Bailey, Vance power Granite Hills to CIF Open Championship

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 30, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships
Open Division Finale

By Nick Pellegrino’
ECS Senior writer

MONTEZUMA MESA – Granite Hills pitcher Luke Bailey, an official nominee for the California State Pitcher of rhe Year award via CalHiSports, offered his own solid “pitch” for the citation.

Bailey carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, lifting the Eagles to the CIF-San Diego Section baseball championship, taking the elite Open Division crown with a 3-0 victory over Patrick Henry in Friday’s (May 30) at SDSU’s Tony Gywnn Stadium.

Luke Bailey

Bailey (12-0, 1.03 ERA) finished with a 1-hit shutout, while all three Eagles runs came in the sixth inning on a 3-run triple by Parker Vance, as the top-ranked Eagles finished unbeaten with a 24-0-2 overall record. The Grossmont Hills League champions are ranked second in California by CalHiSports; the Patriots were 21st in the state.

Bailey finally lost his no-hit bid when Patrick Henry’s Jimmy Gunn opened the fifth with a base hit. Gunn was bunted to second base, but Bailey escaped on a ground out and a strike out.

Luke Bailey has committed to play for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos / Courtesy/file photo

An inning later, Alex Mestman was hit by a pitch to leadoff, but the Eagles turned a double play on a grounder to shortstop Brenden Lewis.

Meanwhile, Patriots pitcher Brody Gunn was hit-or-kiss. Over his first five frames, Gunn struck out seven Eagles yet allowed seven hits.

The Patriots also displayed some solid defense, including catcher Ian Brooke thwarting a stolen base attempt with an on-target throw to shortstop Cody Cappelletti covering second base.

Parker Vance

Finally inn the home-half of the sixth, the pitchers’ duel was snapped when Lewis stroked a lead double on a liner to left.

Trevor Smith singled to place runners on the corners, so Entrekin was walked to load the bases.

The Patriots went to the bullpen, but that was no problem for Parker Vance. The senior promptly cleared the bases with a 3-run triple to left for the gae-winning, memory-maker.

In the seventh, Bailey walked Cappelletti for the second time, but ended the ballgame with a fly out — on “with Preston Hendry making a circus catch,” according to the San Diego Union-Tribune — and a pair of strikeouts. Bailey fanned 10 Patriots batters.

The moments following the final pitch, Bailey leaped his 6-foot-2 frame high into the air and landed a back-flip before getting mobbed by teammates.

Vance, the right fielder, batted 3-for-4. Vance, who played in center field, batted 2-for-3, plus a stolen base. Lewis added a double.

The victory was No. 541 for Granite Hills head coach James Davis, moving up the California state career list maintained by CalHiSports.

Granite Hills surpasses the 1991 Grossmont Foothillers (29-1) for best record in a season in CIFSDS history. Interestingly, the 1940 San Diego High Hilltoppers (not Cave men or Cavers) only lost one game, but did NOT win the CIF Southern Section title — they elected not to play in the section final. READ MORE

`Update (11:05p.m.): Corona High, which is ranked No 1 in the state ahead of Granite Hills, lost on Friday. The Panthers (28-3) were shutout by St. John Bosco, 2-0, in the CIF Southern Section playoffs on Tuesday (May 27). Thus, Granite could could move up and be the top-ranked team in the state come Monday morning.