Mitchell assigned freshman utilityman MICHAEL POTEET
to start at third base and bat cleanup. A tall order
for the 5-foot-10, 160-pound Patriots yearling, considering
Poteet entered the game with only three hits in 20 at-bats.
“He’s been swinging the bat well the last
couple of games,” Mitchell insisted.
Poteet made his coach look good as he drove in 6 runs
with a pair of doubles and a single helping Christian
outslug St. Augustine, 12-8. That victory not only raised
Christian’s record to 10-3 overall, it assured
the Patriots a berth in Saturday’s (Apr. 5) tournament
semifinals at Cathedral at 10 a.m.
Once again Christian followed its modus operandi, jumping
out to a 6-0 advantage by the 4th inning only to hand
the Saints (8-6) five unearned runs to create an 8-8
tie in the bottom of the 6th inning.
Poteet played a major role in Christian’s 4-run
rally in the 7th inning. Credit (or discredit) St. Augustine
for fueling that late-inning uprising. The Saints offered
two walks and a pair of hit batters to give Christian
a 9-8 edge. Then it was Poteet’s turn, as he cleared
the bases with a 3-run double to center field.
Patriots junior right-hander BRAD ROBERTSON, who was
victimized by some shoddy play an inning earlier, held
on to post his San Diego CIF-leading 6th victory.
The Saints put up a fight though. Carlos Carriedo and
Alex Perry began the bottom of the 7th with back-to-back
singles. Robertson then worked a full count on Alan
Aguilar. Robertson has been a magic man for the Patriots
all season, but he did his best Houdini in this situation.
Mon., Mar 31
City Conference Tournament
PATRIOTS 12, SAINTS 8
Christian (10-3)
St. Augustine (8-6)
002 411 4 - 12 12 2
000 125 0 - 08
12 2
Gee, Robertson (6) and Gruber.
Myers, Weymann (4), Sciuto (6), Trovato (7),
McRoskey (7) and Carriedo. W-Robertson (6-0).
L-Trovato.
Aguilar lined the next pitch right at first baseman
TAYLOR EICHHORST for the first out. Eichhorst stepped
on the bag for the second out, then wheeled and fired
to shortstop EDDIE YOUNG to complete a game-ending triple
play.
It was quite a turnaround, considering Robertson was
only one ball away from bringing the tying run to the
plate with nobody out. But then when you’re 6-0
with a 3.10 ERA, the breaks tend to go your way.
Christian hosts Hoover in the final round of pool play
on Wednesday (Apr. 2). That game has no bearing on the
Patriots’ fate in the City Conference Tournament.
KYLE SECCIANI went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and
three RBI to help the Hillers sweep the Bucs 6-2 and
13-11.
“We’re just happy to get everything back
on track,” said Secciani. “Losing those two
games to Poway and West Hills is a low point of our
season. It was our own fault though because we were
too lazy, too lackadaisical. Now it’s back to business.”
Secciani provided the early spark as he began the opener
with a walk, advanced to second on JOSH SIMMS’
sacrifice, stole third and scored on a throwing error.
Secciani added a 2-run double an inning later, staking
Grossmont to a 3-0 lead.
“We wanted to come out and be aggressive,”
Secciani said.
Sophomore southpaw STEVEN BRAULT, BRENNAN GEARY and
LEVI STEVENS stuffed the Bucs on three hits. Geary,
who pitched only 1 2/3 innings to earn the win, had
a hand in creating two double plays. Stevens, the ace
of the Grossmont staff, struck out four over the final
two frames to earn the save.
Things got a little wilder in the nightcap. It took
five Hiller hurlers to tame Mission Bay in this go-round.
DONOVAN D’SOUZA was the only Grossmont pitcher
not to allow a run as he spun a scoreless 5th to pick
up the victory.
BRYAN HAAR was roughed up for two runs in the bottom
of the 7th, but held on to record the save.
DEREK BAUM, who was 3-for-8 with two runs and four
RBI, extended his season-long hitting streak to 13 games.
That’s tops in East County . Baum belted an RBI
double in the 1st inning and doubled home two more in
the 7th. His second 2-base blow actually proved to be
the difference in the game.
“We didn’t show much energy in the two games
that we lost,” Baum said. “But once we got
back on the horse in that first game today, I think
it’s fair to say we’ve got our fire back.”
