The Hilltop High School softball tournament will usher in its 32nd year this week. Current Lancer coach Nancy Acerrio noted the tournament was started by former HHS coach Ian Cumming and has continued in the same format over the years.
“The tournament is very competitive,” Acerrio said.
Sixteen teams from around San Diego and Imperial counties are entered in this year’s tournament, which began Thursday, March 19, and will hit full swing this weekend. Teams are placed in four round-robin pools — two each at Otay Ranch and Hilltop high schools.
Pool play begins on Saturday, March 21. The top two teams from each pool will advance to bracket play on Saturday, March 28 at Hilltop High School, with the finals scheduled for 3 p.m. later that day.
32nd Hilltop Softball Tournament
Pool play
Thursday, March 19
Hilltop 12, Steele Canyon 7
Scripps Ranch 8, Eastlake 2
Otay Ranch 11, Mar Vista 1
Mater Dei Catholic 11, Clairemont 0
Central Union 12, Southwest El Centro 2
Brawley 5, Valhalla 2
Imperial 5, Santana 1
Calexico 9, El Capitan 1
Saturday, March 21
Hilltop High School
Field 1
Hilltop 12, Central Union 4
Steele Canyon 8, Central Union 0
Steele Canyon 8, Southwest El Centro 5
Southwest El Centro 9, Hilltop 8
Field 2
Valhalla 3, Eastlake 2
Scripps Ranch 8, Valhalla 2
Brawley 8, Scripps Ranch 7
Eastlake 9, Brawley 8
Otay Ranch High School
Field 1
Otay Ranch 9, Santana 1
Clairemont 9, El Capitan 0
Clairemont 2, Calexico 1
Imperial 7, Otay Ranch 1
Championship playoffs
Sautrday, March 28
Hilltop High School
Quarterfinals
Otay Ranch 5, Brawley 2
Scripps Ranch 14, Imperial 6
Clairemont, 15, Steele Canyon 2
Mater Dei Catholic 4, Southwest El Centro 0
Semifinals
Mater Dei Catholic 5, Scripps Ranch 0
Otay Ranch 11, Clairemont 2
Championship game
Mater Dei Catholic 18, Otay Ranch 6
Hilltop All-Tournament Team
Mater Dei Catholic: Kellie White, Anisssa Carrillo, Reyna Jamison
Otay Ranch: Erica Rodriguez, Desiree Luguin, Lola Toomalatau
Scripps Ranch: Makayla Martin, Delaney Kelly
Clairemont: Sara Crawford, Yazzy Jameson
Most Valuable Player: Kellie White (Mater Dei Catholic)
BASEBALL
The reigning San Diego Section Division II champion Bonita Vista Barons improved to 5-2 on the season after defeating the Valhalla Norsemen, 3-2, in a Hilltop Lolita’s tournament game on Thursday.
The win followed a 9-0 thrashing of Rancho Buena Vista in a tournament game on Tuesday.
Thursday’s win hiked the Barons’ tournament record to 3-2.
Daniel Schneeman pitched two innings with three strikeouts and one walk to pick up the win to improve to 1-1 on the season. Schneeman allowed one hit and gave up one run (a home run by Casey O’Sullivan) in his time on the mound.
Cris Isaaks drove in one run in the game for Bonita Vista as both teams combined for just four hits in the game. Isaaks leads the Barons on the season with a .700 hitting average while Schneeman tops the team with seven RBI.
Ricky Reynoso tops the BVHS pitching staff with three wins and a 0.44 ERA. Senior classmate Kevin McCann is 1-1 with a 2.27 ERA.
