Granite Hills again plays with LCC’s mind

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 31, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

Tue., Mar. 31
Granite Hills 7, La Costa Canyon 6

ARLSBAD – Could the Granite Hills Eagles be getting into the head of the La Costa CanyonMaericks?

Last season, the Eagles took a 6-5 decision, one of the closest games of the year when Granite Hills posted an undefeated season against CIF-San Diego Section compeitiom.

Earlier this season, the Mavs were onw out away from a victory, but Granite Hills tied the game in the seventh inning before taking a 10-inning decision.

And on Tuesday (Nar. 31), disaster again fell upon La Costa Canyon.

Granite Hills taLLIED six times in the sixth to turn a 6-1 deficit into a 7-6 triumph to remain unbeaten in Lions Tournamnt action.

In the past 20 meetings, the series is level at 10 each.

Game styff

Unlike Granite Hills earlier in the season, which scored in the seventh to force extra innings, a key defensive stop by the Eagles allowed freshman relief pitcher Colton Windham to garner the save.

Following an LCC lead single and a stolen base, the Mavs elected to attempt a sacrifice bunt — which recent anaalytics strategy state is not a winning percentage proposition.

Eagles catcher Jake Ervin proved the new era of playing baseball seems to be correct. Ervin, a senior, pounced on the ball and fired a strike to third baseman Eurijah Schutza tp vit dpwn the lead runner.

Windham closed the ballgame on a shallow fly ball to center fielder Preston Hendry, then an infield pop out to Jaden Macias atsecond base.

Macias remained in the contest following three innings of shutout relief, collecting the victory after yielding just one hit.

The decisive, sixth-inning rally featured a game-tying, 3-run bloop double by Windham

Moments later, Schutza looped his own blooper for a single over the shortstop to score Windham.

The inning started with a a pair of walks, a hit batter, a single and an error. The final five runs were unearned.

— Nick Pellegrino

Elsewhere

Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 5, El Capitan 3
At Hostetler Field, Lakeside: A wild sevength-inning which started with the ballclubs tied at 2-all, saw the Liberty Patriots score nthree times, then heldc off yhet another late rally by the Vaqueors, which amswered with a run but couldn’t muster one additional hit to pull a victory out of the firfe.

The Vaq Attack loaded the bases, then Caleb Stearns was struck by a pitch to force home a run. More importantly, the potential game0tying runner was now in scoring position with nobody out.

However, Pats pitcher Carter Brunson wacaped on a fielder’s choice to get the first out at home plate, a strikeout, thwn a fly ball to left field. Brunson went the final two innings for the win.

The other El Cap RBI went to right fielder Sal Ponce.

Vista 9, Steele Canyon 6
At Vista: The host Panthers scored six times in the second inning to grab a 7-1 lead, but the Cougars stormed back to within 7-6 in the fifth before the Vista bullpen shut the door.

Steeele Canyon (3-9) collected six hits, including a pair by shortstop Austin Hall. The senior also walked and scored twice.

Campbell Hall (Studio City) 13, Mount Miguel 3

Elsewhere

Grossmont 10, South Hills 4
At Gizoni Field/Fletcher Hills: Max Tufugafale was the leader for the Hillers, batting 3-for-4 and driving home four runs to down the Huskies.

Tufugafale lifted a sacrufuce fly for one run then drilled a 2-run single after South Hills attempted a late comeback.

The Hillers held the early lead with five runs in the first. The ballclub is back to .500 at 6-6 overall.

Helix 6, Murrieta Mesa 2
At La Mesa: Following an ugly 3-game losing streak, the Scotties are suddenl red-hot in the Lions Tournament, moving to 2-0 after Rans from southwest Riverside County,

Anoth victory on Wednesday would move Helix into the champonship round.

Both sides registered just five hits, but for Helix, Jaxon Gottlieb clouted a pinch-hit home run.

Meanwhile, Jaxon Gottlieb reached base three times, scoring on each occassions.

Ramona 4, Scripps Ranch 3
At Scripps Ranch: Make it 10 i-a-row for the Dawgs, even though fuve of the victories have come by a sunlge run.

Ib iffese, th difference was the fifth inningm wheb Ramona out-scored thehost Falcons, 3-2, to takea 4-3 lead.

The final two frames belonged to the bullpen after NoahnBedia fired 4.1 innings of relief for the win.

The closing stretch saw Dagws first basenab Zack Nughtingale
started an inning-ending double play to prevent the game-tying run from scoring.

Bedia then Scripps Ranch down in order in the final two frames, finishing by retiring the final sevn batters (for eight outs).

The key Ramona hit was a 2-run single by second baseman Cal Melendez to snap a 1-1 deadlock.

West Hills 10, Hemet 9 (8 inn.)
At Wolf Pack Field, West Hills needed to go overtime, but they gained its first victory of the seasonin eight starts after out-lasting the Bulldogs (8-7).

The Pack forced extra innings with a 3-run raslly in the seventh, capped by a bases-loaded walk to Chuck Rosolino.

An inning later, Cashis Thayne was hit a opitch, scoring on a walk-off, line double to center field by Riley Kulak.

Crawford 14, Mountain Empire 13 (6 inn., walk-off)
Crawford 14, Mountain Empire 13 (6 inn., walk-off) — The sixth inning of this contest took so long to play, there was n way a seventh inning would be completed. Then the host Colts scored eight times in the sixith, so it was a weird, walk-off win.

Other Scores

El Camino 11, Santana 0
Mar Vista 5, Foothills Christian 1
New Roads (Santa Monica) 17, Valhalla 9
Pacific Ridge 6, El Cajon Valley 0
South Pasadena 11, Monte Vista 5
Westview 5, Christian 2