Matadors baseball: Best start since 1980

By John Duran
Updated: March 21, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

Compiled by Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

Mount Miguel 4, Chula Vista 1 – Moments following Chula Vista’s lone run in the fourth, Mount Miguel immediately broke the deadlock in the home-half of the frame to skate past the Spartans. 4-1, Thursday (Mar. 21).

The first day of spring also rang a historical note: with a record of 8-3, the Matador are off to their best start since last capturing the Grossmont League title in 1980 — a span of 44 years.

Matadors pitcher Matt Barton, a senior, posted his career best outing in firing a 2-hitter. He struck out 11 Spartans batters, with the one run coming unearned otherwise he couldn’t posted a shutout.

After Mount Miguel grabbed a 2-1 lead, Alfredo Rodriguez smashed a two-run double in the fifth inning for his first multi-RBI performance of the campaign.

Rodriguez also posted the lone multi-hit outing for either side.

Mount Miguel (8-3 overall) now own more victories than all of 2022 or 2023. This is also the school’s best start since going 6-2 to open the 2012 campaign.

In fact, upon checking the archives of East County Sports and the defunct Daily Californian newspaper, this is the Matadors’ best season since captured the Grossmont League title in 1980.

Chula Visya (8-5) avoid an interesting statistic. The Spartans have been involed in five shutouts this season, owning a 3-2 record in such contests.

Monte Vista 8, Morse 1 – Monarchs pitcher Gavin Daley came within an out of tossing his second shutout of the season, settling for a 4-hitter against Morse, 8-1, Thursday (Mar. 21).

Daley registered 8 strike outs of Tigers batters without yielding a walk. Overcoming a poor outing in the season opener, he now has allowed just two earned runs over his last 20 innings for a 0.70 earned run average.

The ballgame was scoreless through three innikngs, then the Monarchs erupted for six runs in the fourth to put away the victory.

Daley a;so displayed some speed with a pair of stolen bases.

The big offensiove outburst in the fourth featured a two-run double by Reuben Cabugwas, while David Aceron also added a run-scoring two-base hit.

Meanwhile, Diego Cortez added a pair of RBI basehits.

Monte Vista, once a sub-.500 ballclub, has now captured five straight outings to riase its record to 7-3 overall. The mark equals the school’s best start since 2017, the last season the Monarchs captured 20 victories.

Morse (6-4) saw its 3-game win streak snapped.

Ramona 6, Holtville 1 – The Bulldogs snapped a 1-5-1 skid by downing the Vikings from the Imperial Valley, 6-1, Thursday (Mar. 21).

Ramona pitcher Justin Jarrett, a sophomore, came within two outs f throwing a complete game. GeHarrett struck out nine Holtville batters, then Noah Bedia entered in relief to garner the final two batters.

On offense, Ryan Truman smacked a two-run double among his three basehits, while Tait Karlson ripped a RBI double.

Hilltop 6, Foothills Christian 3 – Both ballclubs scired once in the first inning, but then the Hilltoop Lancers tallied four more times in the second to garb control early.

Foothills Christians’ Blake Rothrock posted three hits, ncluding as triple and an RBI, scoring twice.

The Knights are 7-5 overall; Hilltop moved too 4-6.