Not only has Baum been a consistent hitter, he’s
also come through in the clutch. His .432 batting average
includes 25 RBI.
“He’s always done the job defensively,”
said Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS. “But he’s
really worked on his hitting and I think the results
are obvious.”
“He’s our rock – the bigger the game,
the better he does.”
Yet, Baum, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound catcher, has attracted
little to no interest from colleges.
“I’m totally appalled that some college hasn’t
picked him up,” Phillips said.
Baum, who has a 4.1 grade point average and 1950 S.A.T.
score, is good at taking the oversight in stride, at
least on the surface.
“I guess I’ve been flying under the radar,”
Baum said.
Grossmont’s second game onslaught included a 2-run
single by CONOR MEREDITH and a 2-run single by ROBERT
REYES. Simms was 3-for-4 and scored four runs.
Sat., Mar. 29
Non-League
FOOTHILLERS 6, BUCCANEERS 2
Game 1:
Grossmont (10-2)
Mission Bay (10-4)
120 002 1 - 6 8 0
000 200 0 - 2 3 4
Brault, Geary (4), Stevens (6)
and Baum. Valdez , Geidner (7) and Croce.
W-Geary (1-0). L-Valdez (3-2). S-Stevens (1).
FOOTHILLERS 13, BUCCANEERS
11
Game 2:
Grossmont (11-2)
Mission Bay (10-5)
320 005 3 - 13 12 3
300 402 2 - 11 10 3
Simms, Gaspar (4), D’Souza
(5), Paznokas (6), Haar (6) and Wright, Baum
(6). Moore, Semeslberger (4), Geidner (7)
and Croce, Lieto (4). W-D’Souza (1-0).
L-Semelsberger (3-1). S-Haar (1).
SULTANS 13, RAVENS
0
Santana (10-2)
Canyon Crest (4-6)
002 405 2 - 13 10 1
000 000 0 - 00
04 5
Hayes, Manring (6) and Bumbar,
Hamilton (5). Sandler, Montejano (4), Malott
(6), Suenosen (7) and Blanchi. W-Hayes (2-1).
L-Sandler (2-3).
SANTANA 13, CANYON CREST 0 – Santana sophomore
CODY SMITH began the week hitting an unspectacular .240.
Senior JOSH POND was 0-for-2 in the Sultans first 10 games.
Smith came alive with 6 hits, 6 RBI, 3 runs and 3 steals
in eight at-bats as Santana outslugged El Cajon Valley
and Canyon Crest by a composite 22-1 over a 24-hour
span.
“Smith was pressing early, probably due to his
inexperience,” Santana coach JERRY HENSON said.
“But he’s willing to work hard and listen
to his coaches. And now I think he’s calmed down
and relaxed. He has a live bat and definitely has a
clue at the plate.”
Pond walked and scored as a pinch-hitter against El
Cajon Valley and then broke loose for 3 hits, 4 runs
scored and one RBI in three at-bats in Saturday’s
(Mar. 29) non-league romp at Canyon Crest.
“Josh hasn’t swung the bat since the first
game of the season,” Henson said. “But he’s
a big kid (6-foot-6, 240) who doesn’t get cheated
when he swings. And he runs pretty well for a guy his
size.”
Not to be overshadowed was the pitching of sophomore
KYLE HAYES and senior MIKE MANRING, who combined on
a 4-hitter. Hayes worked the first five innings and
struck out seven to pick up his second win in three
decisions.
Pitching has been the backbone of Santana’s fast
start. The Sultans boast a 1.67 team ERA. As a staff
they have posted four shutouts and allowed only one
home run in 84 innings. Only one opponent has scored
more than three runs in a game.
Small wonder Santana (10-2) has won nine straight games.
Six of El Capitan’s eight wins have come by four
runs or less, five have come by three runs or less,
and three have come by two runs or less. And in nearly
all of those games the Vaqueros have seen the lead change
hands multiple times.
“I know it’s a cliché, but we’re
making most of our games barnburners,” Vickery
said. “We take an early lead and somehow we find
a way to lose it. By the same token, when we fall behind
more often than not we come back.”
El Capitan (8-3) did a little bit of both in Friday’s
(Mar. 28) non-league 8-7 victory over visiting Bonita
Vista.
After falling behind 1-0 in the 1st inning the No.
6-ranked Vaqueros stormed back with four runs in the
bottom of the inning.
