Dobyns leads Pack; Monarchs go yard
- Updated: March 5, 2020
Helix at the plate on Wednesday. / photo by Dave Dickens
2020 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
By Gabriel Gordillo
Special to EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO – Junior Kyle Dobyns pitched a complete-game shutout for the West Hills Wolf Pack at the Aztec-Foothiller Tournament game at Montgomery High on Wednesday, 2-0, against the host Aztecs.
Dobyns struck out seven.
Kai Dennis singled home Ryan Rodgers (walk) in the top of the fifth inning for the Wolf Pack’s first run of the game.
Ryan Parker singled and scored in the top of the seventh for a 2-0 lead.
The Aztecs managed multiple base runners in several innings but Dobys worked out of the inning each time unscathed.
MONTE VISTA 4, OTAY RANCH 2 – The Monarchs won over the visiting Mustangs at the Aztec-Foothiller Classic thanks to a pair of two-run home runs by junior David Vega and senior Abraham Sanchez in a four-run fifth.
Junior Andy Canedo scored three times without the benefit of getting a base hit.
He also earned the win, going six innings, while striking out nine.
Junior Bubba Leask also scored twice.
Juniors Aaron Zuniga and Ernie Arambula both singled and scored in the inning.
Vega pitched a scoreless seventh.
“I didn’t think I had it in me,” Vega said of his round-tripper. “It was a 2-1 count so I knew he had to throw me a fastball. It was high and tight so I turned on it. The best part was when I was rounding third and I saw everyone at home plate getting hype.”
Otay Ranch got off to a quick start, scoring a run at the top of the first inning.
As the game progressed, it became a pitching battle, and the duel between Otay Ranch’s De Los Santos versus Monte Vista’s Canedo did not disappoint.
Otay’s De Los Santos pitched a shutout until the bottom of the fifth until Vega hit a two-run shot to left field, putting the Monarchs up 2-1.
In the same inning, Sanchez joined the party with a two-run bomb of his own.
Mater Dei Catholic’s Larry Edwards and Helix’s Ryan Abbott at first base on Wednesday. / photo by Dave Dickens
MATER DEI CATHOLIC 5, HELIX 1 – The second-ranked Highlanders suffered their second loss of the season, falling to the Crusaders.
Helix got a hit and an RBI by Jeremiah Gomez.
The Highlanders’ Jack McMann threw two scoreless innings.
SAN YSIDRO 7, GROSSMONT 5 – The Cougars are the county’s early surprise, improving to 6-1 win the win at the Aztec-Foothiller Classic, as they handed the Hillers their first loss of the season in five starts.
The host Cougars scored four runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead. San Ysidro led 7-1 after six innings.
The sixth-ranked Foothillers eventually had the tying run at second base in the seventh.
“That’s all you can ask for is a chance at the end when you play like we did today,” Grossmont head coach Jordan Abruzzo said. “Just didn’t get it done but I really like our team this year. We will be fine.”
Anthony Mata drove in a pair of runs for Grossmont. He had a double in the seventh.
“They came out and executed their game plan to perfection and we simply didn’t do the same,” Mata said. “The team didn’t play to our potential tonight but we still made it interesting there at the end.
“What we can take out of tonight is the fire we played with in that last inning of baseball. We need to look towards that as a positive and build off of that in the future. Today was a gut check for all of us and we understand we came out flat but we aren’t going to nag on that. It’s a learning curve we are going to get over and build upon.”
Junior Justin Brown had two hits, including a double, and scored two runs for GHS.
“We all definitely know how to swing it, we just didn’t play how we know how to play,” Brown said. “We didn’t go in with a good mindset and came out slow until the last inning. We just need to have better practices and work harder so that it doesn’t happen again.”
Trey Concepcion had a hit and drove in a run for the Hillers.
“Coach was telling us that we need to learn from this game, keep our heads up and get back to work next practice,” Mata added. There is always something you could have done better to help your team win. Executing better and playing harder will always give you a better chance to win. If we execute and give it our all that’s all we can control and we’ll see where that takes us.
EASTLAKE 13, VALHALLA 3 – The top-ranked Titans took care of the Norsemen in a Foothiller-Aztec Classic game on Wednesday.
Senior Mario Johnson had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for Valhalla.
Luke Clark, a senior, singled, scored, and drove in a run for the Norsemen.
JoJo Ingrassia had two hits, including a double, and scored a run for Valhalla.
CORONADO 7, STEELE CANYON 2 – The Islanders knocked off the visiting Cougars in an Aztec-Foothiller Classic game on Wednesday.
Senior Riley Carr had a hit and drove in a run for Steele Canyon.
Junior Jake Entrikin had a hit and scored a run for Steele.
