Norsemen can build on one-run loss to Saints
- Updated: April 19, 2016
2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (4-19-16) — There is an old saying in the game of horseshoes. “Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and atomic bombs.” The Valhalla Norsemen have been on the close side of things, but they have been playing baseball and not any of the options that are listed in the saying.
Monday (Apr. 8) was another one of those situations as the Norsemen dropped a Bill Dickens-City East Classic game that was delayed due to the weather from a couple of weeks ago, 4-3 to the St. Augustine Saints at Hickman Field.
BROCK MOSIER drove in two of the three runs the Orange plated.
JUSTIN POE threw a complete game four hitter, allowing four runs (only one earned) and a walk, while striking out a pair.
RILEY O’SULLIVAN walked with two outs in the top of the second inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. JOSH HEIDER singled to center field scoring O’Sullivan for a 1-0 Valhalla (1-15) lead.
The Saintsmen (12-4) scored one in the bottom of the same inning to tie it up at 1-1.
In the top of the third the Norsemen were back at it. With two outs, CASEY O’SULLIVAN doubled to right field. COLE HENDERSON was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Mosier laced a double to right field that allowed O’Sullivan and Henderson to both score to make it 3-1 Valhalla.
St. Augustine would go on to score a trio of runs in the bottom of the third to take the eventual 4-3 final.
“I thought the boys played hard,” Valhalla interim head coach ROBERT WILSON said after the contest. “They competed against a top level team. Hoping they will start to believe in themselves a little bit.”
The game was played in a very brisk 55 minutes. The average horseshoe match takes just 30 minutes.
HOOVER 5, MOUNT MIGUEL 1 – The Matadors ran into the sharp pitching of Hoover’s Manny Echevarria as they succumbed to the host Cardinals in Monday’s (Apr. 18) non-league activity.
Echevarria posted his 5th win with relief help from Lewis Butler.
Mount Miguel struggled offensively, producing only 4 singles. MIGUEL OROZCO singled in the Matadors only run, which drove in JOHNNY NICASIO in the third inning. After that the Matadors’ bats were all but silent, wasting the pitching of ANDREW MONTIJO and TREVOR DARBY.
Hoover (13-5) will face San Diego for the City League lead on Friday (Apr. 22).
By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com
Mon., April 18 Bill Dickens-City East Classic SAINTS 4, NORSEMEN 3 Valhalla (1-15) 012 000 0 – 3 4 4 St. Augustine (12-4) 013 000 x – 4 4 0 Poe and Hageman. Stewart, Rhoads (7) and Gutierrez. WP-Stewart (2-1). LP-Poe (0-5). Sv-Rhoades (4). Non-League CARDINALS 5, MATADORS 1 Mount Miguel (3-13) 001 000 0 – 1 4 1 Hoover (13-5) 110 201 x – 5 6 1 Montijo, Darby (5) and Ortiz. Echevarria, Butler (7) and Avila. WP-Echevarria (5-0). LP-Montijo (2-4).