KEVIN MORTON sparked that rally with a swinging bunt
single. TANNER RUST brought him in when he doubled off
the bank in right-center field. KORBIN KRUGER, who has
a 10-game hitting streak going, clubbed a 2-run homer
to put the Vaqueros in front. BROOKS NOBLE capped the
1st inning uprising with an RBI single.
By the close of the 4th inning the Vaqueros had frittered
away the lead, allowing Bonita Vista (7-5) to take a
5-4 lead. The Barons extended their advantage to 7-4
in the top of the 5th.
But El Capitan wasn’t ready to roll over, scoring
four runs in the bottom of the 5th to regain the lead.
This Vaqueros rally had similar overtones to the 1st
inning scoring fest.
Morton started things with a push bunt single, Rust
then doubled to right-center field, scoring Morton.
The Barons intentionally walked Kruger and MILES REAGAN
followed with a bloop single to load the bases. A walk
to ANDY HALE forced in one run and KYLE MILLS’
sacrifice fly tied it at 7-all.
Pinch-hitter CANNON NIKZAD slashed a single to left
field to score Reagan from third with what proved to
be the winning run.
Fri., Mar. 28
Non-League
VAQUEROS 8, BARONS 7
Bonita Vista (7-5)
El Capitan (8-3)
101 320 0 – 7 07
0
400 040 x – 8 10 1
Sharkey, Smith (2), Mua (5),
Shockey (6) and Shields, Neeley (2); Reagan,
Riggins (4), Morton (6) and Rust. W-Riggins
(1-0). L-Smith (0-2). S-Morton (3). HR-Kruger
(EC,2) 1st, one on.
Not surprisingly the Vaqueros did not cruise to the finish
line without some turbulence offered up by Bonita Vista.
The Barons loaded the bases in the top of the 7th before
reliever Morton recorded a game-ending strikeout. It
was the third save for Morton, who blanked the Barons
on one hit over the final two innings.
“I can’t think of anybody I’d rather
have on the mound in that situation than Kevin Morton,”
Vickery said.
COMING ATTRACTION:
The annual Grossmont North-South Tournament begins on
Tuesday (Apr. 1). The Vaqueros travel to Mount Miguel
for the tourney opener. Other first-round match-ups
include Grossmont at Valhalla, Santana at Helix, West
Hills at Granite Hills and El Cajon Valley at Steele
Canyon. All games start at 4 p.m.
Mar. 27: Monte Vista at Valhalla (Top Photos by Kirk Gentry)
(Bottom Photos by Mark Gonzales)
West Hills, predicted for an also-ran finish, shocked
the favored Grossmont Foothillers, ranked No. 2 in the
San Diego CIF, scoring seven runs in its first two at-bats.
The Wolf Pack continued on to a 13-7 victory.
“I’m really disappointed in our kids,”
said Foothillers coach ROB PHILLIPS. “We really
stunk it up. It’s like we’re still on spring
break. We as coaches could see that in our past two
practices and that lackadaisical approach carried over
to this game.”
Different attitude at West Hills (8-4, 1-0 GNL).
The visiting Wolf Pack pounded Grossmont’s top
pitchers for 15 hits, including a 4-for-4 effort by
senior centerfielder RYNE BARKLEY, who drove in five
runs. Although no one in the West Hills dugout was chatting
about it, Barkley was a home run shy of hitting for
the cycle.
That may sound like a long distance from completion,
but remember this is Gizoni Field where the long ball
is known as the frequent flyer.
Only two balls left the park on this day. Grossmont’s
KYLE SECCIANI smacked a grand slam over the short porch
in right, which at the time, cut West Hills lead to
7-4.
West Hills’ ERIC McKNIGHT ripped a “monster”
2-run shot over the fence in left field to extend the
Wolf Pack lead to 9-6 in the 4th inning.
“You can’t ask for a better start,”
declared West Hills coach CHRIS BAUM. “(Grossmont)
is ranked what, No. 2 in the county? My boys believe
they can beat anybody. There’s never been a team
that I’ve coached that plays with as much confidence
as these guys do. Going to Grossmont and playing at
that field can really psych a team out, but we don’t
let it bother us.”
It wasn’t until the Wolf Pack scored three runs
in the 7th inning that Baum could rest easy. Pinch-hitter
MICHAEL LOBAUGH walked and WILL CRUMPLER ran for him.
