The Mesa League softball lineup features six teams for the 2018 season: Bonita Vista, Olympian, Mater Dei Catholic, Eastlake, Hilltop and Otay Ranch high schools.
The teams lined up in that order in the league standings entering this week.
Bonita Vista defeated visiting Eastlake, 13-4, last Thursday to improve to 4-0 in league play, 10-5-2 overall.
The Barons play at Mater Dei Catholic on Tuesday. Mater Dei Catholic entered the week 3-1 in league play, 12-9 overall.
Olympian entered the week 3-1 in league play, 13-8 overall.
“The league is very competitive,” second-year Bonita Vista coach Alejandro Jordan explained. “Mater Dei Catholic has a pitcher going to UCLA; Olympian has a pitcher going to Utah.”
The Barons broke open a close 5-4 game with a torrent of runs in the final three innings.
Julia Hill cleared the fence with a solo home run
Mia Marinakis, who made a verbal commitment to Fullerton as a freshman, entered the game in relief of starting pitcher Melanie Johnson to record the save. Marinakis allowed two hits in four innings in shutting down the Titans.
Britney Mendoza paced the BV hitting attack by going three-for-four with a double and two singles.
The win was the second consecutive for the Barons following a 6-4 non-league loss at Rancho Buena Vista on April 16.
Bonita Vista opened league play with a 10-2 win at Hilltop on April 10 and followed that with a 4-1 win against visiting Olympian on April 12 and a 14-3 at Otay Ranch on April 17.
Mater Dei Catholic opened league play with a 4-2 loss to visiting Olympian on April 10, topped visiting Eastlake, 14-4, on April 12, bested visiting Hilltop, 14-2, on April 17 and shut out host Otay Ranch, 10-0, last Thursday.
The Crusaders have dropped their last two games – 7-0 to visiting Huntington Beach last Friday and 4-3 to Scripps Ranch in eight innings last Saturday – in non-league play.
Alana Burges-Campbell sports a .404 hitting average in 16 games while Lexi Sosa tops the team with 15 RBI in 19 games, including three home runs.
Sosa is 5-2 in the pitching circle in nine starts with a 2.44 earned-run average. She has 53 strikeouts in 51 innings.
Jazmine Marinelli is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA. She has 26 strikeouts in 40 inning pitched.
Both Sosa and Marinelli each have one save to their credit this season.
Jordan feels his team is coming around at the right time of the season.
“We started out the season with strong pitching and defense, now we’re starting to hit the ball,” the BVHS coach said.
The Barons had been scheduled to compete in this Saturday’s championship playoffs of the Hilltop Invitational tournament but will now play a non-league double-header at Grand Terrace.
Mesa League Softball Standings
(Through April 21)
League/Overall
Bonita Vista 4-0, 10-5-2
Olympian 3-1, 13-8
Mater Dei Catholic 3-1, 12-9
Eastlake 1-3, 12-7-1
Hilltop 1-3, 7-12-1
Otay Ranch 0-4, 7-11-1
South Bay League Softball Standings
(Through April 21)
League/Overall
Chula Vista 7-0, 11-1
Mar Vista 4-1, 8-8
Sweetwater 4-2, 11-4
Southwest 3-4, 8-9
San Ysidro 3-4, 9-8
Montgomery 1-5, 7-11
Castle Park 0-6, 2-11
