Hilltop softball tournament title goes to Helix Charter over Holtville

HOST LADY LANCERS FINISH 3-2 IN LOADED 16-TEAM FIELD TO EVEN SEASON RECORD AT 5-5

03/17/2022

web.Hilltop_0692 — The Hilltop High School girls softball team ended its 38th annual tournament on an upbeat note with a 5-0 shutout win over Calexico on Saturday, March 12. Courtesy photo

The 38th annual Hilltop High School softball tournament wrapped up last Saturday with a full slate of games on the Lady Lancers’ campus.

The morning started off with a pair of rainout makeup dates for tourney host Hilltop, followed by cross-bracket matchups and the crowning tournament championship game.

The Lady Lancers split their early morning make-up games against El Capitan and Valhalla to pull up 2-2 in the team’s four round-robin matchups. Only the top teams in each of two pools would advance to the championship game, thus relegating Hilltop to a cross-bracket matchup against Calexico, which the hosts won 5-0.

Helix Charter battled Holtville in the championship game. After the teams battled through regulation tied 2-2, that brought on extra innings to complete an already full day of softball.

Helix won, 5-2, by rolling three runs across in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“We were excited to be part of the Hilltop tournament as every year there are quality teams participating,” Helix Charter head coach Darren Emery said. “To emerge as the tournament champions is a nice accomplishment for our squad.”

Helix finished last year’s season with a runner-up finish in the San Diego Section Division II championship game, a 4-0 setback to the second-seeded Otay Ranch Lady Mustangs.

It was an otherwise highly successful — and eventful — season for the Grossmont Hills League champions, who finished 26-6 after a perfect 10-0 finish in league play.

The Lady Highlanders appear ready to take off where they left off after improving to 7-3 on the season, including 4-1 in their five tournament games, in advance of Grossmont Hills League play.

Helix Charter High School captured the championship title of this year’s 38th annual Hilltop softball tournament with a 5-2 win over runner-up Hotlville in eight innings. Courtesy photos

Helix senior Sophia Ramuno had two hits and drove in two runs while senior Amber Young had two hits and drove in one run. Freshman Lauren Farace had one hit, drove in one run and scored twice.

Junior Kamryn Evans had one hit (triple) and scored two runs while classmate Angel Riggins had one hit and scored one run.

Ramuno pitched all eight innings, striking out 15 batters while allowing four hits, two walks and two earned runs.

Helix never trailed in the game, scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning and adding another run in the bottom of the fifth inning before Holtville tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Junior Kalli Strahm pitched all eight innings for Holtville, allowing eight hits, two earned runs and striking out four batters. Sophomore Kaitlyn Havens drove in two runs in the loss.

The setback was the first on the season for the Lady Vikings (7-1). The victors were aided by three Holtville errors.

This year’s tournament featured a field of 16 teams, including both of last year’s Division II finalists, defending tournament champion Mission Hills and Bonita Vista from the Open Division.

Several games were rescheduled due to rain after the tournament faced off on March 1.

Helix finished 3-1 in pool play after logging wins over Southwest El Centro (11-3 on March 3), Valhalla (11-1 on March 5) and Clairemont (8-0 on March 10). Helix lost, 10-0, to Bonita Vista on March 5.

Holtville defeated Otay Ranch (2-1 on March 1), Point Loma (13-3 on March 2), Calexico (7-5 on March 5) and West Hills (7-4 on March 5) to advance to the championship game.

“Just like last year’s CIF Division II runners-up, this year’s Helix team will win with great pitching, solid defense and timely hitting,” Emery said. “Our senior starting pitcher, Sophia Ramuno, delivered an outstanding pitching performance in the Hilltop tournament finals against Holtville allowing only two-runs while striking out 15. It’s the type of performance we have come to expect out of her.”

Hilltop, Bonita Vista, Otay Ranch and Olympian represented the Metro Conference in this year’s tournament field.

Hilltop’s Lily Hermosillo has blasted three home runs to jump start the 2022 spring softball season while collecting a team high 12 RBI. Photo by Phillip Brents

Bonita Vista (8-3) opened the tournament in impressive style with three consecutive run-rule wins: 12-2 over Clairemont on March 1, 10-0 over University City on March 3 and 10-0 over Helix on March 5.

But the Lady Barons were doubled up, 6-3, by Mission Hills on March 8 to miss the cut for the finals. Bonita Vista defeated El Capitan, 9-5, in a consolation game to close out tourney play.

Hilltop (5-5) finished 2-2 in pool play with wins over Clairemont (2-1 on March 3) and El Capitan (4-3 on March 12) and losses to University City (5-4 in eight innings on March 10) and Valhalla (4-3 on March 12).

In the loss to Valhalla, Hilltop left the bases loaded.

The Lady Lancers closed out tourney play with last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Calexico to complete a triple-header game schedule.

Senior Lily Hermosillo led Hilltop in the win over Calexico with two RBI, including one home run, while sophomore Elijah Medina, senior Sofia Vega and senior Alexyia Reyes all drove in one run each.

Junior Yasmine Clark and the younger Reyes combined on a three-hit shutout.

Clark picked up the win in the tourney-opener against Clairemont with a complete game two-hitter while also recording the win in the shortened game against El Capitan, scattering eight hits and allowing one earned run.

Hermosillo plated three runs on two hits, including a walk-off two-run home run, in the win over El Capitan.

Through 10 games, Vega topped the team with a 0.462 hitting average that included 10 hits, four RBI and seven runs scored, while Alexyia Reyes was hitting 0.410 with 14 hits, five doubles, five RBI and nine runs scored.

Medina followed with a 0.406 hitting average with three RBI and five runs scored while Hermosillo was hitting 0.306 with three home runs, 12 RBI and seven runs scored.

Clark led the pitching staff with a 4-2 record, 1.04 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.

“It was a very successful tournament, a lot of parity, a lot of good games,” Hilltop head coach Juan Reyes said. “On the second Saturday all the games were one-run games except the championship game and that went to the international tie-breaker. We’re hoping all the teams return next year.”