The San Diego Section held its inaugural girls softball all-star game June 8 at UC San Diego. It was an event that was in the making for some time, and the time proved right this year.
The format was similar to the existing baseball all-star game sponsored by the Padres. That is, East versus West in a nine-inning game, plus a pregame home run derby.
Grossmont Conference student athletes comprised a chunk of the rosters with participation from Santana, Steele Canyon, Valhalla, El Capitan, Granite Hills and Helix high schools on the East team squad.
Overall, six East County student- athletes were selected to play in the inaugural game.
The event was well received and hotly contested with the West team winning by a narrow score of 7-6.
Locals on the East roster included Santana senior Taylinn Warren, Steele Canyon senior Jazmin Williams, Valhalla senior Cadyn Ruffner, El Capitan senior Ava Gall, Granite Hills senior Jenna Haynal and Helix Charter senior Angel Riggins.
Williams hit 0.596 for the Lady Cougars (17-13, 3-5 in league) with 39 runs scored, 45 RBI, 21 doubles, five triples and 11 home runs. She also led the team with 11 stolen bases.
Gall paced the Grossmont Hills League champion Lady Vaqueros (26-6, 8-0 in league) with a 0.535 hitting average to go with 26 runs scored, 35 RBI, 10 doubles and eight home runs.
Warren, a co-captain, batted 0.451 with 28 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples and one home run for the Lady Sultans (21-9-1, 4-4 in league). She turned in a monster performance in the team’s Santee Mayors Cup clash against crosstown rival West Hills on April 14 with four RBI on three hits in a 15-2 non-league win. The Mayors Cup victory was the sixth consecutive (and seventh of eight) for Santana in the series. Ruffner led the Grossmont Valley League co-champion Lady Norsemen (18-12-1, 9-1 in league) with a 0.432 hitting average to go with 40 runs scored, 23 RBI, 10 doubles, lone triple and eight home runs. She co-led the team with 20 stolen bases.
Haynal batted 0.375 for Granite Hills (15-9, 4-4 in league) with five runs scored, three doubles and six RBI.
Riggins paced the Lady Highlanders (10-16-2, 1-7 in league) with a 0.358 hitting average to go with 19 runs scored, 19 RBI, seven doubles, four triples and three home runs.
A total of 47 players (24 on the West team and 23 on the East team) were chosen for the game — all seniors.
Rancho Bernardo’s Audree Mendoza won the home run derby while La Jolla’s Emma Cardenas delivered the game-winning RBI in the ninth inning to cap a wild comeback by the West team, which had trailed, 5-0, early in the game.
Going the distance
Grossmont Hills League champion El Capitan received the No. 3 seed in this year’s Open Division playoffs but lost its opening game in the double-elimination bracket, 3-1, to sixth-seeded Torrey Pines.
Granite Hills received the No. 7 seed in the Open Division and lost its opening game, 2-0, to second-seeded Rancho Bernardo. That set up an elimination game between El Capitan and Granite Hills in third-round play.
The Lady Vaqs won, 6-3, to draw a rematch against Torrey Pines in the fourth round. El Capitan made it two-for-two in elimination play with an intrepid 5-3 victory.
Gall drove in the only run for El Capitan in the bracket opener but junior Alanna Christeans racked up three RBI, including a home run, and classmate Aubrey Thorne had two RBI in the rematch against the Lady Falcons (20-9). Freshman Makenna Burton posted a complete game three-hitter in the pitching circle for the winners.
El Capitan advanced to meet Rancho Bernardo in the division semifinals, losing a 5-4 decision in begrudging fashion to suffer elimination from the tournament. Despite the loss, El Capitan was reserved a spot in the Southern California Division II regional playoffs by being in the Open Division. The third-seeded Lady Vaqueros earned a forfeit win against sixth-seeded La Palma Kennedy in the opening quarterfinal round and bested second-seeded Capistrano Valley, 5-1, in the semifinals.
Freshman Kylee Frazier and sophomore Reese Danzack both had two RBI to lead El Cap past Capo Valley. Junior Shelby Vars scattered seven hits in the complete game victory.
