters
she faced. Thornton struck out two, finishing with a record of
11-5.
"The umpire took away my main pitch,"
said Thornton of her early wildness.
"He didn't help me at all, so I had to find other ways to
get them out."
Meanwhile, Vaqueros pitcher HEATHER LOCHER
also allowed just three hits in 6
2/3 innings. However, she suffered the hard-luck loss as both
runs allowed
were unearned.
The Vaqueros opened the scoring in the third
when ASHLEY HART led off with a
walk, then advanced around the diamond without a hit, circling
the bases on a
passed ball, a stolen base, and scoring on another passed ball.
West Hills answered immediately with a two-out
rally. Rolf and Mytinger
recorded infield hits, then AMY JOHNSON'S roller was misplayed
for an error.
Rolf scored, but a four-person relay eventually nailed Mytinger
at the plate
as Palmer blocked the plate while accepting the strong throw from
shortstop
COURTNEY BELL.
The only other Wolf Pack hit was a bloop
single by Varela to open the first.
El Cap also saw only one of its three hits leave the infield on
a line single
by Palmer, who went 1-for-2 to lift her batting average to .482.
The other
hits were a popped-up bunt single by ASHLEY MARX which barely
sailed past
Thornton, and an infield single to third by ALICIA LOVEDAY.
West Hills also showed it can play defense,
too, turning a pair of double
plays.
Valhalla shortstop Whitney Holum connects
for a ground rule double in
Thursday's (5-15-03) Grossmont South League victory over Granite
Hills 6-2.
Eagles catcher Jessica Talman waits behind the plate. (Courtesy
photo)
VALHALLA 6, GRANITE HILLS 2 - The 10th-ranked Valhalla Norsemen got their
3rd win this week by beating Granite Hills. LACEY WILSON won her
7th
straight, striking out 13 while giving up only one hit.
The normally sound Valhalla defense was
a little sloppy in this game, giving
up 2 runs without the benefit of a hit.
The Norsemen jumped ahead with 2 runs in
the 1st. MICHELE BATCHELOR got
things going with a single to center. WHITNEY HOLUM followed with
a ground
rule double. SAVANNAH BROWN executed a perfect squeeze bunt to
score
Batchelor. Holum then scored on KIMMY HAYDEN's groundout.
Valhalla put the game away with 4 runs in
the 5th. JAMIE McNALLY and LISA
WOODEND smacked back-to-back singles. Batchelor then doubled home
McNally.
Holum followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Woodend.
After SAVANNAH BROWN walked, Hayden pushed
a change-up to left field, scoring
Batchelor and Brown.
For Granite Hills, JESSICA TALMAN got hit
by a pitch and pinch runner JOY
EDWARDS eventually scored on an overthrow.
The Eagles second tally came in the 5th
inning. JENNIFER WHITMOYER singled,
advanced on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and continued on home
when the
Valhalla catcher short-hopped the throw, and it went off the third
baseman's
glove.
Valhalla is now 20-7-1 overall, 8-1 in league.
The Grossmont South League
title will be decided Tuesday (May 20) when the Norsemen host
Monte Vista in
the final game of the season at 4 p.m.
CHRISTIAN 7, MIRA MESA 6 (10) - MELISSA OWENS slugged her 4th and 5th home
runs of the season to drive in 6 runs and guide Christian to its
biggest win
of the season) over the visiting Marauders in Thursday's (May15)
Eastern
League game.
Owens, who was 3-for-5 at the plate, pitched
a complete game to earn her 9th
win in 18 decisions.
Grossmont freshman pitcher Domonique Guerra
(21) high-stepping her way to a 4-3 victory over Santana on Thursday
(5-15-03). (Courtesy photo)
GROSSMONT 4, SANTANA 3 - The Foothillers built a 4-1 lead in the 3rd inning
and then held on for the Grossmont North League win over host
Santana.
MONIQUE GONZALEZ went 3-for-4 and ASHLEY
LOVELADY, TARYIN CASILLAS and
winning pitcher DOMONIQUE GUERRA added 2 hits apiece as the Foothillers
(14-11, 8-4) concluded the regular season with a victory.
Grossmont pounded out a dozen hits.
"It was a wild one," said Grossmont
coach JERRY LERUD. "We each had runners
in scoring position in almost every inning. Only the second and
fifth did
Santana not have someone there, and we had them there every inning.
It was an
exciting game from the first to the last pitch. Our defense turned
one double
play and caught one runner trying to steal. Those were big in
a game where
both teams wanted and needed the win. We really hit the ball well,
maybe the
best we've done this season. Our short game came through too.
Just another
total team effort."
MONTE VISTA 2, HELIX 0 - MELISSA BARRON pitched a 4-hit shutout Thursday
(May 15) as the Monarchs maintained their share of the Grossmont
South League
lead.
MELANIE MASSEY's two-run double in the 1st
inning provided all the offense
Monte Vista (17-9-1, 8-1) needed to support the strong-armed pitching
of
Barron.
STEELE CANYON @ MOUNT MIGUEL
(No information reported)
(05-15-03)