GVL championship down to one game after S.C. walk-off

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 14, 2025

Mount Miguell batter at El Cajon Valley

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

Steele Canyon 5, West Hills 4 (walk-off)

JAMUL – West Hills and Steele Canyon high schools will meet for the Grossmont Valley League championship on Thursday afyrt the host Cougars, in a must-sweep situation, took the first game in walk-off fashion, nipping the Wolf Pack, 5-4.

West Hills, which enter the ballgame with a one-game lead in the GVL standings, needs to win just one of the two contests. Now, it’s a winner-take-all situation when the team collide at Wolf Pack Park.

West Hills mountef an early 3-0 lead, but Steele Canyon rallied to take its initial lead.

ut after the Pack pulled even in the topo of the seventh inning, the Cougs were able to answer to win in the walk-off.

The dramatic final inning saw West Hills sophomore Devin Woods stroke aleadoff triple to deep center field.

Steele Canyon brought in the infield to pinch off the game-tying run, getting the first out on a ground ball.

However, Ethan Vergne answered with his second double to knot the contest with his shot to right field.

The answer from Steele Canyon was quick and immediate.

Caden Davey reached on a lead-off error, then Tommy Rimoli doubled. An interntional walk loaded the bases, but there were no puts.

The Pack registered a strikeout, but a ground ball hit by Colton Pidgeon couldn’t be taken home for the force out. So the Pack attemtpted to turn a conventional double play, recorded the out at second base, but Pidgeon was safe, allowing Davey to score the game-winner.

Steele Canyon (14-12-1 overall, 7-2), which has won seen straight, received two RBI from first baaeman Gavin Caha. Adding three hits and scoring twice was Rimoldi, the the center fielder.

West Hills (14-12, 7-2), which is 0-2 against the Cougars this season (incuding a non-league affair), saw senior Joey Monetti rock a 2-run homer in the fifth for a 3-2 lead before SCHS answered with two in the inning’s home-half to re-move in front, 4-3.

Grossmont Hills League

Helix 6, Valhalla 1

LA MESA – Helix enjoyed its annual Senior Day by scoring four times in the team’s first trip to the plate to bounce Valhalla, 6-1, in GHL action.

The Highlanders (), which will finish second in the GHL behind top-raned Granite Hills, is optimistic about the futrue after freshman Romeo Briones gained the pitching victory.

Briones struck out sox Foothillers battersw in his four frames, with the one run allowed coming unearned.

Meanwhile, junior Bryan Herman jump-started the fast start by powering a 3-run homer.

For Helix (15-11, 7-4), Kie Smith added two hits, scoring both times, helping the Scotties clinch a winning record for the season while avenging an earlier 3-1 setback to the Hillers.

Valhalla (7-18, 3-8 GHL), caps the season against idle Granite Hills on Thursday.

El Capitan 17, Grossmont 4

LAKESIDE – It’s either geast or famine when it comes to El Capitan baseball.

In another one-sided ballgame at Hosteteler Field, the Vaqueros seem to win or lose by double figures.

On Tuesday (Nay 13), it was a feast in whipping Grossmont, 17-4.

Seth Walker paced a 12-hit attack with a 3-run homer, as the Vas Attack ollected nine runsw in the second inning or overcome an early 2-0 deficit. An inning later, the Vaqueros added five more markers and the romp was on at 14-2.

Emilio Fearn-Flores led the offense with four RBI, qhilw Walker was natched by Nathan Brzezinski by driving in three runs each.

The El Cap hits and runs leader was Matthew Eckis with three in each department, while Brzezinski and Landon Harbach brought in runs with sacrifice fly balls.

Grossmont (10-17, 2-9) saw sophomore Tyler Holmes slug a solo home run.

El Capitan, which has a bye on Thursday, caos the regular season at 10-14 (5-7 GHL).

