CIF: Another walk-off winner for Granite on Trevor Smith liner

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 23, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

Open Division

Granite Hills 3, St. Augustine 2

Granite Hills’ Trevor Smith (left; game-winning, walk-off RBI) and Luke Bailey (complete-game, winning pitcher) / Courtesy, GHHS Instagram

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

EL CAJON – Again?? Again!!

There is nothing “Alias” about Granite Hills’ “Smith & Jones.”

Unlike the classic ABC television network western series form the early 1970s, Granite Hills was completing up front about there “Jones and Smith.”

Designate dhitter Phillip Jones started a seventh-inning rallywith a leadoff double to center field. Three batters later, Trevor Smith lined a basehit to center to bring home pinch-ruuner Dominic Rose, giving Granite Hills a — this is a recfording — dramatic 3-2 verdict over St. Augustine.

The triumph was the sechool’s second sraight walk-off deicision, advancing the top-ranled and unbeatenn Eagles (22-0-2) a berth in the upper bracket final of the CIF San Diegto Section baseballchampionship.

The Eagles will receive two cracks toreach next weekend’s championship finale. in the double-elimination phase of the event.

First, St. Augsutine, wtthits first loss,will meet OPPOEMNET on Saturday’s challemnger bracket final. The winner will need to defeat the Eagles twice — starting on Tuesday (May 27) for a title-gae erth.

The Saints will host Del Norte at historic Hickman Field in Kerny Mess on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Nighthawks stayed alive by eliminating host Carslabd, 3-1.

Granite Hills, just like Wednesday’s tournament opener against Del Norte when they trailed early, saw St. Augustine post a 2-0 lead on single runs in the ffirst two innings. Oncluded was a solo home run by senior second baseman Raphael Dunne justtwo batters into the ballgame.

However, the Eagles pulled even in the third inning, then the pitchers took over until the bottom of the seventh.

Jonrs took a 1-2 pitch and found a gap, racing to second base on a double. Rose took his spot, tkaing third base on a sacdrifice bunt by junior Jake Ervin.

Del Norte attemped to set-up aq doubler play toforce extra innings by intentionally walking Brenden Lewis, the probableplayer of the year when the All-East County Team gets announced latere this weekend.

The Nighthawks wished for a ball up the middle, but instead of a grounder to turn two, the ball styaed din the air on a liner to center for a Smith run-scroing single — evrything came up “Roses.”

Granite Hills senior pitcher Luke Bailey overcame aslow start tofire a complete-game 3hitter, raising his recorfd to a stellar 111-0.

Bailey, who allowed hits to the first pair of batters — the first platyers was thrown out attempting to steal secondbase by Ervin, the catcher — allowed just onme additional hit over the final 6.2 innings. Bailey struck out five Saints batters.

An inning after Dunne’s home, the Saints double their lead on a squeeze bunt by left fielder Spenver Taylor, allowingfirst baseman Mikey Ruiz (lead single) toi score.

t was the last hit allowe dby Bailey, through 6 innings to no-hit ball to close.

Granite Hills pulled even in the third.

Lewis took a one-out walk, scoring on a deep double to right by Smith to start his 2-RBI performance.

Smith came home to even the contest when he balked to second base, then came home on a basehit up the middle from third baseman Tommy Entrekin.

Once even, Bailey took over, retring the next nine Saints batters — a 1-2-3 in the 4th, 5th and 6th 00 b efor allowing a lead walk in the 7th.

However, that runner was quickly erqsed when Entrekin collected a ground ball to start a double play. Thus, Bailey only faced the minimum 12 btters over the final four frames.

Granite Hills, following a pair of ties due to darkness at midseason, has now won 16 straight ballgames.