Few photo finihses in Friday prep baseball

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 2, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Except for the first pair of ballgames listed at the top of this round-up, it was blow-out after blow-out throughout the East County on Friday (May 2).

In fact, many of the victories were easier than Good Cheer, which captured Friday’s Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs by three full lengths on a sloppy track — the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday at the Twin Spires racetrack.

Sorry, no mint juleps for me

\Grossmont Valley League

West Hills 3, at Santana 1

SANTEE – The first leg to determine the leader in the Grossmont Valley League went to the West Hills Wolf Pack in the opener of a two-game series with Santana on Friday (May 2).

And it was East County’s “other” Lewis that turned the trick.

Wolf Pacj pitcher Carson-Kai Lewis scattered six hits in tossing a complete-game victory. The senior struck out a season-high 10 batters., easily topping his previous best of seven against Mission Bay in a loss on March 26.

By the time Santana figured out Lewis in the fifth inning, the Pack was already enjoying a 3-0 advantage after scoring single runs in the 1st, 3rd and 5th frames.

The key player for West Hills was third baseman Riley Kulak. The sophomore lifted a sacrifice fly to right fileld just three batters into the ballgame, then stroked an RBI double in the third.

In the fifth, Anthony Rosolino drilled a RBI single to center. The hit came moments after Santana almost was out of the inning by turning a double play.

Rosolino finished with two runs scored for West Hills (12-10 o verall, 5-0 GVL).

Santana’ srun also came on a two-out rally, as Gavin Kelly singled, then while running on contact, circled the bases on a booming RBI double to cemter from Trevor Eckis.

However Lewis answered by retiring the final seven consecutive Sultans batters.

Kelly finished with a pair of hits for the Sultans (11-11, 4-1 GVL), which all-but-must capture the rematch at Wolf Pack Park on Tuesday (May 6), starting at 4 p.m.

Pacific League

Coastal 5, Foothills Christian 4 (walk-off)

OCEANSIDE – At Melba Bishop Park, Foothills Christian rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab the lead. However, COastal answered with its own two runs to steal a 5-4 decision over the Lions ion Friday’s (May 2) key Pacific League contest.

The Lions (12-12 overall, 7-4 league) rallied after the first three batters rached base, then a one-outg walk to Jr. Merino tied the ballgame.

Moments later, Bruce Bailey tapped the ball to the right side, leaving the Stingrays pitcher no choice but to register the out at first base while Johannes Bruce Bailey scored for a 4-3 lead.

However, Coastal, following a pair of strike outs, answered with a two-out rally from the heart of its kine-up.

Jackson Asbury singled to the left side, scoring the game-tying run on a double by clean-up batter Ethan De La Cruz. The shot to center came with two strikes — the Lions were one strike away from the triumph.

Joey Senigaglia singled to place runners on the corners, with pinch-runner Cofy Robert ending it for the Stingrays on a wild pitch.

Coastal (12-8, 6-4) moved back into a virtual deadlock for second place with Foothills Christian — the ballclubs are even in the loss column.

Thus, Escondido Charter (14-1, 10-0) saw its nagic nuber to clinch the Pacific League championship drop to one. The White Tigers still need to meet the Stingrays twice to close the regular season.

For Foothills Christian, center fielder Jonah Nottoli batted 3-for-4, while designated hitter Grant Cantor and left fielder Trevor Cochrum each added two basehits.

Non-League

Mountain Empire 39, Bayfront Charter 3

BUCKMAN SPRINGS – The Sharks of Bayfront Charter were way out of their natural environment in the ocean.

Mountain Empire registered 10 runs in the first inning, then did even better with an 11-spot in the second, reeling in the vistors 39-3 in horrrible non-league game which shoud’ve been cancelled prior to the long trip to the back country.

Oh, and the 39 runs isn’t even a record 00 it’s the third-most in CIF-San Diego Section history (dating to the 1861-62 school year).

The section record is 48, when Christian whipped La Jolla Country Day School in 1977.

Next would be the 40 by Midway Baptist (now Ocean View Christian) in a 2001 beat-down of Warner High of Warner Springs.

Dropping from third to fourh on the list is 37 by both Julian (in 2004) and Mt. Carmel (1984 against a ballclubb from Las Vegas).

Meanwhile, the 21 runs is no where close to a record.

La Jolla once scored 23 times in a single inning to take out Mar Vista in 1988.

The RedHawks are second in this category with a 22-run inning vs. Ocean View hristian in 2007.

MEHS (13-4): Cameron Leon, HR, 5 RBI; Jakob Shawcroft, 6 hits (one shy of the CIFSDS individual record), 5 RBI; uis Cardoso, 5 hits.

