Ten South County teams began the quest to win a San Diego Section divisional softball championship and five remained in contention for a title entering Thursday’s championship and consolation semifinals.
Top-seeded Olympian (17-9) met third-seeded Vista (16-14) in the Division III championship semifinals at the Poway Sportsplex, with Vista emerging with a 5-1 victory to drop the Lady Eagles to the challenger bracket final. Olympian won that double-elimination game to advance to Saturday’s division championship game at 11:30 a.m. at UC San Diego, facing the Lady Panthers in a rematch.
Top-seeded Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy (22-2) edged second-seeded Borrego Springs, 7-6, to meet third-seeded Calvin Christian (14-9) in the Division V championship game on Friday at 5 p.m. at UC San Diego. Sixth-seeded Castle Park defeated Calvin Christian in an early game on Thursday to force a double-elimiantion rematch agaisnt the Lady Crusaders later in the day. Calvin Christian ended Castle Park’s season with a 20-13 win.
The Lady Crusaders wound up playing the Lady Trojans (13-17) three times in the double-elimination playoffs, winning two of those games to advance to the division championship game.
In consolation games:
Seventh-seeded Hilltop (17-14) was scheduled to play sixth-seeded Grossmont (19-13-1) at 3 p.m. at the Poway Sportsplex in a Division III elimination game, with the winner advancing to meet Olympian in another elimination contest.
Fifth-seeded Mater Dei Catholic (24-8-1) dropped an 8-4 match-up agaisnt second-seeded Poway (24-6) in an Open Division elimination game, with the Lady Titans advancing to meet sixth-seeded Cathedral Catholic (26-7) after the Lady Dons swept top-seeded Imperial (22-7-1) in a pair of double-elimination contests.
Mater Dei Catholic opened tournament play May 20 with a 3-0 victory at Patrick Henry, but then dropped its next game, 4-3, to Imperial on May 23 to fall to the challenger bracket.
The Lady Crusaders avoided elimination with a 5-3 win over Rancho Buena Vista on Tuesday.
The Open Division title game is scheduled Saturday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at UC San Diego.
Hilltop opened tourney play by defeating 10th-seeded San Dieguito Academy , 3-2, in a nine-inning contest in a play-in game on May 20, and then upset second-seeded Bishop’s, 1-0, on May 21. The Lady Lancers then absorbed their first loss, 4-0, to Vista on May 23 to drop to the challenger bracket.
Hilltop avoided elimination with a 1-0 win over ninth-seeded Central Union on Tuesday.
Castle Park fell, 4-3, to Calvin Christian in its playoff opener on May 20. However, the Lady Trojans then blasted seventh-seeded Escondido Adventist Academy, 15-6, in an elimination game on May 23 and then ousted fourth-seeded Classical Academy by a 5-1 score in another elimination game on Tuesday.
Olympian faced off playoff action with back-to-back wins to advance to Thursday’s semifinals. Justine Federe went five-for-five, scored three runs and collected five RBI to help guide the Lady Eagles to a 15-10 win over Central Union on May 21 while Sydney Sandez tossed a complete game three-hitter in last Saturday’s 6-0 win over Serra.
San Diego Section Softball Playoffs
Thursday, May 28
Open Division
Fourth round
(6) Cathedral Catholic 3, (1) Imperial 0
(2) Poway 8, (5) Mater Dei Catholic 4
Double-elimination game
(6) Cathedral Catholic 6, (1) Imperial 2
Championship: (2) Poway (24-6) vs. (6) Cathedral Catholic (26-7)
Division III
Semifinals
(3) Vista 5, (1) Olympian 1
Fourth round
(6) Grossmont vs. (7) Hilltop
Challenger bracket final
(1) Olympian 7, 6) Grossmont 3
Challenger bracket semifinal
(6) Grossmont 9, (6) Hilltop 3
Championship: (1) Olympian (18-10) vs. (3) Vista (17-14)
Division V
Fourth round
(1) Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy 7, (2) Borrego Springs 6
(6) Castle Park defeated (3) Calvin Christian, score unavailable
Double-elimination game
(3) Calvin Christian 20, (6) Castle Park 13
Championship: (1) Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy (22-2) vs. (3) Calvin Christian (14-9)
Result: Calvin Christian 9, Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy 0
Other division finals:
Division IV
High Tech High San Diego 8, Oceanside 3
