Roundup: Triple play extends Santana
- Updated: March 3, 2022
2022 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
ECS staff report
A roundup of East County baseball games for Wed., March 2.
Santana 7, Hilltop 1
CHULA VISTA — Led in part by a triple play, the Santana Sultans (4-1 overall) gained a berth into the championship of the Hilltop-Lolita’s Tournament by extending their winning streak to four straight after bouncing winless Hilltop, 7-1, at historic John Baumgarten Memorial Field.
Pitching continues to dominate for the Sultans. Since a narrow, Opening Day setback to Point Loma,the Santana staff has yieldeda mere three runs during the current string of victories.
This time, starting pitcher Ethan Moutaw led the way, allowing just three hits in four solid inning. Three embers of the bullen — Brent Paige, Josh Hixson and Trevor Hirt — did even better with three frames of shutout ball on just two Hilltop hits.
The offense was running well throughout posting multi-run innings in three of the club’s trips to the plate.
In the first inning, .Ethan Wright and Caden Corderman registered RBI singles. In the the second, a double play by Hilltop ended the threat, but the Sultans recovered with their own defensive magic by turning a triple play.
After Hilltop loaded the bases with a pair of basehits and a hit . However Moutaw coaxed a fly ball for the first out.
Right fielder Tyler Begg, in conceding an apparent to a sacrifice fly to allow the game-tying run to score, instead fired a strike to Corderman at third. However, the Lancers runner failed to take home, leaving a pair of runners at third for a pair of easy tag outs.
The momentum swing led to three Santana runs in the fourth, then three more in the fifth.
Caleb Harris stroke a 2-run single for a 4-1 lead.
An inning later, Jason Gonzalez (lead double) scored on a sacrifice safety bunt by Landon Bailey, a Paige sacrifice fly, and a bases-loaded walk to Harris.
“A lot of guys that start on the field are seniors, so were ‘dawgs’ (bench warmers) for us last year,” said Harris, who finished with three RBI. “I would say we are a team with a lot of experience.”
“today, i just focused on hitting line drives and trying to find a way to put the ball in play.”
Meanwhile, leadoff batter Elijah Reber continued his hot-hitting ways, going 3-for-4 and scoring twice.
“As for Reber, he has been a guy for us since our freshman year,” added Harris. “He has just got better and better every year. i’m excited to see what this team will bring.”
Reber is considered a main influence on creating much of the ballclub’s success.
“You know how Santana is. We work hard every day to get it done when it needs to get done,” ebr explained. ” didn’t have the best winter and I took that as a challenge to see what I could do to be ready for spring.”
The Lancers (0-4) have now lost nine of their last 11 contests to East County schools, including once to Christian.
Elsewhere
Steele Canyon 8, Coronado 2
RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Steele Canyon senior Nate Custeau “jacques’d” a two-run homer to the Great of Jamul in left field on Wednesday (Mar, 2), leading the unbeaten Cougars to an 8-2 triumph over the Coronado Islanders.
The first half of the contest was a pitchers’ duel before the Cougars erupted for three runs over consecutive innings to pull away.
Cougars pitcher Ray Marrero was the show for the opening hour of play. The senior finished his complete-game effort by striking out seven Island Boys, allowing just one earned run.
The Cougars bats came to life in the fourth and fifth frames, including Custeau’s blast along with two RBI by Taylor Corella.
“I felt good with a 1-1 count and got the barrel out in front on a low-and-inside ball,” said Custeau.
Weston Clark and Tommy Molina also punched out a pair of hits for Steele Canyon (4-0 overall)..
“We have been hitting off the pitching machine most practices and we always have our own different approach,” said Clark, who is on a growing 5-for-6 hot streak. “Right now, it’s all coming together during the games.”
Coronado (2-2) went 1-1 this week against Grossmont Conference schools, erlier nipping Valhalla.
Eastlake 15,Valhalla 1
RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Eastlake junior Nico Libed smacked a home run and joined Titans teammate Daniel Mora with three RBI, blowing up host Valhalla, 15-1, in Wednesday’s (Mar. 2) tournament contest.
Sophomore pitcher Brody Wells fired five innings f shutout ball, yielding just three hits leaving with a 15-0 cushion.
The score could’ve been the second-poorest shutout by Valhalla in the 21st century, but the Norsemen avoid the blanking after reaching the Titans bullpen in the sixth.
he only time this century in which the Norsemen lost by double-digits in a shutout setback came last yearm falling to Granite Hills, 20-0.
Prior to that, Valhalla fell by counts of 9-0 three times this century, twice to the Eagles and once to Helix.
Mater Dei Catholic 7, West Hills 4, 9th inn., susp,. darkness
SANTEE — Both ballclubs and the umpires tried to conduct one additional inning before sunset settled on Wolf Pack Park, but when Mater Dei Catholic score a trio of tie-breaking runs in the ninth, West Hills had no time to retirt, resulting in a suspended ballgame.
Should the contest not be continued at a later point in the season, the score will revert back to the eighth and end in a 4-4 deadlock. Obviously, the winless Crusaders (0-3) are seeking an open date.For now, West Hills remains at 1-2 overall.
Oceanside 4, El Capitan 3
OCEANSIDE — The Oceanside Pirates rallied from an early 3-1 to pull even, then registered the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to thump visiting El Capitan, 4-3, in Wednesday’s (Mar. 2) tournament ballgame.
El Capitan (1-3 overall) staked a young pitching staff to an early cushion, but finally fell on two walks and a pair of basehits.
No other information was reported.
Elsewhere
In other action, Ramona was blanked at home by Torrey Pines, 10-0.
