Lions Tournament 74: Day 1 Highlights
- Updated: March 25, 2024
2024 EAST COUNTY PREP BASSEBALL
73rd annual Lions Tournament
Mon., Mar. 25 – Pool Play Day One
Granite Hills 11, El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 2 – The Granite Hills Eagles, in preparations for Tuesday’s second showdown in a week against St. Augustine, soundly handed traditional state power El Camino Real, 11-2, in Monday’s (Mar. 250 Lions Tournament opener.
The Eagles held a 3-2 advantage until the sixth inning when they exploded for eight additional runs to ruin the Royals.
Granite Hills starting pitcher Chandler Henry fired 5.2 solid innings, allowinh just three ECR hits.
From out of the bullpen, Kade Gaeir registered the final out of the sixth to maintain the lead. Then after the big frame with the bats, Jacob Kruse did the mop-up work in the seventh.
With Heney only going less than six frames, he will be availabale later in the week, which could prove important since the CIF state ofice is allowing four guaranteed games for all teams in an important rule change.
The Eagles offense was centered around Gaeir, who blasted a pair of home runs to drive in four runs.
The first blast came in the third when GHHS leaped to a 3-0 lead. Then in the sixth, Gaeir went long again, so when the Eagles batted around, Gaeir came up again and was walked, yet scored again to give him three runs scored for the contest.
Jordan Mansfield also added a 2-run homer in the sixth.
Granite Hills is now 8-2 this season. El Camino Realdroppedto 5-6.
Mount Miguel 7, Liberty Charter 5 – The MountMiguel Matadsors moved to 8-3 overall after stopping Liberty Charters, 7-5, in the newly-named Charter Division of the Lions Tournament.
As noted last week, the Matadors are off to their best start sincewinning the Grossmont League in 1980 – a span of 44 years.
Mount Miguel, a publicschools, and Liberty Charter is joined in the group by Foothills Christian and Bayfront Charter of Chula Vista.
Moments after the Lions scored in the fifth inning to level the contest at 5-5, MountMiguel answered with thwo runs to re-gain the lead for keeps.
The Lions bats saw Andruw Godinez delived r a pair of doubles, one for an RBI and also scorig a run. Godinez, who posted nine doubles last season, now has 15 two-base hits in his careeras he approaches the school record.
The CIF-San Diego Section career record is owned by a former East County product. In 2005-08, Josh Barber of Mountain Empire sacked 56 doubles.
TheGrossmonty COnference ark was set byKevin Nulton of El Capitan in 1997-2000.Nulton finished with 47 doubles, two more than future Major League Baseball playet Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake during the same four seasons.
For Mount Miguel, Alfredo Rodriguez (Jr) batted 2-for-3 with two RBI.
West Hills 4, Santana 3- The Santana Sultans were three outs away from snapping a terrible start to ther season and knocking off their neighborhood rivals,
Unfortunately for the Sultans, neither would occur after the West Hills Wolf Pack scored twice in the seventh innings to trip the hosts, 4-3, in Monday’s (Mar. 25) opening round of the Lions Tournament.
West Hills three times (1-0, 2-1 and 3-2), yet answered a single run by the Sutlans withone of its own. But when Santana took its third lead in the sixth, the Pack would take their only lead of the contest.
The deciding blow was a two-run home run by Nate Hikes, sneding a shot to left-center field.
Shane Stevens and Braeden Stevesondrove home erly runs to keep the Pack even.
On the mound, Hikes tssed a 3-hitter through five frames, but left the contest traqiling despite six strikeouts. Instead, the victory went in relief to Stepvens, who pitched 1-hit ball over the final to frames.
West Hills moved its record to 4-6 overall; the Sultnas dropped to 1-10 to equal the school mark from its initial season back in 1965-66
Patrick Henry 14, Carlsbad 1 – Five runs in thr second inning gave visiting Patrick Henry a 7-0 lead, then the Patriots doubled their lead with seven more markers in the fourth to level the Lancers.
Cody Cappelletti, a junior, drove home three runs, while two RBI were supplied by seniors Talin Gardini,Talin Gardini and Jack Giordano. Gardini’s came on a 2-run homer.
Cappelletti was also the winning pitcher with five frames of 2-hiut ball. He struck out five Lancers batters.
ECVHS 8, Orange Glen 3 – El Cajon Valley put this puppy away early by scoring five times in the first inning to dump the Orange Glen Patriots of Escondido.
Many of the early rtuns came off the bate of Benjamin Diaz on a double. Diaz finished with a career-best four RBI.
Joseph Johnson added two hits and scored three times. Christopher Cosio scored twice.
The Braves, now, 5-3, have now won two straight, Orange Glen fell to 3-3.
Oceanside 2, at Monte Vista 2, tie (9 inn.,darkness) – After both ballclubs scored twice in the first four innings, the bullpens took over in a 9-inning deadlock called due to darkness.
Monarchs starting pitcher acob Schweizer needed to come out after three innings.He was replaced by Caleb Taa Jones, who allowed a quick run after an emergency call from the pen. But afterward, he closed with 5.1 frames of shutout ball in an impressive effort.
For Monte Vista, Gavin Daley scored on a Niko Heidt basehit in the second inning. Heidt scored two innings later on a hit by Damian Ordaz.
Maranatha Christian 3, Grossmont 0 – Maranatha Christian pitcher Matthias Hardy fired a 3-hit shutout against Grossmont in a Lion Tournament debut game at Gizoni Field.
Hardy struck out five Hillers batter. Andy Baltgalvis drove in two runs without the aid of a basehit for the Eagles (8-2). Grossmont fell to 4-7 after getting blanked for the third time in four starts.
- Compiled by Nick Pellegrino
Local Scoreboard
West Hills 4, Santana 3
ECVHS 8, Orange Glen 3
El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 2
Mount Miguel 7, Liberty Charter 5
Patrick Henry 14, Carlsbad 1
Ramona 10, L.A.-Roosevelt 2
Oceanside 2, at Monte Vista 2, tie (9 inn., darkness)
Maranatha Christian 3, Grossmont 0
Lakeridge (Lake Oswego, Ore.) 6, Helix 4
Green Valley (Henderson, New.) 8, Steele Canyon 7
Caldera (Bend, Ore.) 9, El Capitan 7
Bayfront Charter vs. Foothills Christian, ccd., wet grounds
Valhalla at Del Norte, ccd., wet grounds
