ROUNDUP: East teams begin turn around
- Updated: March 2, 2019
Helix's DEVIN BAKER puts the ball in play on Friday. / photo by Dave Dickens
2019 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
EastCountySports.co staff report
EL CAJON – The Granite Hills Eagles scored five runs over the first two innings and defeated the Hilltop Lancers, 6-2, in a Hilltop Tournament game on Friday.
Granite Hills’ BRIAN SMITH doubled home a run in the first inning and had two RBI in the game.
ERIC HOGAN and JACOB HENESSEY combined on the pitching chores for Granite Hills.
TK PARKER scored twice via a hit and a walk. He also drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in Granite’s three-run second.
“Coach Davis has helped me with my swing so much over the past couple months,” Parker said. “I owe him. He’s made me into an even better hitter now.
“I am very happy with how our team is hitting and hope we can keep it up.”
Hogan got the win for Granite Hills. He went four innings, allowing one run on four hits, striking out one and walking none.
Hennessey threw three innings in relief to earn the save for Granite Hills, striking out five.
RYAN FENN went 3-for-3 for Granite Hills.
GROSSMONT 5, OTAY RANCH 2 – The Foothillers used a big five-run sixth inning to beat the good starting effort by the Mustangs’ hurler.
Sophomore JADEN WILCOX threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for his first varsity win.
“It was an amazing feeling just to know I could go out there and get the win for my team but it wouldn’t have been possible without that big scoring display we put on in the sixth
“I was very confident knowing I had a lot of breathing room out there on the mound. All of my pitches were working great but it wasn’t possible without the great pitch calling of our coach.
“It was fun seeing my teammates react to the win knowing I’m a sophomore. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to get my first ‘W’ then what happened out there today.”
Grossmont junior BRANDON SMITH had two hits and drove in a run.
“I was really proud of our team today,” Grossmont head coach JORDAN ABRUZZO said. “We faced a tough pitcher and battled through some adversity. Great team
ISAIAH GOMEZ had two hits, including a triple to the fence, and scored a run for Grossmont.
I knew the pitcher was going to be coming at me with some good velocity and I knew I had to be ready to hit,” Gomez said. “I got to two strikes so I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere and I got the fastball I was waiting for and I just put and good swing on it and it carried to the bottom of the center field fence.
“I’m very lucky to be
It was MAX FORD’s triple to broke a 2-all tie in the sixth, as KEONI VALDEZ scored
Drew Shirvanian started and went 4 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking one.
Grossmont improved to 3-2.
SANTANA 2, BONITA VISTA 1 (8) – TYLER GLOWACKI’s double in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Sultans to a walk-off win over the visiting Barons
Junior BLAKE TAYLOR pitched seven innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out five and walking one for Santana.
“Starting the game today felt amazing and I’m grateful that my teammates were able to pick me up by walking it off in the eighth,” Taylor said. “As a junior new to varsity baseball, it was really cool to show my coaches the level I strive to compete at.
Taylor gives the Sultans immediate pitching depth.
“I did receive the majority of my signs relayed by the catcher from my pitching coach,” Taylor said. “But I mixed in a healthy amount of pickoff attempts I chose to do on my own.
“My curveball was a little shaky early on but after the second inning, I was locked in and rarely missed my location.
“I am not a fastball pitcher and rely on my off-speed to miss barrels and I was able to do just that with help from my change-up.
“I give all my thanks to my teammates and my coaches for helping me and mentoring me to become the player everyone saw today.”
The Sultans tied the game at 1-all in the fifth inning when DAVIN BURROUGHS (2-for-4) singled for an RBI.
RYAN JAGGARD got the win, pitching a scoreless eighth.
MONTGOMERY 5, WEST HILLS 3 – At Otay Mesa, a see-saw affair saw the host Aztecs snap a 3-all deadlock with a pair of runs in the 5th inning, sending the Wolf Pack to their fourth straight setback in Friday’s (Mar. 1) Aztec-Foothiller Tournament ballgame.
The go-ahead runs were
The Wolf Pack (1-4) took a 2-0 lead on
In the 1st, West Hills needed just three batters to score. Second baseman Joe Thrailkill opened the ballgame with a double, left fielder Kyle
An inning later, a two-out rally saw the
Montgomery (2-3) rallied to tie in the 3rd, then take a 3-2 lead in the 4th, but the Pack answered in the 5th to again forge a deadlock.
Kyle Klingerman lined a one-out single to center, then Andrew Ritayik walked to force an Aztecs pitching change. However, P Craft lined the ball to the opposite field in right to plate
After allowing an unearned run in the 5th, Aztecs reliever Daniel Hernandez closed with two shutout innings to collect the victory. He allowed just one hit in 2 2.3 innings.
For West Hills, Thrailkill finished with two hits. Montgomery received two hits each from Isaac Carrillo and B.J. Perez, while center fielder Alejandro Gonzalez went 1-for-1 with two walks, a run
The Wolf Pack will play the fourth of 8 consecutive
VALHALLA 5, WESTVIEW 4 (8) – The Valhalla Norsemen are one of the fastest out of the gate this season, winning their fifth straight without a loss so far after defeating the Wolverines on Friday.
KYLE CASPER had two hits and scored on a passed ball to win the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Norsemen will host Coronado in the Aztec-Foothiller Classic championship game on Saturday
RILEY
AARON LANE had a two-run hit in the bottom of the third, as Valhalla scored three times to tie the game at 3-all. LUKE CLARK added a sac fly.
ANDY BOYD was the winning pitcher, striking out one in his one inning of work.
MONTE VISTA 10, ESCONDIDO CHARTER 5 – Monte Vista scored six runs over the first three frames to defeat the visiting White Tigers.
DERRICK WILEY drove in three runs for Monte Vista (2-3).
ABRAHAM SANCHEZ struck out five over four innings to pick up the win for Monte Vista.
“Abraham Sanchez
“He had a good approach at the plate and we squared up a lot of baseballs today.”
ANDY CANEDO had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored for the Monarchs.
“Andy Canedo has had a tremendous week,” Neu said. “He is hitting the ball really hard.”
Sanchez also went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a run.
Leadoff man ERNIE ARAMBULA had two hits, drove in a run and scored once.
“We are still growing as a team which is all I can ask for early on in the season,” Neu said. “We are starting five sophomores, so these early games will give them valuable experience for
VISTA 4, HELIX 3 – Vista scored four times in the first inning and the lead held up, sending the top-ranked Highlanders to a 1-3 start to the season.
JORDAN THOMPSON hit a home run in the third inning for the Highlanders.
A sacrifice fly by Justin Cervantes in the second inning accounted for Helix’s first run.
CARLOS OQUITA had two hits for the Scotties.
SAN PASQUAL 4, STEELE CANYON 3 – Steele Canyon’s BILLY
