Sultans blank Pointers, earn tourney title game berth
- Updated: April 12, 2016
2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com
POINT LOMA (4-12-16) — In a game that had a little bit of everything: sprinkles, a 30-minute-long top of the first, a 15-minute umpire delay and enough hits in one inning to surpass a few games, the Santana Sultans defeated the Point Loma Pointers 9-0 in a rain delayed Bill Dickens-City East Classic game at David Wells Field on Monday (April 11).
TRISTAN SALINAS had a heck of a first inning. He led the game off with a single to shortstop and then later in the inning, he hit a grand slam to left centerfield.
The Sultans (11-2) half of the first inning began with the above mentioned Salinas single. After a flyout, NOAH NUNEZ then came up and lined a fastball right back up the middle of the diamond for an RBI single to bring in Salinas. JACOB ODENKIRK singled to left to move Nunez to second. AIDAN RASMUSSON singled to centerfield. The single moved Odenkirk to second and Nunez scored making it 2-0. Odenkirk stole third and one pitch later he teamed up with Rasmusson to score themselves a double steal. Another flyout moved the out count to two. Then the walks came. One each to NIK MORA, NOAH JACKSON and MITCHELL MILLER – all were issued free passes. Miller’s walk was an RBI walk as it came with bases loaded.
Salinas then hit his grand slam (1st home run of the year) to left center field. REECE HERNANDEZ singled to centerfield to get the ball rolling again. Nunez had his second hit of the inning a triple to right centerfield. That would be the last batter that the Point Loma (8-6) starter would face. The Pointer reliever then got a strikeout to end the top of the first inning 30 minutes after it started.
The rest of the game was relatively quiet as only one Sultan even reached third base after that first inning.
DAULTON BARRY (3-1) threw five innings of four hit ball, walking one and striking out. Nunez followed that with a scoreless inning. Salinas finished what he started by getting the final three outs.
No. 8 ranked Santana has qualified for the Bill Dickens-City East Classic championship game against Mira Mesa. A date for that game has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile the Sultans will host Olympian on Thursday (April 14) at Santana for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
ELSEWHERE: Grossmont has earned the host rights to the other Bill Dickens-City East Classic championship game, most likely that will be St. Augustine if the Saints can win their final pool play game over Valhalla. Dates for both games are up in the air.
Mon., April 11, 2016 Bill Dickens-City East Classic SULTANS 9, POINTERS 0 Santana (11-2) 900 000 0 – 9 10 0 Point Loma (8-6) 000 000 0 – 0 5 1 Barry, Nunez (6), Salinas (7) and Mora. Holly, Huber (1), Paniaqua (5) and Bacon. WP-Barry (3-1). LP-Holly. HR-Salinas (Sant-1) 1st, grand slam.