CHRIS ALLEN followed with a bunt single and TONY SPEARS
walked to load the bases.
With West Hills leading 10-7, Grossmont brought its
infield in tight. Barkley pierced the Foothillers’
defense with a single up the middle to score two runs.
Spears eventually scored on a wild pitch and that –
for all intents and purposes – ended the game.
“You’re never comfortable until the final
out is made on that field, by any means – you never
know if a team will come back on you,” Baum said.
“There’s just something about that field.”
The top third of the West Hills batting order –
Allen, Spears and Barkley – was a combined 10-for-13
with nine runs scored and six RBI. Not to be forgotten
was GABRIEL ZEHNER, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
West Hills was picked to finish 4th in the six-team
league race.
“I’m completely happy with being the darkhorse,”
Baum said. “We’re perfectly okay flying under
the radar. The boys love surprising people, they’re
happy with what they have accomplished. We don’t
worry about rankings.”
CONOR MEREDITH accounted for half of Grossmont’s
six hits.
“I am surprised that we came into this game without
a little sense of urgency after losing to (top-ranked)
Poway (8-2 in the Lions semifinals),” said Phillips.
“Give West Hills because they came in to play.
We had no answers to anything they did today.”
SANTANA 9, EL CAJON VALLEY 1 – Two teams
with impressive showings in the Lions Tournament and
notable win streaks opened Thursday’s (Mar. 27)
Grossmont North League season at El Cajon Valley.
Santana capitalized on seven El Cajon Valley errors
to score three unearned runs. That spoiled six strong
innings by senior right-hander ADRIAN PADILLA, who should
have been leading 1-0 heading into the 7th. The hinges,
however, came off in the final frame as Santana parlayed
six hits, three errors, a walk and a sacrifice fly into
6 runs and an eight-run lead.
JAMES NEEDY hammered a long two-run home run in that
wild inning. Four Santana pinch-hitters were a combined
1-for-2 with a double by CHAD HAMILTON and a sacrifice
fly by TRAVIS PELLETIER.
RYAN STUTZ drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly
and a two-run single for Santana while increasing his
hitting streak to 10 games. Sophomore CODY SMITH was
3-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Despite admitting that he didn’t have his best
stuff, Santana pitcher BRANDYN BELL scattered five hits,
walked one and struck out 6 during a 7-inning stint,
sending the visiting Sultans (9-2, 1-0 GNL) to their
eighth straight win.
“My fastball wasn’t there, but my off-speed
was there,” said Bell, who improved to 3-1. “Toward
the later stages of the game I swear I was throwing
harder than I was at the beginning.”
Bell, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple, surrendered
his only run in the opening frame. He contributed to
his own woes that frame by hitting leadoff man ANTHONY
VROLIJK who advanced to second on EFRIN PADILLA’s
single. Vrolijk stole third and scored on ABEL CERVANTES’
ground ball.
The Braves (8-5, 0-1 GNL) threatened again in the 2nd
as CAMERON LAUDERMILK led off with a single, but was
cut down attempting to steal by Santana catcher DUSTIN
BUMBAR. The Sultans senior receiver nailed two would-be
base bandits.
“Dustin has been a real pleasant surprise behind
the plate for us,” Santana coach JERRY HENSON said.
“He has a real quick release and is accurate with
his throws. On top of that, he calls a real fine ballgame.”
El Cajon Valley saw its six-game winning streak end
and its state-record league losing streak that began
in 1997 climb to 123 games.
“I don’t know if we were too confident or
what,” El Cajon Valley coach MIKE RUPP said. “We’re
not good enough to just throw our gloves out there and
win.”
The Braves were missing two players from their 13-man
roster. One was allegedly playing baseball in Mexico.
The other was working at Sea World.
“I’ll make it work with what’ve I got,”
Rupp said. “We were right there, down just 2-1
after four innings and 3-1 after six.”
Henson could see a difference in the Braves’ overall
performance. So could Bell.
“They are just a whole different team than last
year,” Bell said.
“Them swinging the bat – they all came swinging
it hard,” Bell said. “They hit a lot of good
balls off me. Fortunately, my defense was making plays
behind me.”
Bell was backed by an error-free defense, anchored
by some sparkling plays by shortstop Stutz.
