SRHS softball team enters home stretch
By Hector Trujillo
With only six games left in the season, the Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) varsity softball team hopes to close out strong and propel itself to the CIF-San Diego Section playoffs on the right foot.
Despite starting off slowly with losses to La Costa Canyon High and San Marcos High, the reigning Eastern League champion Lady Falcons managed to grind out a 7-7 draw versus Olympian High on March 5 and a dominating 11-0 win over Escondido High on March 6 – all of which came in tournament play.
“We plan on making CIF,” said head coach Jay Russell. “We are trying to become Western League champions this year.”
Scripps Ranch High has five returning seniors out of its 15 players, providing a good amount of experience for the team.
The Lady Falcons followed their performance versus Escondido High with an 8-2 win over Santana High on March 7 before falling to Westview High in a 7-6 nail-biter later that day.
Scripps Ranch High then rolled off five-straight victories starting on March 12 against Mt. Carmel High, then Canyon Hills High, Ramona High, Steele Canyon High and Patrick Henry High by a combined scoreline of 54 to 27, which included a 13-3 blowout of Calexico High on March 19.
“I think we are better than we were last year,” Russell said. “That’s why we are at the top of Division 2 and in the best league in San Diego city. It’s a highly competitive league.”
The 2026 Western League includes three Division 1 and two Division 2 teams. It includes the likes of Cathedral Catholic High, Patrick Henry High, Christian High and the 2025 CIF D3 champion Point Loma High.
Despite Scripps Ranch High losing three straight to close out the first half and kick off the second half of the season – to Clairemont High, West Hills High and Rancho Bernardo High – the team continues to get impressive performances from sophomores Kenzie Johnson and Eme Ledbetter, juniors Sarah Cornelissen and Katelyn Toth, along with seniors Sienna Cole and Ella Satterly.
“We have the talent,” Russell said. “We are deep in pitching and have a strong defense, plus our bats are pretty strong.”
The Lady Falcons close out the remaining 2026 schedule starting on April 29 at home against Point Loma High followed by a road game versus Grossmont High on May 1. The regular season finale will be on the road against Point Loma High on May 14.