ROUNDUP: Cougars, Monarchs get Friday tourney wins
- Updated: April 9, 2016
2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-9-16) —The following three games were postponed due to inclement weather from Friday (Apr. 8) and will be played on Saturday (Apr. 9):
Bill Dickens-City East Classic
St. Augustine vs. Valhalla, at Hickman Field, 10 a.m.
Madison at El Capitan, 11 a.m.
Cathedral Catholic at Granite Hills, Noon
STEELE CANYON 10, PATRICK HENRY 9 – Steele Canyon scored 5 runs in the final two frames to wipe out a one-time 6-1 deficit and defeat Patrick Henry Friday (Apr. 8) in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic.
The Cougars pulled out the victory in the bottom of the seventh without benefit of a hit, compiling 3 walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to claim the victory.
The key play was the wild pitch dealt by Henry reliever John Demos.
“It was an off-speed curveball that (TREVOR) ROW swung at and missed,” said Cougars assistant coach MARK BRUDER. “The ball hit the dirt and bounced away about six feet up the third base line from their catcher.”
With the bases loaded, KANE FIEDLER broke for home from third base and made a headfirst dive to dodge a lunging tag attempt by Henry catcher Tyler Enquist with the winning run.
Trailing 6-1 in the third inning Steele Canyon embarked on a comeback roll.
AVERY TUCK was 3-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI including a 2-run homer.
“With that home run it really seemed to provide an emotional spark for our team,” Bruder said.
JOSH ESQUIBEL was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and 2 stolen bases.
By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com
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MONTE VISTA 2, UNIVERSITY CITY 1 – ANDREW GONZALES pitched a complete game 2-hitter and did not allow an earned run in Friday’s (Apr. 8) Bill Dickens-City East Classic contest at University City.
Gonzales had pinpoint control as he needed only 70 pitches to complete the job. He walked one and struck out 3.
The Monarchs scored the only runs they needed as they pushed across a pair in the fourth inning. JON GULLEY singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. MATTHEW GONZALES walked as did TAYLOR MARQUEZ to load the bases. Pitcher Andrew Gonzales then slashed a base hit to drive in Gully. ANTHONY ROSARIO then walked in Matthew Gonzales with the game winner.
By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com
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LA JOLLA 6, GROSSMONT 5 – Grossmont lost Friday’s (Apr. 8) Bill Dickens-City East Classic action despite a spectacular day from both the mound and the plate by the Foothillers’ ADAM LOPEZ. Lopez went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate for Grossmont. He singled in the third inning and doubled in the fifth inning.
La Jolla couldn’t get anything going as long as Lopez was pitching. Lopez gave up just one hit, allowed no earned runs, walked none and struck out two during his one inning of work.
Grossmont jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
La Jolla scored two runs of its own in the first. La Jolla scored on an RBI triple and a groundout.
Grossmont scored four runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
JESSE GARCIA drove in a pair of runs for the Foothillers with a double that gave the Hillers a 4-3 edge, while CALVIN FARRIS and JAIME ARREOLA each drove in a run during the game for Grossmont.
La Jolla brought home one run in the fourth inning, and matched that run total in the fifth. In the fourth, La Jolla scored on an RBI single.
The game’s last lead went to La Jolla thanks to a sixth inning rally that saw two runs cross the plate on a single.
Grossmont’s EVAN McCARTHY scored twice.
Farris pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs.
The Foothillers now become a longshot for a berth in the tournament championship, yet to be scheduled due to recent inclement weather. Grossmont has allowed 9 fewer markers than Granite Hills, which hosts Cathedral Catholic at noon on Saturday (Apr. 9) in the final round of pool play. So unless Granite Hills falls apart, the Eagles should gain the host role in the East championship game which is TBD.
MIRA MESA 4, CHRISTIAN 3 (9 inn.) – The visiting Christian High Patriots (8-7) looked like they were on their way as they scored 3 runs in the first inning of Friday’s (Apr. 8) Bill Dickens-City East Classic at Mira Mesa.
The Patriots jumped in front on RBI singles by ZACH HOGUIESSON and JOHN GERSHOW and capitalized on Mira Mesa’s only error to make it 3-0.
After that the Patriots’ bats went silent.
Nobody in the Christian lineup had more than one hit.
On the flip side three Patriots pitchers scattered 9 hits and allowed only 3 earned runs.
Mira Mesa pulled out the victory in the ninth inning on a bloop RBI single by Jake Ambrose.
“They didn’t hit a ball hard all day,” noted Patriots coach MIKE MITCHELL. “The ninth inning was an obvious example.”
The Marauders put together a hit batter and 2 infield singles to load the bases.
“Then we had to bring our infield in and our outfielders were playing about 150 feet deep so we could make a play at the plate if there was one,” said Mitchell.
Christian had 7 hits and 7 walks but left on 10 runners.
“We just couldn’t play small ball,” said Mitchell. “All of our bunt attempts resulted in outs, and one of them was a double play.”