The Lady Vaqs season ended with a 5-0 loss to fifth-seeded Corona Santiago (18-15-2) in the championship game as senior Emily Delgado stifled the Grossmont Hills League champions on a one-hitter.
Santana received the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs and promptly lost to eighth-seeded Westview, 6-3, in the opening round of double-elimination play on May 17. That dropped the Lady Sultans to an earlier than expected elimination game against reigning Grossmont Valley League co-championship Valhalla in second-round play on May 19.
The fifth-seeded Lady Norsemen had defeated 12th-seeded Scripps Ranch, 10-0, in the opening single-elimination round on May 16 to gain entry into the double-elimination tournament.
But Valhalla could not maintain its momentum following a 2-0 loss to fourth-seeded Clairemont in the opening round of double elimination play.
Santana remained alive in the pursuit of a CIF title with a 9-5 victory as junior Aurelia Dawson collected three RBI and Warren and sophomore Delaney Smith each drove in two runs.
Westview subsequently defeated Clairemont, 6-2, to set up a rematch between the Lady Sultans and the Lady Chieftains. Santana won, 4-1, behind two RBI from sophomore Emma Schneider to set up a rematch against Westview.
The Lady Sultans got a reprieve with a 10-0 win to force an elimination game against the Lady Wolverines.
Santana won the replay, 13-7, to advance to the division championship game against third-seeded Holtville.
Junior Anabella Heguy led the Lady Sultans with four RBI while senior Kaitlyn Ours had three RBI in the first win over Westview while senior Gracie Johnston allowed three hits in the five-inning run-rule victory.
Heguy and Ours both hit home runs in the must-win game. Schneider followed with a home run and seven RBI in the must-win rematch against Westview the following day.
Santana met Holtville two days later on May 26 for the rights to this year’s CIF championship banner, but the Lady Vikings (26-5) spoiled the Lady Sultans’ would-be championship party with a 7-1 victory as senior Demi Johnston (triple), senior Kalli Strahm and Kaitlyn Havens each had two RBI. Sophomore McKenna Miller drove in Smith for Santana’s lone run.
Strahm tamed the Lady Sultans with a complete game five-hitter, striking out four batters.
Senior Naomi Villalva had three RBI and sophomore Avery Voth chipped in with two RBI in Valhalla’s run-rile victory over Scripps Ranch while freshman Devyn Mack posted a two-hit shutout in the pitching circle.
Villalva allowed one earned run while striking out six batters in the loss to Clairemont.
Steele Canyon received the No. 4 seed in the Division I playoffs and defeated fifth-seeded Cathedral Catholic, 8-3, in the opening round of double-elimination play.
Freshman Kayala Hopkins had two RBI for the hosts while freshman Ily Barclay scored two runs.
But the Lady Cougars dropped their next game, 11-1, to top-seeded Otay Ranch (24-8) to draw a rematch with Cathedral Catholic in the elimination rounds.
The Lady Dons prevailed, 9-1, to eliminate Steele Canyon from the tournament as Williams scored the team’s lone run.
Hear them roar
Liberty Charter High School’s baseball and softball teams both earned the top seed in this year’s San Diego Section Division V playoffs. The Lady Lions advanced the farthest with a runner-up finish in the division championship game.
Liberty Charter ended regular season play with a 25-1 victory at Ocean View Christian to wrap up a runner-up finish in Summit League play (4-2 in league). Freshman Layla Montgomery led the Lady Lions with five RBI in the game while sophomore Ava Lansford and junior Kylie Pruett both collected three RBI and senior Kiana Anderson had two RBI.
Pruett and sophomore Leah Urias combined on a three-hitter in the pitching circle. Pruett stole three bases in the lopsided win.
Liberty Charter received a bye to start the double-elimination playoff tournament. The Lady Lions proved up to the initial challenge in their first game with a 9-1 victory against eighth-seeded Francis Parker. Sophomore Hazel Sandoval and Montgomery both had two RBI in the postseason victory while Urias spun a three-hitter with three strikeouts. The hosts slammed four doubles in the game — one each by Montgomery, sophomore Julia Peterson, Pruett and Lansford.