Grossmont Valley League

Santaana 11, Monte Vista 2

SANTREE – This ballgame became moot when Steeke Canyon defeated West Hills, making Thurday’s one0game showdown for the Grosmont Valley League title.

Still, there was pride and possible postseason consequences riding, with Santana leaping over Monte Vista for third place following an 11-2 conquest on Tuesday (May 13).

Monte Vista, which earlier swpet Steeke Canyon in a two-gae, GVL set, was in position to capture a share of the league crown for the first time since winning four straight in 1994-97.

The fired-up Monarchs came out glying, scoring two runs in the first. However, Santana responded with 11 unanswered runs, including six runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for the first time at 7-2.

Monte Vista’s was started was center around Reuben Cabugwas, who doubled home Orlando Rupley, then scored on a double from Damian Ordaz.

However, Sultans pitcher Brandon Landers dug in and only allowed one additional hit over his five innings. Landers struck out six Monarchs batters.

Meanwhile, Monte Vista pitcher Tristan Walker sailed along by yuielding just one run in five hits through four frames, but he couldmn’t get out of the decisive fifth.

Ryder Davey registered the third nasehit of the inning to knot the contest at 2-all — then the Sultans continued to hit and hit.

Landers lifted a sacrifice fly for a run, giving hime the gae-winning RBI. Noah Lewis followed with a 2-run single and a 4-2 advantage,

Xander Bennett Michael Morrison tacked on with run-scoring doubles.

An inning later, Santana pushed across four more runs. Davey posted anothr RBI single, then Morrison added another 2-run double.

For the ballgame, Morrison finished with a career-high four RBI. doubling his previous personal best.

Morrison, Bennett and Dominic Tavolazzi all registered two of the 13 hits for Santana (13-13, 6-3). With a victory in the finale at Monte Vista, they will clinch a tie for second place with the West Hills-Steele Canyon loser (unless there is a tie — on’t laugh; it’s already happened in the Western Leage late in the season).

Conversely, Monte Vista (8-18, 6-3) can catch Santana for third place with a victory in the finale.

Mount Miguel 24, ECVHS 6 (4 inn.)

EL CAJON – In a battle between winless programs in the Grossmont Valley League, Mount Miguel played station-to-station basenall in stopping El Cajon Valley, 24-6, at Braves Field.

Seven runs in the top of the first ining, gave the Matadors a huge advantage, but 11 more markers in the third eccentially ended this one.

Matadors senior Angel Delgado led the way in both halves of almost every inning.

In addition to gaining the pitching victory, Delagdo batted a career-best 5-fpr-5. with 5 RBI and scoring twice.

Freshman catcher Emilo Lopez also knocked in five runs, fololowed by third baseman Easton Sanchez (4) and center fielder David Farias (3).

For ECVHS, 8-of-9 starters all contributed at least one hit or scored a run. The players withboth were catcher Alex Vargas and left fielder Matrias Herrera.

It should be noted, unlike a lot of schools, every member of the Braves their celebrating Senior Day were all represented at no fewer than five family members each.

Western League

Patrick Henry 11, Scripps Ranch 1

SAN CARLOS – The Patrick Henry Patriots moved to within a victory of an out-right Eastern League championship after whipping Scripps Ranch, 11-, on Senior Day at Patriots Ballpark.
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For the moment, Patrick Henry (17-8-2 overall, 7-3-1 league) surpassed idle St, Augustine (17-9-1, 7-4-1) for first lace, holding a half-game lead to gagin a guarennted league crown. However, the Pats can make hold the title all their own with a sweep on the 3-gane set withthe Falcons, slated Thursday at Scripps Ranch.

Anoyjrt dtrllsr pitching rffort, this tieme by Brady Gunn, makes Patrick Henry a major threat when the CIFSDS playoiff start next week.

Gunn registered the “devil’s area code” for the victory: 6 inings, 6 strikeouts and 6 hits allowed — 6-6-6 — to flunk out the Falcons. His earned-run average went up just a clikc to — you know it! — 0.66 for the season.

