Aptos tops Scotts Valley, secures first softball title since 2018 | Local Roundup

Junior Kalina Healy homered, and Aptos High's softball team beat visiting Scotts Valley 7-2 on Tuesday to secure the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title outright for the first time since 2018.

The Mariners were the SCCAL runner-up the past three seasons.

"I'm proud of the kids and coaches on how we prepare for our opponents, then go out and perform," Mariners coach Phil Rojas said. "This team is talented with young players that mix in well with the upperclass players. These players deserve to be league champs."

Healy finished with two hits and two RBI. Senior Cara Allshouse also had two hits and two RBI. Sophomore Gwen Vaca had two hits, including a double, and scored twice. Freshman Ella Jacobs had two hits, one RBI, and scored a run. Freshman Viviana Rola scored twice.

Freshman Stella Van Every and junior Chloe Kent each had a double among their two hits for the Falcons. Isabella Williams had a hit and one RBI, and junior Natalie Murray-Skalland and senior Jazzy Phillips scored runs.

Junior pitcher Mya Najera-White earned the complete-game win. Kent took the complete-game loss.

On Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Aptos hosts San Lorenzo Valley (11-9-1, 8-6), and Scotts Valley hosts Harbor (2-13, 0-12).

At Soquel 13, Harbor 1; 5 inn.: Senior Eliza Stevens and freshman Hailey Leimas both homered for the Knights in their SCCAL win Tuesday.

Stevens finished with three hits, including a pair of doubles, four RBI, and scored twice. Leimas had two hits and scored twice.

Sophomore Kylie South had two hits, four RBI, and scored for the second-place Knights (17-6, 9-3). Sophomores Kate Silva and Ellie Howell each had a hit and scored twice. Silva also drove in a run.

Sofia Monroe had the lone hit and run scored for the Pirates (2-13, 0-12). Frankie Suley had one RBI.

Freshman Kiyomi Dunlap struck out five batters and gave up one hit over two scoreless innings and was credited with the win. Hana Pomerantz took the complete-game loss.

On Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Soquel hosts vs Santa Cruz (2-15, 1-11), and Harbor plays at Scotts Valley (8-11-1, 7-7).

SLV 11, at Santa Cruz 4: Freshman Ida Robertello had three hits, including a double, four RBI, and scored twice for the Cougars in their SCCAL win Tuesday.

Sophomore Savanna Robertson had a hit and three RBI for the third-place Cougars (11-9-1, 8-6). Sophomore Audrey Jouglet had a hit, one RBI, and scored twice. Freshman Skylar Cloyd had two hits and scored a run, and sophomore Maddy Murphy scored twice.

Sophomore Bailey Filice pitched three hitless and scoreless innings, and picked up the win.

The fifth-place Cardinals (2-15, 1-11) had four hits and drew six walks.

In the teams' regular-season finales on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., SLV plays at Aptos (20-4, 13-0), and Santa Cruz plays at Soquel (17-6, 9-3).

Salinas 11, at Watsonville 1; 5 inn.: Senior Mia Espinoza had a hit and scored the Wildcatz's lone run in the teams' Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division and regular-season finale on Tuesday.

Sophomore Audrina Rodriguez had a hit and RBI for the fifth-place Wildcatz (3-17-1, 3-12), who finished with four hits. Senior Amelia Martinez and sophomore Isabella Ruiz also had hits.

Gigi Rossi had three hits, including a triple, two RBI, and scored three runs for the third-place Cowboys (18-8, 10-5).

Junior Bella Machuca struck out 10 batters and earned the complete-game win.

Martinez took the complete-game loss. Only six runs were earned.

High school baseball

Santa Cruz 17, at Soquel 12: The Cardinals rebounded from their 3-0 loss at Half Moon Bay on Saturday by blasting the SCCAL champion Knights on their home field Tuesday.

The Cardinals (14-10, 8-6) smacked 12 hits and drew seven walks against one of the section's most dominant pitching staffs.

The Knights (19-4, 11-2), who saw their team ERA balloon to a still outstanding 2.23, entered having allowed five or more runs in just two games, both losses.

Five Cardinals finished with multiple hits. Senior Cam Fusari and freshman Merrick DaCosta each had two hits, two RBI, and scored twice. Senior Caleb Cmaylo and sophomore Adam Fowler each had two hits, one RBI, and scored twice. Sophomore Micah Mohamed had two hits and two RBI.