The Lady Lions defeated fifth-seeded Chula Vista Learning Community Charter, 20-6, in their next game to draw a semifinal rematch against Francis Parker, which they won 15-8. Pruett and Montgomery both recorded three RBI in the win over CVLCC while junior Addison Zierman, Lansford and Anderson all contributed two RBI to the winning cause.
Peterson had five RBI while Urias had two triples in the semifinal victory.
Liberty Charter’s playoff winning streak ended there, however, following a 12-2 loss to third-seeded Coastal Academy.
SUMMIT LEAGUE STANDINGS
League/Overall
Bayfront Charter 6-0, 18-6
Liberty Charter 4-2, 19-5
High Tech High Chula Vista 0-2, 0-2
Mountain Empire 0-5, 2-8
San Diego Section 2023 Softball Champions
Open Division: (1) Poway 3, (2) Rancho Bernardo 2
Division I: (1) Otay Ranch 4, (2) Mater Dei Catholic 3
Division II: (3) Holtville 7, (1) Santana 1
Division III: (1) Imperial 3, (6) Christian 2
Division IV: (1) Madison 4, (7) Palo Verde Valley 1
Division V: (3) Coastal Academy 12, (1) Liberty Charter 2
San Diego Section 2023 High School All-Star Night
June 8 at UC San Diego
West Squad
Yazmin Clark Hilltop 12
Payton Correia Clairemont 12
Paige Wilson Carlsbad 12
Emmy Cardenas La Jolla 12
Destiny Garcia Mira Mesa 12
Emma Tolley Carlsbad 12
Audrey Bergan La Jolla Country Day 12
Gloria Rodriguez Mar Vista 12
Lilly Lai Westview 12
Janae Combs RBV 12
Elise Nishimura Carlsbad 12
Sydney Silao Clairemont 12
Lanikai Breskin Clairemont 12
Aiyana Curry Mira Mesa 12
Emily Qintero El Camino 12
Zara Wasserman San Marcos 12
Alexa Lazur La Costa Canyon 12
Maria Lambson Torrey Pines 12
Aubrey Ortiz Mission Hills 12
Jamison Watts La Costa Canyon 12
Mia Tajeda Hilltop 12
Athalia Lopez Sage Creek 12
Nevaeh Cartwright Chula Vista 12
Ariel Adicoff Mission Vista 12
East Squad
Kayla Vaughn Rancho Bernardo 12
Alexa Munoz Otay Ranch 12
Navaeh Haywood Ramona 12
Madison Hulse Rancho Bernardo 12
Miah Garcia Poway 12
Taylinn Warren Santana 12
Keely Gousha Rancho Bernardo 12
Jazmin Williams Steele Canyon 12
Makayla Veglia Bonita Vista 12
Cadyn Ruffner Valhalla 12
Abby Steffan Eastlake 12
Audree Mendoza Rancho Bernardo 12
Ava Gall El Capitan 12
Eris Marley Morse 12
Alani Keeran Bonita Vista 12
Ayana Shaw Mater Dei Catholic 12
Kethry Schreiber Ramona 12
Isabel Vinulan Otay Ranch 12
Hailey Burns Poway 12
Autumn Zusman Poway 12
Jenna Haynal Granite Hills 12
Angel Riggins Helix 12
Italia Abrencia Del Norte 12
East County 2023 Softball Standings
GROSSMONT HILLS LEAGUE
League/Overall
El Capitan 8-0, 26-6
Santana 4-4, 21-9-1
Granite Hills 4-4, 15-9
Steele Canyon 3-5, 17-13
Helix 1-7. 10-16-2
Cadyn Ruffner led the Grossmont Valley League co-champion Lady Norsemen posted a 0.432 hitting average to go with 40
runs scored, 23 RBI, 10 doubles, lone triple and eight home runs during the 2023 spring softball season.
GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE
League/Overall
Valhalla 9-1, 18-12-1
West Hills 9-1, 18-9-1
Grossmont 6-4, 10-16
Mt. Miguel 4-6, 6-13-1
Monte Vista 2-8, 5-12
El Cajon Valley 0-10, 5-16
League/Overall
Mira Mesa 7-1, 18-12
Clairemont 6-2, 17-9
Christian 5-4, 16-10-1
Canyon Hills 3-5, 16-10-1
Coronado 0-8, 2-18-1
