Roundup: Holtville, Madison win SoCal regional softball titles

In addition to Poway High School playing for the Division I title of the CIF Southern California Regional, four other prep softball teams from the San Diego Section competed in Regional finals on Saturday.

El Capitan (Division II) and Otay Ranch (Division III) each hosted championship games, but both were shut out in their respective matchups. Holtville (Division IV) and Madison (Division V) each played on the road, with both coming away victorious.

Division II

Santiago 5, El Capitan 0: No. 3 seed El Capitan was limited to one hit while being blanked at home by No. 5 seed Corona Santiago, ending the Vaqueros’ season at 26-6.

The Sharks (18-15-2) spread their scoring with single runs in the first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The only hit for El Capitan was a single by junior pitcher Shelby Vars, who worked 32/3 innings in the circle and allowed three runs and five of Santiago’s nine hits. Vars walked none and struck out four.

Freshman Makenna Burton pitched 31/3 innings for the Vaqueros, allowing one earned run on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

El Capitan had bounced No. 2 seed Capistrano Valley from the Regional semifinals with a 5-1 victory behind a complete-game effort from Vars, while Santiago stunned No. 1 seed California of Whittier, 6-5, in their semifinal matchup after the Sharks eliminated No. 4 seed Carlsbad in the quarterfinals, 4-0.

The Vaqueros were San Diego Section Open Division semifinalists after winning the Grossmont Hills League championship with an unblemished 8-0 mark.

Division III

Fullerton 7, Otay Ranch 0: Top-seeded Otay Ranch also failed to score while finishing its season at 24-8 after losing at home to No. 2 seed Fullerton (26-7).

The Mustangs were held to two hits by Fullerton freshman pitcher Malaya Majam-Finch, who worked seven scoreless innings with no walks and five strikeouts. The Indians broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the fourth inning before adding four runs in the fifth and one in the seventh.

Otay Ranch advanced to the Division III final with an 11-3 win over No. 4 seed Carson in the Regional semifinals, while Fullerton eliminated No. 3 seed Mater Dei Catholic, 6-4, in he semis.

Prior to the Regionals, Otay Ranch won the San Diego Section Division I crown with a 4-3 win over Mater Dei Catholic. The Mustangs were also Metro Mesa League champions.

Division IV

Holtville 6, Santa Paula 3: No. 3 seed Holtville, the San Diego Section Division II champions and two-time Imperial Valley League champs, earned its first Regional title and finished the season at 26-5 with the victory at top-seeded Santa Paula (25-7).

Holtville reached the Division IV Regional final with a 6-0 semifinal victory over No. 7 seed Boron. Santa Paula (25-6) defeated No. 5 seed Imperial, 5-2, in the semis.

Division V

Madison 11, Verdugo Hills 3: No. 3 seed Madison got off to a quick start with three runs in the top of the first inning and three more in the second frame as the visiting Warhawks went on to a convincing victory to finish the season with a record of 25-5.

Madison surprised No. 2 seed Ontario, 5-3, in the Regional semifinals, while No. 1 seed Tujunga Verdugo Hills (17-9) outscored No. 4 Coastal Academy of Oceanside, 24-10, in the semis.

The Warhawks claimed the San Diego Section Division IV title last month with a 4-1 win over Palo Verde Valley after rolling through their second straight unbeaten City Central League championship campaign with an 8-0 record.