East County Sports

ROUNDUP: Christian, Helix, Grossmont, Valhalla, West Hills,

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

 

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

EL CAJON (3-17-16) — Christian High scored a season high nine runs in Wednesday’s (Mar. 16) Aztec-Foothiller Classic.

All of Christian’s scoring came in the first two innings as the Patriots slipped past Mater Dei Catholic 9-6.

“It seems like we can’t get anything going offensively so far,” commented Patriots coach MIKE MITCHELL. “Even when we got a really big jump on these guys, I couldn’t relax. We’ve had a longtime rivalry with Mater Dei and they’re never out of the game – no matter what the score is.”

NATHAN JARVIS handcuffed the Crusaders on three hits and no earned runs through the first four innings. As a hitter he also was 1-for-3 with three RBI.

One of the keys to Patriots’ batting order is Arizona State-bound ZACH HOGUIESSON, who laced two doubles and scored two runs in the leadoff spot.

“I don’t mind batting first,” Hoguiesson said. “The thing about hitting at the top of the order is you have to be the man that provides the spark. He has to fight off a lot of 0-2 pitches to make the opposing pitcher show what he has.”

KYLE STOWERS came on in relief in the seventh and logged the save with two strikeouts.

“I like hitting better,” said the Patriots’ center fielder, because basically I just enjoy it more. But I’m always ready to come in and pitch when I’m needed.”

And so he was.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com


HELIX 4, MONTGOMERY 1
 (8 inn.) – Extra innings seems to be the way to go for the majority of the East County baseball teams. That was the case for the Helix Highlanders who snapped a 1-1 tie with three runs in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s (Mar. 16) Aztec-Foothiller Classic at Montgomery.

MATTHEW RICHARDSON lined a double to left field to open the eighth inning. He advanced to third on a bunt by ERIC SMELKO and scored on a sacrifice fly by MICHAEL BROGAN. The inning continued with a two-run double by HUNTER ISBELL.

That was enough offensive punch for the Highlanders as CONNOR KONISHI surrendered only two hits and one run to earn his second win in as many decisions. He struck out six and walked two.

KEATON CHASE pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn the save.

“Connor gave us a chance to win,” said Helix coach COLE HOLLAND. “Once we got the lead Chase retired the side 1-2-3.”

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com


GROSSMONT 7, SAN YSIDRO 1
 – Grossmont High rolled up numbers worthy of earning a berth in the Aztec-Foothiller Classic finals on Saturday (Mar. 19) at Joe Gizoni Field at 10:30 a.m.

However, although the Foothillers surrendered seven runs in five games the result was not sufficient to earn a berth in the finals. La Jolla Country Day has landed one position and the winner of the Helix-Eastlake suspended game on Thursday (Mar. 17) will provide the other playoff position.

In Grossmont’s latest romp at San Ysidro CALVIN FARRIS allowed only one run and four hits over six innings while striking out five and walking one.

JAKE ENNIS pitched a shutout seventh to protect Farris’s win for the second time in as many decisions.

Grossmont took a lead in the first inning on a pair of walks and a passed ball. Grossmont tied the game at 1 apiece with two runs in the fourth. EVAN McCARTHY slashed an RBI single to put the Foothillers in front. Grossmont added an insurance run on a groundout by ADAM LOPEZ.

In the fifth inning Grossmont broke the game open with three runs. JONAS BUCHANAN hoisted a sacrifice fly. McCarthy, who was 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored, singled in a run to make it 5-1 in the Foothillers’ favor. Winning pitcher Farris slashed an RBI single to complete the rally.

Grossmont added another run on a single by STEVEN OUELLETTE in the sixth.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com


RANCHO BERNARDO 9, VALHALLA 2
 – In a Hilltop-Lolita’s Tournament makeup game host Rancho Bernardo hammered out 13 hits in a Wednesday (Mar. 16) encounter to level the Norsemen.

Junior Calvin Mitchell was 3-for-3 with 4 RBI, a double and a two-run home run to lead the Broncos’ runaway.

Winless Valhalla (0-4) did all its scoring in the first two innings. COLE HENDERSON slugged a solo home run to left field in the first inning to give the Norsemen a brief 1-0 lead.