By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com
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SCRIPPS RANCH 1, MOUNT MIGUEL 0 – Senior MIGUEL OROZCO was super efficient for the Matadors, allowing just two hits over six innings, but the Mount Miguel offense couldn’t break through against the Falcons’ pitching in Friday’s (Apr. 8) Bill Dickens-City East Classic.
Orozco allowed a solo home run to Scripps Ranch’s Sean Beaver in the fourth inning.
At the plate, Orozco also had two of the Matadors’ four total hits. The Matadors had a pair of hits in the fourth inning, but couldn’t plate a run. Mount Miguel also had a pair of baserunners in the fifth after two were out.
Orozco also had 2 hits in his efforts to support himself.
JOHNNY NICASIO also banged 2 hits for Mount Miguel.
By Ramon Scott, © EastCountySports.com
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FRANCIS PARKER 5, WEST HILLS 0 – Through 13 games this season, when the West Hills Wolf Pack score they win. But when they don’t score, the team has lost by shutout.
“It’s hard to explain or understand,” West Hills head coach MICKEY DEUTSCHMAN said. “For some reason, when we score, we’re undefeated.”
But when they don’t score – well, they’d rather not discuss the subject following yet another setback without scoring.
Included was Friday’s (Apr. 8) final pool play contest in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic, as a pair of pitchers from Francis Parker School combined to blank the Wolf Pack on five hits, 5-0, at Greenberg Field. West Hills is now 7-6 on the season, getting held off the scoreboard for the sixth time.
Senior catcher AARON BARKLEY continued to pound the ball, collecting a pair of booming doubles to push his season average over the .350 plateau. However, the Pack was never able to advance him around the corner to score, including a lead-off shot off the right-field fence to open the 6th inning.
Other Wolf Pack basehits were collected by second baseman BRADEN SANFORD, designated hitter SAM HUGHES and pinch-hitter BRAYDEN PARKER.
Starting pitching GABE SHUBERT allowed four runs in 2-plus innings, but the three Lancers runs in the 2nd were all unearned.
Gaining the shutout for Francis Parker were Sterling Hayes (win) and Michael Campagna (3-inning save).
West Hills was next to open Grossmont Valley League action with a game against Monte Vista. However, Saturday’s slated contest at Petco Park was called off by the San Diego Padres because of the recent rains and will be re-scheduled. Thus, the new GVL opener will be Tuesday (Apr. 12) at 4 p.m. against El Cajon Valley at Wolf Pack Park.
NOEL QUINTANA had a good outing against Francis Parker’s lineup. Quintana gave up just two hits, allowed one earned run, walked one and struck out two during his three innings of work.
The lead stayed with Francis Parker after the second, when it scored three runs on a two-run double.
After posting one run in the third, Francis Parker again scored one in the fourth. In the third, Francis Parker scored on an RBI double.
Special to © EastCountySports.com
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FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN vs. TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN – No report.
Fri., April 8, 2016 Bill Dickens-City East Classic MARAUDERS 4, PATRIOTS 3 (9 inn.) Christian (8-7) 300 000 000 – 3 7 1 Mira Mesa (10-4) 100 020 001 – 4 9 1 (One out when winning run scored.) Jarvis, Bessone (6), Wehsener (8) and Josephson. Bovee, Seegers (5) and Espiritu. WP-Seegers. LP-Wehsener (2-1).
COUGARS 10, PATRIOTS 9 Patrick Henry (4-8) 051 120 0 – 9 15 1 Steele Canyon (7-7-1) 102 203 2 – 10 11 1 (Two outs when winning run scored.) Scott, Hull (5), Pace (6), Demos (7) and Enquest. Schirer, Nadau (3), Luban (4), Fitch (5) and Arias. WP-Fitch (2-0). LP-Demos. HR-Tuck (SC-3) 4th, one on.
MONARCHS 2, CENTURIONS 1 Monte Vista (4-9) 000 200 0 – 2 5 1 University City (5-7) 000 010 0 – 1 2 1 AGonzales and DSandoval. Schroeder, Waldichuk (4) and Owens.
VIKINGS 6, FOOTHILLERS 5 Grossmont (9-5) 100 040 0 – 5 6 2 La Jolla (11-4) 200 112 x – 6 7 5 Farris, Lopez (6) and Lombardo. Fudge, Hammel (5), Scoppettuolo (7) and Wintringer. WP-Hammel (1-1). LP-Lopez (2-1). FALCONS 1, MATADORS 0 Mount Miguel (2-11) 000 000 0 – 0 5 0 Scripps Ranch (8-6) 001 000 x – 1 2 0 Orozco and Montijo. Meyer, Demaris (7) and Blake. WP-Meyer. LP-Orozco (0-3). Sv-Demaris. HR-Beaver (SC) 3rd, solo. LANCERS 5, WOLF PACK West Hills (7-6) 000 000 0 – 0 5 3 Francis Parker (8-5) 031 100 x – 5 6 0 Shubert, Quintana (3), Mickelson (6) and N/A. Hayes, Campagna (5) and N/A. WP-Hayes. LP-Shubert. Sv-Campagna.