Grossmont Hills League

Helix 12, Grossmont 3

LA MESA – The Helix Highlanders posted their most decisive victory over arch-rival Grossmont in nearly a decade, handing the Hillers a 12-3 thimpin in GHL action on Friday (May 2).

It was the Scotties biggest win in the series since posting a 13-4 triumph in 1016.

Already leading 3-2, Helxi tallied six time sin the third inning to ice the victory early.

The Highlanders’ under-classman provided most of the offense, including home runs by sophomore Angel Watkins and freshman Rory Kleiner.

Waykins, the No. 9-hitting center fielder, gave Helixt he lead at 3-2 with his 2-run homer to center fiedl, scoring Kleiner.

Grossmont pull even in the third on a bases-loaded single by Duarte Martinez.

However, the potential go-ahgead run run was cut down at the plate when a perfedct relay went from Kie Smith in left, to Antoin Simpson at third, to Kleiner at the plate.

The momentun-switching defensive gem carried over to the inning’s home half, when the Scotties erupted for six runs.

Includied was a fielder’s choice grounder from Alex Carbajal which resulted in the game-winning ERBI. Kl;einer later registered his first careeer varsity homner, a 2-run shot to left for a 9-3 lead.

Helix relief pitchers Matt Martinez (3 IP; win) and Elijah Martinez (who struck out two in the 7th) then stopped the hillers on just one hit over the final four innings.

For Helix (13-10, 5-3 GHL), Kleiner finished with a career day of five RBI on 2-for-4 hitting, scoring twice.

The Foothillers (10-14, 2-6 GHL) received two hits from center fielder Logan Struck, yet dropped their third straight and 6-of-7.

Granite Hills 8, at Valhalla 2

RANCHO SAN DIEGO – This Grossmont Hills League game, which started at 4 p.m., was over less than 20 mijutes later after top-ranked Granite Hills scored four times in the first inning to roll over host Valhalla, 8-2.

Tommy Entrekin, the third batter of the contest, followed lead singles from Brandon Lewis and Trevor Smith yo bomb a 3-run homer run to right field.

Anthony Miotti also added an RBI double in the early on-slaught.

Then in the sixth, Smith launched a near-identical, 3-run shot to right, when the Eagles added four more runs to ceent awayt the triumph.

Meanwhile, the Eagles utilized four pitchers inthe combined 6-hitter, with Smith gaininhg the win with a pair of 1-2-3 innings in th 3rd and 4th to retire all six Norsemen batters he faced.

Granite Hills (16-0-2 overall, 8-0 GHL), which holds a 3-game lead over second=place Helix, can clinch the GHL championship on Tuesday when they host the Scotties.

Valhalla receivd RBI from catcher Mace Wheeler and third baseman Tanner Lough — both seniors.

Wheeler, the conference batting leader, collected three more hits. Designated hitter Jackson Newman added two other hits among the seven for the Orange (6-16, 2-6 GHL).

Summit League

Liberty Charter 15, at Ocean View Christian 2

CHULA VISTA – Liberty Charter held a reasonably comfortable 5-2 lead, which left just enough room for Ocean View Christian to pull ahead on a grand slam.

Not on this day.

The Lions made sure the4 victory was theirs by scoring five times in the sixth inning, then seven more in the seventh to rout the host Patriots.

Drake Keehl, who registered a 10-RBI game against Bonsall three weeks ago, this time “only” had five RBI to lead the Liberty bats.

Included was Keehl’s3-run homer to right field to cap the sixth and give the Lions an 8-2 cushion.

A totall of five players recorded two hits each for Liberty Charter (9-8, 4-1 league). The pitching win went to freshman Jacob Jones, who had four strikeouts in a smany innings.

Ocean View Christian (7-6, 2-4 league), which at one time held a 6-1 record, has been out-scored 46-14 in its last three outings.

Grossmont Valley League

Steele Canyon 23, Mount Miguel 0

JAMUL – Steele Canyon equaled its second-highest run total in a singler cpntest (sand ECVHS) in defeating Mount Miguel.

The record is 27, also agaijnst trhe Matadors, in a 27-4 decision in 2018.

The Cougars (9-13, 3-2 GVL) saw four pitchers combine on a 2-hitter on nine strike outs.

The score became 20-0 after Steele Canyon scored 15 times in the third inning.

The RBI leaders were Tommy Rimoldi (6), Logan Page (4), and Colton Pigeon (3). Rimoldi and Page each had two doubles.

Mount Miguel (7-13, 0-5) received basehits from Diego Soto and Braydon Vardwell. It was th Matadors largest loss (by margin) — 26-3a, also to the VCougars — since 2009.

Monte Vista 18, at ECVHS 0 (5 inn.)

EL CAJON – Monte Vista matched Steele Canyon by also tossing a 2-hit shutout in a GVL ballgame.