In the second inning CALEB ST. CLAIR singled to right and JOSH HEIDER singled to left. St. Clair eventually scored on a wild pitch.

After that Valhalla struggled offensively, finishing with only five hits.

Heider was 2-for-3 to pace the Norsemen.

Hard-hitting Tora Otsuka was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the Broncos’ leadoff slot.

Valhalla will take on Santana in Santee in a Hilltop-Lolita’s Tournament game Thursday (Mar. 17) at 3:30.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com


CORONADO 1, WEST HILLS 0
 (9 inn.) – The West Hills Wolf Pack wasted a strong 8 innings by senior southpaw GABRIEL SHUBERT in Wednesday’s (Mar. 16) Hilltop-Lolita’s Tournament contest at Coronado.

Shubert was untouched as he did not allow a run. His effort was spoiled when the Islanders scored the only run in the bottom of the ninth.

“It was a disappointing loss,” said Wolf Pack coach MICKEY DEUTSCHMAN. “Too bad our hitting did not match our pitching performances. Our pitching has been keeping us in the ballgame – close, close, close – ballgames.

West Hills stranded 11 runners on the peninsula.

“We couldn’t force a run across the board,” added Deutchman. “The player that happened to hit a ball down the line for them to be able to score the game winning run had hit a huge pop-up fly foul on the third base line that we were unable to catch for the out. Coronado capitalized on the extra chance for the win.”

Islanders catcher Briley Knight hit a double deep into the corner to score pinchrunner Tom Holman, who went from first to third on the hit, but strolled home to score on an errant relay; the play was ruled a triple.
West Hills’ DYLAN CRAFT was out trying to score on a wild pitch in the second, but Knight, the Islanders’ catcher, recovered the ball in time, throwing to star pitcher Josh Leaser for an out on a bang-bang play.
The Wolf Pack also loaded the bases in the 5th, but Leaser escaped with one of his seven strikeouts over five innings.
Shubert gave up just five hits in a 113-pitch effort.
The top of the West Hills batting order continues to be effective.
Second baseman Randy Jewell batted 3-for-5, while designated hitter Aaron Barkley went 2-for-4. The only other West Hills basehit was by Jeremiah Barr; both sides had six hits.
West Hills is off until next Monday’s Lions Tournament opener.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

 

Wed., March 16
Aztec-Foothiller Classic
PATRIOTS 9, CRUSADERS 6
Mater Dei (1-3) 000 132 0 - 6 10 0
Christian (2-3) 540 000 x – 9  9 2
Machado, Lopez (1), Cordova (1) and Velez. Jarvis, Markowicz (5), Jeremiah (5), Bessone (6), Stowers (7) and Josephson. WP-Jarvis. LP-Machado. Sv-Stowers (1).
HIGHLANDERS 4, AZTECS 6
Helix      (3-1) 000 100 03 – 4 5 0
Montgomery (4-1) 010 000 00 – 1 2 1
Konishi, Chase (8) and Isbell. Martinez, Aguilar (8) and Duarte. WP-Konishi (2-0). Sv-Chase (1). LP-Aguilar.
FOOTHILLERS 7, COUGARS 1
Grossmont  (4-1) 100 231 0 – 7 10 2
San Ysidro (1-3) 100 000 0 – 1  5 3
Farris, Ennis (7) and Hindorff. San Ysidro battery N/A. WP-Farris (2-0). LP-N/A.
Hilltop-Lolita’s Tournament
BRONCOS 9, NORSEMEN 2
Valhalla        (0-4) 110 000 0 – 2  5 0
Rancho Bernardo (3-1) 214 020 x – 9 13 0
Henderson, RO’Sullivan (4), Tardiff (6) and Heider. Marquez, Penn (6) and O’Brien. WP-Marquez. LP-Henderson (0-1). HR-Henderson (V-1) 1st, solo; Mitchell (RB) 1st, one on.
ISLANDERS 1, WOLF PACK 0 (9 inn.)
West Hills (2-3)  000 000 000 - 0 6 1
Coronado (3-2)    000 000 001 - 1 6 2
Shubert, Maat (9) and  Sanford, Currione (3);
Leaser, Harris (6), Cummins.(9) and Knight.
W-Cummins. L-Maat (0-1).

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