The Bonita Vista High School girls softball team continues on a roll after winning March’s Hilltop softball tournament. The Lady Barons have won nine of their last 11 games.
Brittney Mendoza drove in three runs while Aaliyah Jordan and Lani Graft each collected one RBI as Bonita Vista defeated host Eastlake, 5-4, in Tuesday’s Metro-Mesa League opener for both teams.
Jordan had two hits in the game — a solo home run and double – and scored two runs.
Bonita Vista collected seven hits against Eastlake starter/pitchers, including three extra-base hits in the game. Madison Pacini doubled and scored one run while Arianna Miranda and Crissy Ramirez each scored one run.
The Lady Barons opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning and tacked on single runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 5-0 lead. The visitors would need all those runs after Eastlake rallied with two runs in each of the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings.
Izzy Ortiz pitched six innings for Bonita Vista, allowing six hits and four runs while striking out five batters and issuing four walks. Mia Marinakis pitched one inning in relief to earn the save.
Jordan and Ramirez each were credited with stolen bases in the game.
The Lady Barons defeated host Hilltop, 16-2, in a non-league game on Thursday to improve to 13-5 on the season. The visitors scored 12 runs in the second inning to take command of the game.
Idalys Piche had three hits, drove in five runs and scored three times to lead the Lady Barons while teammate Linda Abernathy collected two RBI on a triple. Bonita Vista cracked seven doubles in the game, including a pair by Piche.
Marinakis pitched five innings. She issued three walks and struck out two batters while allowing four hits and two runs.
Jordan leads the Lady Barons with a 0.531 hitting average. She’s belted seven doubles, one triple and four home runs while scoring 15 runs and driving in 12.
Ortiz is 8-2 in the pitching circle with a 3.30 earned-run average and 32 strikeouts in 52 innings; Maranakis is 5-3 with a 3.41 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 54 innings.
Lady Crusaders open Metro-Mesa League play undefeated
Mater Dei Catholic is off to a 2-0 start in Metro-Mesa League play following wins over Otay Ranch (6-0 on April 12) and Olympian (7-4 on April 14). The Lady Crusaders are 11-6 overall.
Alyssa Garcia drove in four runs on two hits, including one double, while Jalyse Hanson collected two RBI in the win over Otay Ranch. Senior Kellie White scored two runs while pitching the first five innings, allowing no hits, while walking one batter and striking out nine.
Freshman Lexi Sosa pitched two innings, allowing two hits while striking out two batters and walking one.
Kaitlyn Wagner pitched four-plus innings for Otay Ranch, yielding six runs on six hits.
Mater Dei Catholic rapped out 12 hits in the win over Olympian, though the Lady Crusaders had to overcome a 3-1 first-inning deficit to post the win. Mater Dei Catholic rolled across five runs in the top of the fifth inning and tacked on another run in the top of the sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead.
Liliana Mendoza drove in two runs while Justine Federe scored twice for the Lady Eagles.
Mater Dei Catholic hosts Hilltop in a non-league game on Tuesday before taking the field at Eastlake on Thursday in a key Metro-Mesa League game.
Kelsey Munoz tops the Lady Crusaders with a .409 hitting average, followed by Sosa (.400) and White (.373). Garcia, a freshman, leads the team with 12 RBI while Hanson has driven in 10 runs.
Sosa has four doubles and one home run in her varsity debut while collected eight RBI and scoring six runs.
Munoz leads Mater Dei Catholic with 13 runs scored.
White has notched 72 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched; Sosa has 17 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.
Metro Conference
Softball Standings
(Through April 15)
Metro-Mesa League
League/Overall
Mater Dei Catholic 2-0, 11-6
Bonita Vista 1-0, 13-5
Eastlake 1-1, 10-5
Otay Ranch 0-2, 5-11-1
Olympian 0-1, 11-9
Metro-Pacific League
League/Overall
Chula Vista 0-0, 8-5
Castle Park 0-0, 6-4
Hilltop 0-0, 9-11
Sweetwater 0-0, 7-10
Metro-South Bay League
League/Overall
Southwest 0-0, 6-5
Montgomery 0-0, 7-8
San Ysidro 0-0, 4-9
Mar Vista 0-0, 4-13
