Lions, Sultans re-gain share of first place

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 6, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

BUCKMAN SPRINGS — Name East County;s hottest ballclub since the pandemic (san Granite Hills).

Consider yourself as an expert of you selected the Liberty Charter Lions of Alpine.

Buoyed on a 5-hit, complete game by senior Brody Harris, the Lions moved into a deadlock for first place by stgopping Summit League leading Mountain mpire, 9-4/

Both ballclubs are 5-1 with two league contestrs remaining.

SHould the standings remain in place, this would be Liberty Chasrter’s third title over the past four season.

Before the pandemic, you need to go back to the 2017 season when the Lions won the short-lived Appollo League.

Harrus could’ve been in mild truble in the third inningm when the RedHawks received a lead single and a one-out walk, with both scoring on a crazy play in the sun-drenched outfield.

However, trailing 2-1, the visitors answered with eight runs in the fifth,

The first six Lions batters reached base, including the first three to loaded the bases before the runs started to pile up.

Run-scoring singles by shortop Andruw Godinez and Harris (GWRBI) allowed the Lions tore-gain the lead at 3-2.

The streak ended when third baseman Isaac Anderson walked to force in a run.

Later, Joseph “J.J.” Jones mustered a free RBI on another walk, thenfirst baseman Austin Otero singled for a 6-2 cushion.

Meanwhile, Mountain Empire,which scored 39 runs against Bayfront Charter last Friday — the third-highest total in CIF-San Diego Section history — saw the bats if the RedHawks reverted to baby “eyas” (a baby hawk) by scoring twice on four hits in the seventh.

Harris finished with fife strikeouts, woth only two of the runs were earned.

Liberty CHarter (10-8 overall) saw center fielder Nathan Banks contribute three hits.

Mountain Empire (13-6) received two hits from designate dhitter Anthony Delgado,
the No. 9 batter. Delgado again raised his average back over the .400 plateau to .405
.

Santana 5, West Hills 2

SANTEE – The last time neighborhood rival Santana and West Hills high schools were involved in a pennant race came in 2016, when the Sultans taking the Grossmont Valley League crown.

In 2025, West Hills held the advantage after taking the first game in a 2-game series with Santana.

In other wods, Tuesday’s (MNay 6) series finale was a must-win situation for the Siultans, or allow the Wolf Pack to claim the trophy.

Buoyed by senior pitcher Brandon Landers, who carried s shutout into the sixth inning, the Sultans re-gained a share of the GVL lead following a 5-2 road triumph at Wolf Pack Park/

Landers struck out eight West Hills batters over his 6.1 innings. But with west Hills threatening inn the seventh, reliever Micah Carrillo survived a two-out error to register the final two outs for the save.

Both ballclubs are level at 5-1 with less than two weeks remaining on the regular season schedule.

Santana (12-11 overall) closed with series against Steele Canyon and Monte Vista.

West Hills (also 12-11) will meet El Cajon Valley, then Steele Canyon to close.

Santana shortstop Gavin Kellyaccounted for four of the team’s five runs, dirivng in two and scoring twice, as the Sultans mounted a 4-0 advantage.

Kelly opened the contest with a walk, scoring on a two-out double to center field by clean-up batter Ryder Davey, a sophomore.

The pitchers’ duel continued over the next hour-plus until Santana broke through in the fourth.

Once again, a keadoff walk burned the Wolf Pack, with Davey accepting the fress pass, then moving to third base on a failed pickoff attempt.

One out later, Joseph Dibble “tribbled” a bunt down the first-base line for Davey to score on the safety squeeze.

Santaa would double the lead in the fifth, his time due to a pair of walks with both base-runners scoring on a deep doublr to right field from DH Trevor Eckis.

West Hills cut the deficit in half on a 2-run single by center fielder Trevor Eckis in the sixth.

However, Santana stopped the momentum with another run on another Eckis basehit. Again, a walk started the rally.

For Santa, Eckie recorded half of the team’s four total hits.

West Hills registered more hits with five, but three errors and six walks dommed the Pack.

Non-League

Patrick Henry 4, Christian 0

SAN CARLOS – A trio of Patrick Henry pitchers yielded one hit each, good enough for a Patriots shutout of visiting Christian, 4-0, in Tuesday’s (May 6) non-leage ballgame. They three

Tyson Bobo gained the pitching win, and hit a 2-run homer in the third innoing for a 3-0 lead.

The arms of the Patriots record nine Strikeouts.

Christian sophomore Xander Molina collected two of the team’s three basehits, including a double.

Meanwhile in the Western League, league-leading St. Augustine nippede Cathedral Catholic for the second straight day.

The Saints, in their final league series of the season, stand at 7-2-1 with one game left, one full gae ahead of Patrick Henry (5-3-1),

Henry closes the league slate against last-place Scripps Ranch next week. Cathedral
Catholic has officially been eliminated from title consideration.

Grossmont Valley League

Steele Canyon 25, Mount Miguel 5 (5 inn.)

SPRING VALLEY – Trsiling 1-0, Steele Canyon would only score on two trips to the plate, but they were big ones.

The Cougars tallied eight runs in the third inning, then more in the fourth, topping host Mount Miguel, 15-5, in Grossmont Valley League action on Tuesday (May 6).

The Cougars () only regustered nine hits, but took advantage of nine walks and four errors by the Matadors.

Andrew Bravo led Steele Canyon with three RBI, while the lone extra-base hit went to Logan Page (double).

Tommy Rimoldi pitched the final three inning to earn his first win of the season for Steele Canyon.

Mount Miguel gained four of its five runs on errors (4) and wild pitches.

Monte Vista 23, ECVHS 6

SPRING VALLEY – In another GVL contest with minimal pitching, El Cajon Valley took a 2-0 lead after a half-inning, but the Monarchs answered with a 10-spot to win.