Granite Hills simply knows how to win

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 13, 2026

Granite Hills senior Jake Ervin (9) dives toscore inaction from earlierthis season / GHHS Instagram

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

FLETCHER HILLS – The Grossmont Foothillers possessed an opportunity to slide into the CIF playoffs and cause considerable disruption to the Grossmont Hills League race by closing the regular season against the circuit’s co-leaders.

Unfortunately for the Hillers, experience matters.

And on Wednesday (May 12), the late rally by Granite Hills was even more egregious than another Grossmont setback this season.

Despite a pair of home runs and seven RBI by Nate McCance, including a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning, Granite Hills overcame a 9-3 deficit with nine answered runs — including five in the seventh — stealing a 12-9 decision.

The decisive blow was a grand slam by Granite Hills’ Jake Ervin. The drive to the short porch in right field also brought home Anthony Miotti, Colton Windham and Eurijah Schutza.

Thus, Helix and Granite Hills will go into Thursday’s final ballgames tied for first place with 9-2 marks. The Scotties will travel to face Grossmont; the Eagles host last-place Valhalla.

All Grossmont do is wonder4 what happened — or bounce back and try to defeat their long-time,ancient rivals.

When the Hillers upset Granite Hills in the GHL opener in April, the difference was a six-RBI outburst by Logan Struck.

This time, it was McCance, who slammed for a 4-2 lead. When the Eagles trimmed the margin to 4-3, Grossmont mounted a 10-3 lead on a two-run shot ro right by Tyler Holmes, then McCane added a three-run drive past the scoreboard in left.

To that point, the hosts collected 10 hits. However,a trio of Eagles pitcher — Eurijah Schutza (1-2-3), Jaden Macias (win) and Colton Windham (save); all with two strikeouts — walked just one in retiring nine of the final 10 Grossmont batters to give their offense a chance.

In the sixth, four walks and three hit batters led to three runs — thee was a double play in between — handed three runs to the Eagles.

Then in the seventh, a pair of singles and two more hits batters — an RBI basehit by Windham –moved the Eagles to within a run.

Ervin followed by taking a 2-1 pitch to right for his slam and the first two-homer game of his career.

Ervin earlier his a fifth-inning homer to ignite he comeback. The senior has five long-balls for the season.

Both squad pumped three homers; the other Eagles
homer was registered by Windham, a two-run drive to open the scoring in the first.

Standings: Helix 9-2, Granite Hills 0-2, El Capitan 6-6, Grossmont 4-7, Valhalla 0-11.

San Diego City Conference

Eastern League
Madison 2, Christian 1 (walk-off)
CLAIREMINT MESA — The Madison Warhawks captured the Eastern League championship switch a dramatic 2 -1 triumph over the Christian Patriots.

The pitchers’ duel remained scoreless until the seventh inning, but the Pats couldn’t hold on to its 1-0 advantage, giving Madison a 2-0 advantage in the teams’ season-ending three-game series. Both entered the week ay 9-0 in league action.

Harrison Brown doubled to drive in both runs. Brown came up after Christian issued an intentional walk to load the bases to either et a force out at the plate or a double play.

Instead, Brown sent a drive to right field against a drawn-in outfield for the game- and league- winning shot.

Warhawks pitcher Colin Gallagher tossed 6.2 shutout innings until the Patriots ended the clean-sheet.

With two down, Jackson Onan ti chase Gakkagher, with courtesy runner Morones stealing second base,

Madison elected to issue to its intentional walk to Benji

Molina, but the strategy failed when Roman Gustin lined a run-scoring basehit to left field.

The ballclubs complete the series with a season finale at Christian on Friday.

In other league action, Mission Bay won at Mir Mesa, 5-2.

Standings: Madison 11-0, Christian 9-2, Clairemont 6-6, Mission Bay 2-9, Mira Mesa 0-11.
S

Western League
Point Loma 8, Patrick Henry 4
St San Carlos: Pstrivck Henry’s window of opportunity to capture an outright Western League baseball crown disappeared when the Patriots fell to visiting Point Loma, 8-4, Wednesday (May 13).

Patrick Henry is not tied for the league lead with Cathedral Catholic, while Point Loma stands one game back. Thus, the Pats must defeat the Pointers on Friday’s regular-season finale, or drop to third place (since PLHS would hold the tie=breaker).

Point Loma jumped quickly to a 4-0 cushion in the first inning, but the Pats finally answered with three runs in the in the second.

Both pitching staffs took over until the sixth,m when the Pointers added four more runs for th verdict.

Driving home runs for Patrick Henry were Alex Mestman, Sal Gagliano, Lukas Oquendo and Jeremiah Stephens.

The Pointers opened the scoring on a three-run homer by Olson Wyatt h, Olson Wyatt added a three-run bomb in the sixth.

Cathedral Catholic easily blanked University City 6-0. Elsewhere, St. Augustine went to the Silver Strand to edge host Coronado, 6-4.

Standings: Patrick Henry 7-2, Cathedral Catholic 7-2, Point Loma 6-3, University City 4-5, St. Augustine 3-6, Coronado 0-9.

Avocado League
At Del Sur (east of Rancho Santa Fe): Following a horrible NUMBERS start, the PowayTitans righted their ship to claim the Av ocado League title after nipping host Westview, 3-1.

At Valley Center: Meanwhile, Ramona finished in third place after whipping Valley Center, 10-6. Elsewhere, Vista downed Fallbrookm 7-2

Although Ramona trailed early, 6-2, the Dawgs scord nin six of their seven trips to the plate to oust theJaguars.

Tallon Ogilvie batted b2-for-4 and scored twice, driving home a par of runs. A half-dozen other Ramona players also knocked in a run, including a solo home run by Connor Schwettmann.

Stangings: Poway 14-1, Westview 12-3, Ramona 9-6, Vista 5-10, Fallbrook 3-12, Valley Center 1-134.

— Nick Pellegrino