VALHALLA 5-4, MONTE VISTA 4-0 – The host
Valhalla Norsemen overcame a 4-1 deficit in Thursday’s
(Mar. 27) first game of a Grossmont South League opening
double-header to sweep upstart Monte Vista and establish
itself as a genuine contender.
The Norsemen (8-4, 2-0 GSL) scored singled tallies
in each of the final five innings, climaxing the comeback
with pinch-hitter JOSH AUSTEL’s double into the
left-field corner that scored FRANCISCO TELLEZ with
the game-winning run in the opener.
Tellez pitched three innings of one-hit shutout relief
to pick up his second win in three decisions.
Game two was all about pitching. Valhalla ’s TREVOR
FRANK and JAKE BOEKAMP turned in a sterling effort,
blanking the Monarchs (4-7, 0-2 GSL) on four hits. Frank
worked the first six frames and struck out nine to pick
up his second win in four decisions.
"Trevor threw a great game again today,”
said Valhalla coach MIKE WILSON. “He was pounding
the strike zone with all three pitches."
Valhalla took the lead early as RYAN O’SULLIVAN’s
5th home run – a rocket to left center with two
out – gave the Norsemen a 1-0 lead in the 1st frame.
Valhalla doubled its advantage an inning later as WILL
COOMBS drew a bases-loaded walk. DANNY HAWKSLEY’s
one-out single in the 3rd put Valhalla ’s offense
into motion again. Once again Austel delivered the big
blow as he hammered a 2-run homer over the left-field
fence.
"Josh came in and put a good swing on a pitch
with two strikes,” said Wilson. “He has been
swinging well in practice and it was nice to see it
carry over to the games today."
Hawksley finished the twinbill 3-for-6 while Frank
was 3-for-4.
"We put the ball in play a lot today,” said
Wilson. “We made them work for most of the outs
in both games. I'll take a groundout or flyout versus
a strikeout any day."
Monte Vista ’s MATT BOELTER was 3-for-6 to extend
his current hitting streak to eight games.
“Scoring four runs in two games isn’t going
to work,” said Monte Vista coach BRANDON ROGERS.
The Monarchs skipper did salute his pitchers, ERIC
LaBOUBE and ANTHONY MARCON.
“Our pitching was excellent – LaBoube pitched
fabulous. He pitched well enough to win,” said
Rogers. “We just have to work on the hitting aspect
of the game. We need to be able to drive in runs.”
GRANITE HILLS 9-21, MOUNT MIGUEL 7-0 –
Anyone doubting Granite Hills’ current No. 3 San
Diego CIF ranking or whether the visiting Eagles have
the firepower to capture a 4th straight Grossmont South
League pennant might want to look again.
Granite Hills (9-2, 2-0 GSL) came out swinging in Thursday’s
(Mar. 27) league opening double-header at Mount Miguel.
In the processes of recording the sweep, the Eagles
posted a most interesting mark. That is, 24 of the 25
Granite Hills batters to take a turn at the plate in
the twinbill came away with at least one hit.
In the nightcap — a 21-0 thrashing halted after
five innings — all 16 Granite Hills batters contributed
to a 20-hit assault. DANIEL VINTON was 3-for-4 with
a double and 3 RBI. He also scored two runs, one less
than JOSH QUERIONES and TYLER PONCIANO.
Granite Hills sophomore JARED HUNT accounted for eight
runs in the blowout, driving in five with a pair of
triples. He also scored three runs.
Winning pitcher DEAN MILLER (3-1) joined in the Granite
Hills hit parade with a three-run home run in the second
of consecutive 8-run innings. Miller blanked the Matadors
on three hits while striking out six over four innings.
BRIAN HUMPHRIES, who broke the Granite Hills career
record for runs scored (he now has 111), laced a 2-run
double in the first 8-run inning of Game 2. Humphries
scored two runs in each game, breaking the previous
Granite Hills record for runs scored of 108 set by MARCUS
GILES (1994-96).
“We were really swinging it,” understated
Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS, whose Eagles totaled
32 hits in the two games.
In an otherwise long afternoon for Mount Miguel (6-5,
0-2 GSL) freshman RUDY BURRUEL was 5-for-6 with a double
and 2 RBI.
Things started out well for Mount Miguel as JAMES TREBUS
took charge. His solo home run in the 1st inning created
a 1-1 tie. Burruel’s RBI double keyed a 4-run 2nd
inning for a 5-1 lead that held up for four innings.
