CIF Softball Playoffs: Central wins at home on Tuesday

The CIF-San Diego Section Divisional Softball Playoff got into action in the Valley with the Division IV fifth-seeded Central Spartans defeating the visiting D-IV twelfth-seeded Cougars of San Ysidro High by a score of 13-2 on Tuesday, May 20th.

Also in Division IV action Tuesday, the Southeastern Conference’s Palo Verde Yellowjackets (9-14, 2-10 IVL) squeezed by the tenth-seeded Fallbrook High Warriors 1-0 in Blythe.

The wins advanced the Spartans (9-14, 2-10 IVL) and Yellowjackets into Wednesday’s Division IV softball double-elimination tournament, where Central traveled to San Diego to play the D-IV fourth-seeded Canyon Crest Academy Ravens.

Meanwhile, Palo Verde opened the Division IV double-elimination tournament and traveled on Wednesday to San Diego to meet the second-seeded Mission Bay High Bucs.

Results from Wednesday’s contests, including games involving the Southwest Eagles, Calipatria Hornets, and Vincent Memorial High Scots, were unavailable at press time.

In other opening-round CIF-SDS Softball Playoff action Tuesday afternoon, the Imperial Tigers’ girls’ softball team became just the second team in the Valley to play in CIF’s prestigious Open Division.

The eighth-seed Tigers opened the double-elimination 2025 CIF-SDS Open Division playoffs in Chula Vista, falling to the top-seeded Crusaders of Mater Dei High by a score of 5-1.

Imperial saw five different players step up and record at least one hit, with Natalia Espinoza going 2-for-3 with a double.

Imperial now drops to the consolation bracket of the Open Division and will travel to San Diego on Friday afternoon, May 23rd, for an elimination game against the fifth-seeded Cathedral Catholic High Dons at 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday also saw Brawley’s Division III ninth-seeded Wildcat softball team (11-17, 6-6 IVL) travel to San Diego and get eliminated from the CIF-SDS playoffs in a play-in game, losing by a run to the D-III eighth-seeded Morse High Tigers, 2-1.