In the seventh, reliever Eli Brum regstered a 1-2-3 to quiestly send the visitors home.

The Falconsactually scored first in the first, then it was all Patriots, with six different players driving in runs.

The hit leaders were senior Skyler Stewart, and juniors Alex Mestman and Lukas Oquendo with two each. Stewart and Mestman also scored three times.

Scripps Ranch (6-21, 1-10) received two hits from leadoff batter ake Sakurauchi. the ballclub’s leading hitter.

Other Scores
Cathedral Catholic 8, Point Loma 7
Bye – St. Augustine

City Eastern

Madison 7, Christian 2

EL CAJON – Coronado concluded league play last week, posting a 9-3 to gain the championship.

However, Madison could catched the Island Boys should the Warhaeks complete a 3-gaeme sweep of the Christian Patriots.

The ‘Hawks are two-thirds of the way there following a 7-2 victory to ruin Christian’s Senior Day on Tuesday (Nay 13).

Colin Gallagher, a finalist for league Pitcher of the Year laurels, struck out eight Patriots batters over six innings in firing a 6-hitter. Only one run was earned.

After trailiong 2-0, Christian answered with runs in the third and fourth inningsd to pull even. However, Madison broke the deadlock in the sixth, then added four more markers in the seventh to pull away.

A solo home run by Madison lead-off batter Jack O’Toole, the left fielder, broke a late tie for the game-winning RBI.

However, the offense wasagain fuuled by shortstop Jorge Luque, who posted a pair of run-scoring singles.

Christian rallied back on consecutive two-out sngles by shortstop Benji Molina and left fielder Xander Molina (RBI), scoring first baseman Joey Nunez (lead walk) in the htird.

An inning later, Pats pitcher ogan Major walked, then took three bases on an error.

However, Madison ge-gained the lead for keeos in the sixth on O’Toole’s line drive to the old soccer field beyond the right-fielf fence.

Madison (21-6 overall, 8-3 league) is now three victories from the school’s previous best of 24 in 2013.

Christian drops to 12-13 (2-9 league).

Other Scores
University City 5, Mira Mesa 0
Bye – Coronado

Summit League

Liberty Charter of Alpine and Mountain Empire split their season series, while going undefeated against the rest of the Summit League. However, there is one game remaining.

This, should the Lions and RedHawks both win (or both lose)in Thursday’s regular-season finals, the school short gain co-championships.

Liberty Charter 12, Mesa-High Tech 4

ALPINE – – The last time Liberty Charter participated in the Summit Legaue, the Lions went winless and were relagated to the Patriot League.

Hwever, after winning the ulta-small league in 2022, the Lions returned to become one of the stronger programs in the Summit.

Along with a championship in 2023, Liberty Charter moved nto position to earn its second “top of the” Summit crown in three season. But with a league bye to start the weekm the Lions took the field Monday’s (May 12) to drop Mesa-High Tech, 12-4, at Joan MacQueen Middle School.

Three Lions runs ion both the first and third innings decided this ballgame early.

Senior catcher Drake Keehl lifted his career RBI total to 110 by driving home a game-best four runs by belting a pair of doubles to topple the Thunder. Keehl moved into 20th place in CIF-San Diego Section history in the category according to the section record book.

Keehl now owns 44 RBI this season.

Meanwhile, Austin Otero and Jace Ballard each added three basehits to fuel a 16-hit attack.

A trio of Lions pitchers — Isaac Anderson, Jacob Jones and Jaren Klindt — combined on a 6-hitter, yielding just one earned run.

Liberty Charter (12-8 overall, 6-1 league) closes the league slate Thursday at Chula Vista-High Tech

Mountain Empire at Bonsall (n)

PALA INDIAN RESERVATION – The Bonsall Legionnaires play theyr home game at the Pala Recreation Center under the lights. — waiting for a game report.