Mount Miguel ’s defense fell apart in the later
innings, which ultimately spoiled Trebus’ pitching
effort.
“Trebus is much improved over last year,”
said Davis. “He has better command and a livelier
fastball. He’s going to be tough to beat in league
this year.”
The Eagles snapped a 7-7 deadlock in the top of the
7th inning of the opener. KAMERON ASKEY led off with
a triple to left-center field and scored on a wild pitch.
The Eagles added an insurance run on a pair of walks,
a wild pitch and DYLAN GARCIA’s sacrifice fly.
STEELE CANYON 3-2, HELIX 1-3 — The pitchers
dominated this Grossmont South League-opening double
header Thursday (Mar. 27) in La Mesa.
The Cougars (6-4, 1-1 GSL) captured game one thanks
to an overpowering pitching performance by junior left-hander
ANDREW BELLATTI, who limited the Highlanders to four
singles and no earned runs while striking out 11.
After picking up an unearned run in the 3rd inning
the Cougars made it 2-0 on ADRIAN CASTRO’s RBI
single in the 5th.
Helix fought back on MIKE ANDRADE’s run-scoring
single in the 6th.
Andrew Bellatti then put the game on ice with a solo
home run in the 7th.
Helix (3-7, 1-1 GSL) bounced back to capture the nightcap
for its third win in its last four decisions.
Andrade blanked the Cougars on 2 hits over five innings
to log his first win in three decisions. BLAZE McENTEE
and MIKE LOPEZ finished the job with Lopez earning his
first save.
Steele Canyon starter ALEX CEBALLOS was the hard luck
loser, allowing only one earned run in 4 2/3 innings.
MARK BELLATTI hit a solo home run to get the Cougars
on the board in the 6th inning.
The Cougars’ comeback continued in the 7th as
NOLAN MURRAY led off with a single and advanced to second
on a groundout. DONNIE FRANK doubled to score Murray
and make a one-run game out of it.
The Cougars could do no more as they stranded the potential
tying run at second base.
“I’m tickled pink to get a split with these
guys,” Helix coach COLE HOLLAND said. “We’ve
suffered some heartbreaking losses this season, but
our kids play hard regardless of the score. I keep telling
them that good things happen when they do that. And
of late a few things have gone our way.”
Holland praised the pitching of junior MIKE ORTIZ,
who did not allow an earned run in 3 2/3 innings in
the opener against Steele Canyon.
“He’s kind of a diamond in the rough for
us,” Holland said. “To tell you the truth
he might be our best pitcher right now.”
The next best thing to Lana Turner 'Spectator' Ferreira scores game-winning run
TRIVIA
-- According to movie legend, Oscar
nominated
actress Lana Turner was discovered by a producer
while she was simply sitting on a fountain stool
at Schwab's Drugstore in Hollywood in 1937.
PREDICTIONS
Hillers, Eagles, tabbed as East County's pennant
winners
Here are the East County Sports.com predictions
for the four league races.
Grossmont
North: 1. Grossmont — Few teams can
match the offensive output of the Foothillers,
who are averaging more than 10 runs per game
and are batting at a .358 clip.
BRYAN HAAR, DEREK BAUM, JOSH SIMMS and
CHARLIE PIRO lead the potent attack. Curveball-happy
LEVI STEVENS is the ace of a pitching staff
that will determine whether Grossmont can
capture its third straight GNL pennant.
AARON GRIFFIN and STEVEN BRAULT are key
ingredients in the Foothillers pitching
staff.
2. El Capitan — Pitching-heavy
El Capitan is seeking its first league title
since 2005 and may have enough talent to
meet that goal. KEVIN MORTON, MILES REAGAN
and MARCO MARISCAL give the Vaqueros a solid
pitching staff. Junior KORBIN KRUGER has
been a pleasant surprise with the bat. Catcher
TANNER RUST, sophomore BROOKS NOBLE and
the versatile Morton will also contribute
offensively.
3. Santana — The Sultans probably
won’t lead many offensive categories,
but the 1-2 pitching punch of JAMES NEEDY
and BRANDYN BELL make Santana a solid contender.
The Sultans venture into their league opener
riding an eight-game winning streak. The
wild card for Santana is RYAN STUTZ, who
is a triple threat as a hitter, shortstop
and pitcher. Sophomore KYLE HAYES has added
unplanned contributions with the bat.