Santa Cruz senior Matteo Caltabiano had two walks, a hit, one RBI, and scored twice. AJ DaCosta had two walks and scored three runs. Merrick Smith had two hits, one walk, and scored twice, and Merrick Miller had a hit, one RBI, and scored twice.

Senior Brady Downs had a hit, two RBI, and scored twice for the Knights. Senior Jake Escalante homered, drove in two runs, and scored twice. Senior Trey Sousa had two hits and scored twice. Senior Cash Moran had a hit and scored three run, and Hudson Summerrill had a hit and scored twice.

The teams committed a combined nine errors.

Merrick DaCosta gave up three runs over two innings and earned the win. Downs gave up three runs in a one-third of an inning and took the loss.

The teams square off again on Thursday at Santa Cruz at 4 p.m.

Harbor 8, at Scotts Valley 6: Noah Solano and Joey Raffo homered for the Pirates in their SCCAL win Tuesday.

Solano was also intentionally walked, scored twice, and drove in a pair of runs for the second-place Pirates (16-9, 8-6). Raffo had two hits, one walk, and scored twice. Pierre Bell had two hits, including a triple and two RBI, and Evan Lampel had two hits, including a double, one. RBI, and scored a run.

Junior Bryce McDonnell had four hits, including two doubles and a home run, and three RBI for the fifth-place Falcons (8-16, 5-9). Classmate Rex Thompson had three hits, including a double, two RBI, and scored three runs.

Pirates pitcher Logan Felich gave up seven hits and struck out four batters in his complete-game win.

Harbor hosts Everett Alvarez (4-22) in a nonleague game on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Scotts Valley plays at Harbor on Friday at 4 p.m.

At Aptos 8, SLV 6: Damien Espinoza had four hits, including two doubles, two stolen bases, four RBI, and scored a run in the Mariners' SCCAL win Tuesday.

Junior Cole McGillicuddy had three hits, two RBI, and scored twice for the second-place Mariners (12-8, 8-6). Dom Castillo drew two walks, had one RBI, stole two bases, and scored twice, and Alec Mendoza was beaned twice and scored two runs.

Porter Boyd had three hits, including a double, and two RBI for the sixth-place Cougars (4-21, 1-12). Sophomore Liam Fields-Rapley had two hits, two RBI, and scored a run. Spencer Bruce had two hits and scored twice, and junior Larrabee Mitchell had a hit and scored twice.

Maverick Tidd gave up three runs over 3 1/3 innings and earned the win.

SLV hosts Aptos on Friday at 4 p.m. and closes the regular season at Soquel (19-4, 11-2),on Saturday at 11 a.m.

At North Salinas 13, Watsonville 4: Jeremiah Mendez doubled, drove in a pair of runs, and scored a run for the Wildcatz in their PCAL Cypress Division loss Tuesday.

Chris Sigala tripled, drove in a run, and scored for the third-place Wildcatz (7-16, 7-4).

Markus Camacho had two hits, one RBI, and scored three runs for the second-place Vikings (14-9, 9-1). Julian Gabriel and Josh Degroodt each had two hits, one RBI, and scored twice. Johnny Benabides had two hits, two RBI, and scored a run. Esteban Solorzano had a hit and two RBI.

Degroodt, the winning pitcher, struck out all 16 batters he faced. Teammate Izaiah Gonzalez struck out four batters over the final 1 2/3 innings, but gave two hits, two walks, and four runs.

Justin Curiel pitched four innings and took the loss.

Watsonville plays at North Salinas to close the regular season on Thursday at 4 p.m.

Boys golf

CCS Championships: Stevenson's Dylan Hirst shot 65 for medalist honors and teammate Calvin Etcheverry shot 66 to lead the Pirates to the Central Coast Section title at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on Tuesday.

Zachary Hawkins (72), William Keszler (73), and Ethan Merrick (75) also scored for the Pirates (351). Saint Ignatius (361) of San Francisco, and Gunn (362) of Palo Alto also advanced to the NorCal Regional Championships.

The low four individuals not on the top three teams also advanced to NorCal. Mountain View's Alex Sykora (68), Valley Christian's Mark Zhou (71), Saint Francis of Mountain View's Roshan Chandra (72), and Palo Alto's Brendan O'Keefe (73) secured those spots.

The NorCal Championships will be held at Poppy Ridge in Livermore on May 26.

Reporting Scores

Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to sports@santacruzsentinel.com following games. Please include your name and contact number in the email.

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