Struggling Cougars now streaking, stun state-rated Palisades
- Updated: April 7, 2023
2023 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
ECS staff report
EL CAJON – The credentials for state-ranked Palisades High of Pacific Palisades was impressive.
The Dolphins owned a stellar 13-1 record, including three straight pool=play victories to gain a berth in the Classic Division finale of the long-running Lions Tournament(which began in 1951).
But the ballclub which seemed least impressed was the ballclub which seemed to own the most pitching problems all season.
Nevertheless, the Steele Canyon Cougars managed to sweep all four contests in as many days, shocking Palisades, 6-2, to take home the flight/division championship.
Pitching
At one point this season, Steele Canyon had only managed a record of 5-7, with four of the victories earned by pitcher Branden Jackel. However, the Cougars were able to skate past four straight opponents to take the title in the Classic Division.
Junior right-hander Greyson Tamborski fired five innings, dancing ouf torulbe in his five innings after allowing six hits and one walk. Hoiwever,only one Dolphis would scored as he worked with the lead all afternoon after the Cougars tallied single runs in the first two innings in the gate-to-wire victory.
The bullpen saw Nico Cornelius blank the Dolphins in the sixth, but when he got in trouble in thre seventh, Tommy Rimoldi took over to register the save..
The trio yielded just seven hits to a club averaging more than a dozen hits per outing.
The Bats
The early lead saw Azyel Castro stroke a one-out single, coming around on consecutive walks, then a sacrifice fly by senior Matt Marshall for what turned out to e the game-winning RBI.
An inning later, Tamborski hooked a double to left, later scoring on a fielder’s choice grounder to the right side by Rimoldi.
The Cougars then scored twice in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Ethan Browne (single) and J.T. Hendrie (bases-loaded walk) provided RBI for a 4-1 lead. The following trip to the plate, A ground ball out and a wild pitch pushed thee advantage to 5-1.
Hendrie was the lone member of the Cougars with two hits. Designated hitter Caleb Entrekin posted a single and a walk, but scored both times as Steele Canyon utilzed small ball to stay in front,
Steele Canyon (9-6, 0-1 GHL) return to league action with a road-and-home series with Granite Hills, starting Wednesday at 4 p.m. Palisades drops to 13-2.