4. West Hills — Don’t
overlook the Wolf Pack this spring. West
Hills’ best three pitchers rank among
the top seven in the ERA tables. GABRIEL
ZEHNER, BRANDON HAMILTON and ROBBY ROBLES
are a combined 7-1. Speedster RYNE BARKLEY
and sluggers ERIC McKNIGHT and DAVID BRISTOL
give West Hills the capability of rising
a notch or two in the standings.
5. El Cajon Valley — This band
of Braves has high hopes after an 8-4 start
during the preseason. Remember, this program
holds the state record for consecutive losses,
which stands at 122 in a row. Buoyed by
the hitting of ABEL CERVANTES, the double
threat of the PADILLA brothers, ADRIAN and
EFRIN, and the pitching of MATT THOMAS,
that streak should come to an end.
Grossmont South: 1. Granite Hills — The fact
that junior southpaw TRAVIS HOPPER proved
he could outlast Poway – the top team
in the San Diego CIF Section – speaks
volumes for a steady pitching staff. Right-hander
DEAN MILLER came within one batter of a
perfect game. KENNY BELZER has supplied
early power and outfielders BRIAN HUMPHRIES
and JOSH QUERIONES are hitting well and
providing quality leadership as the Eagles
seek to four-peat as GSL champions.
2. Valhalla — RYAN O’SULLIVAN
is the best pitcher in East County, which
means the Norsemen should be able to chalk
up a win every time he appears. Biggest
question here is whether the Norsemen can
generate enough offense to reach the top
rung of the GSL ladder. Other keys to the
Valhalla puzzle are third baseman DANNY
HAWKSLEY and pitcher-outfielder TREVOR FRANK.
3. Steele Canyon — ANDREW BELLATTI,
a junior right-hander, is a blue-chipper
capable of shutting down any offense in
town. He’s not too bad with the stick,
batting at a .381 clip. His senior brother
MARK BELLATTI is also a double threat. This
squad is also loaded with co-stars and should
keep the pressure on the aforementioned
teams.
4. Mount Miguel — For the first
time in recent memory the Matadors have
both depth and quality in a pitching staff
featuring JAMES TREBUS, RUDDY ACOSTA and
ANDREW MAZON. That in itself makes Mount
Miguel a factor in the circuit challenge.
5. Monte Vista — First-year
head coach BRANDON ROGERS seems to have
the Monarchs marching in step. ERIC GENTRY
and the MORRIS brothers, MATT and CODY,
along with MATT BOELTER have Monte Vista
producing runs. The pitching staff has shown
signs of sparkle, but consistency remains
a question mark.
6. Helix — Coach COLE HOLLAND
should wear a hard hat since his Highlanders
are indeed in a rebuilding mode. Only BENNY
GUERRERO (.320) is batting better than .290
and the pitching staff is sketchy.
Eastern League: Christian moves up to the more elite Eastern
League this season, which means facing off against
a viable opponent nearly every start. This is should
be a shoot-out between perennial high-rollers Patrick
Henry, Mira Mesa and St. Augustine.
For Christian, it’s a question of pitching,
which is, well, questionable in terms of depth.
The Patriots have some offensive firepower in
TAYLOR EICHHORST, EDDIE YOUNG and NIKO KANAKARIS,
who have 14 home runs among them.
Citrus West: This race is anyone’s guess. Early
front-runners include Christian Life Academy
Lutheran and the San Diego Jewish Academy.
Foothills Christian (0-2, 3-4) has
improved, but is considered a longshot for
a league title.
Predicted order of finish:
1. Patrick Henry
2. Mira Mesa
3. St. Augustine 4. Christian
5. Serra
6. Scripps Ranch
7. Morse
Junior MIKE FERREIRA was leaning against the fence watching
the game with one out in the bottom of the 7th inning
and the score tied.
“I saw Ferreira over there and asked him, 'Do
you want to run?' And he said, 'Sure.'"
It wasn’t quite like Clark Kent ducking into a
phone booth and emerging as Superman, but Ferreira ran
into the Christian clubhouse in search of a uniform
and cleats.
“I know there were uniforms in there that would
probably fit him, but the shoes… I don’t know
where he found those,” Mitchell said. “Fortunately
for us, we bought some time when (Point Loma coach Jon)
Posternack went out to the mound to talk to his pitcher.”
