Aptos, Soquel move into CCS semifinals with offensive outbursts | High school softball

APTOS - Junior Nova Neu doubled and homered for Aptos High's softball team, and the No. 3 seed Mariners made quick work of No. 6 Palo Alto in Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals.

Neu drove in three runs and scored twice, and the Mariners rolled to a 10-0 win in five innings over the Vikings on Saturday. The game was called early on the 10-run rule.

Three of the Mariners' seven hits went for extra bases. The Vikings (19-5 overall), the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino champion, committed five errors.

"The girls came to play today," Mariners coach Phil Rojas Jr. said. "They are playing with a high energy at the right time."

Junior Emma Burgueno counted a triple among her three hits for the Mariners (23-4), the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion. She drove in a a run and scored a run. Sophomore Gwen Vaca had two hits, one RBI, and scored a run. Junior Izzy Baker had a hit, one RBI, and scored twice.

Freshman Natalie Arreola scored twice, and freshman Ella Jacobs and senior Cara Allshouse also scored. Junior Mya Najera-White had one RBI, and classmate Kalina Healy had two hits.

Junior Kira Tzeng and freshman Samantha Prabhu accounted for the Vikings' two hits.

Najera-White earned the complete-game win. She didn't issue a walk and struck out four batters. Prabhu took the complete-game loss. None of the 10 runs she gave up were earned.

Aptos faces No. 7 Alisal (18-5), the Pacific Coast Athletic League's Mission Division champion, in the semifinals on Tuesday at Hollister High on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

The Trojans upset No. 2 Piedmont Hills 8-1 in the quarterfinals.

Soquel 10, Menlo-Atherton 3

SOQUEL - Freshman Kiyomi Dunlap had four of the No. 4 Knights' 14 hits in their win over the No. 5 Bears in the CCS D-II quarterfinals on Saturday. She doubled, homered, and drove in four runs.

Senior Eliza Stevens and freshman Sophia Kilby also homered for the Knights (19-7), the SCCAL runner-up. Stevens had two RBI and scored twice, and Kilby finished with two hits.

Junior Katie Niizawa and sophomore Kylie South each had two hits and scored a run. Both of Niizawa's hits were doubles.

Sophomore Ellie Howell had a hit and two RBI, and junior Emma Niizawa scored twice. Freshman Charlie Crotwell had a hit and run scored, and classmate Idrah Lopez also scored.

Juliana Pandolfo had three of the Bears' nine hits. Sophomore Olivia Rodgers had two hits and two RBI for Menlo-Atherton (19-5), the Peninsula Athletic League's Ocean Division runner-up.

Soquel faces No. 8 Woodside (16-9), the fifth-place finisher in the PAL's Bay Division, in the semifinals at Hollister High on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The Wildcats upset No. 1 Carmel 4-2 in the quarterfinals.

Notre Dame 3, Watsonville 1

BELMONT - Senior Mia Espinoza doubled and finished with two of the No. 8 Wildcatz's seven hits in their narrow loss to the No. 1 Tigers in the CCS D-IV quarterfinals on Saturday.

Junior Taylor Alves had a hit and run scored for the Wildcatz (3-18-1), the PCAL Gabilan Division's fifth-place finisher, and sophomore Ashley Callen had a hit and one RBI. Senior Amelia Martinez, sophomore Audrina Rodriguez, and freshman Kaleah Alanis also had hits.

The Tigers (14-11-1), the third-place finisher in the PAL Ocean Division, capitalized on three Wildcatz's errors.

Eliana Crespin had a hit, one RBI, and scored a run for the Tigers (14-11-1). Juliette Ramirez had a hit and one RBI, and Hailey Truong had a hit and run scored.

Caroline Zerella pitched six innings and earned the win. Martinez gave up just one earned run and took the complete-game loss.

Silver Creek 5, San Lorenzo Valley 4

SAN JOSE - Junior Grace Purtscher had two hits, including a double, one RBI, and scored a run for the No. 8 Cougars in their narrow loss to the No. 1 Raiders in the CCS D-IV quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Cougars (11-11-1), the SCCAL's third-place finisher, finished with six hits and committed two errors.

Sophomores Audrey Jouglet and Bailey Filice each had a hit and one RBI for SLV, and Sophia Sarmiento had a hit and scored twice. Senior Ray Alvarez drove in a run, and sophomore Elie Colby scored a run.

Senior Jessenia Garcia had three hits, including a double and triple, and one RBI for the Raiders (18-8), the fourth-place finisher in the Blossom Valley Athletic League's Santa Teresa Division.

The Raiders finished with 11 hits and committed three errors.

Sophomore Evangelina Cuevas earned the complete-game win. Freshman Skylar Cloyd replaced Purtscher in the seventh inning and was tagged with the loss after the Raiders scored an unearned run.

THE SCORES, SCHEDULE

Saturday's quarterfinals

Division I: At No. 3 Aptos 10, No. 6 Palo Alto 0

D-II: At No. 4 Soquel 10, No. 5 Menlo-Atherton 3

D-IV: At No. 1 Notre Dame (Belmont) 3, No. 8 Watsonville 1

D-V: At No. 1 Silver Creek 5, No. 8 SLV 4

Semifinals

Division I: No. 7 Alisal vs. No. 3 Aptos, At Hollister High, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

D-II: No. 8 Woodside vs. No. 4 Soquel, At Hollister High, Wednesday, 4 p.m.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 2:37 AM.