Ferreira proved to be a quick change artist and went
into the game as a pinch runner for MICHAEL GRUBER,
who began the 7th with a ground rule double to left.
After the Pointers intentionally walked TAYLOR EICHHORST,
NIKO KANAKARIS laced a 2-1 pitch to center field for
a base hit, allowing Ferreira to score the winning run.
Mitchell noted that Ferreira had been in Christian’s
baseball program the previous two years and was on the
2008 preseason roster.
“Mike wasn’t sure whether he wanted to concentrate
on lifting weights for football or play baseball,”
Mitchell said. “Now he’s a part of our baseball
team again. We can use him because we don’t have
a lot of team speed.”
Kanakaris continued his torrid hitting for Christian
(9-3) with three hits in four at-bats against the Pointers.
He hit his 5th home run with a man aboard, giving Christian
a 4-0 lead in the 3rd inning.
Kanakaris has hit in six straight games, batting at
a .591 clip (13 for 22).
Point Loma collected seven hits – all singles
– to score five runs in the 4th inning and assume
the lead.
“I don’t know what it is about this team
but we just seem to come from ahead, fall behind and
then win,” Mitchell said.
Christian tied it in the bottom of the 4th. MICHAEL
STOWERS doubled to right and advanced to third on MICHAEL
POTEET’s hit. Stowers scored on Gruber’s fly
ball to left.
BRAD ROBERTSON pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief
to post his 4th win without a loss.
“We don’t even think about starting him,”
Mitchell said. “But he could wind up pitching in
every game the rest of the way. Whether it’s the
1st inning, the 4th inning or the 7th inning, he’s
probably our best pitcher.
Robertson is not a fire-baller.
“What he does is throw strikes,” Mitchell
said, “and his ball sinks like crazy.”
Wed., Mar. 26
City Conference Tournament
PATRIOTS 6, POINTERS 5
Point Loma (3-6)
Christian (9-3)
000 500 0-5 8 3
103 100 1-6 8 2
Two outs when winning
run scored.
Nielsen, Briones (5) and Martin; Johnston, Robertson
(4) and Gruber. W-Robertson (4-0). L-Briones (0-3).
HR-Kanakaris (C,5) 3rd, one on.
Mar. 24: Christian at
University City (Slideshow by Paul
Gallegos)
It'll be a more challenging proposition, yet
the Division IV Patriots believe they possess
enough pitching to not only be competitive, but
perhaps challenge the lineup of Division I and
Division II large-school programs.
On Monday (Mar. 24), Christian faced their first
obstacle to see how they might fare against Eastern
League opposition by opening play in the City
Conference Tournament. And the results proved
favorable.
Powered by six strong innings by starting pitcher
JOHN GEE, the Patriots (8-3) staved off defending
CIF Division III champion University City, 5-4.
"We're here to win every game," noted
senior NIKO KANAKARIS. "It really was a team
effort -- both pitching and hitting."
Gee fought off some spring break rust in the
first inning, yielding two runs on four hits.
But after some adjustments, the senior tossed
five frames of 1-hit ball to subdue the Centurions
(6-5).
“The mound was a little bit messed up, so
I went out and fixed it, then everything was good
after that and I got into a groove," said
Gee, a senior who hopes to pitch for Grossmont
College next season. "
Over the past four seasons, the Patriots posted
a composite 39-9 record in route to a pair of
league pennants. Can the success continue in the
Eastern League?
"I think we all have pretty good arms,"
noted Gee. "We have MICHAEL POTEET, who has
a good arm and adds variety to our squad, and
some other guys. We'll be okay.”
The bottom third of the Christian batting order
did well early, going a collected 4-for-4 with
two walks and a pair of runs scored through the
first two trips through the line-up.
"The bottom of the order did a good job
picking us up and getting us the win," said
Kanakaris, the designated hitter who went 2-for-4.
"
A 3-run rally in the 4th saw Poteet's single
to center score a run. And when the relay throw
to third landed in the Centurions' dugout, BRADLEY
JOHNSTON was awarded home plate to tie the contest.
Catcher MICHAEL GRUBER followed with a go-ahead
single.
In the 6th, Poteet reached on catcher's interference,
eventually scoring on a booming double to left-centerfield
by EDDIE YOUNG. And a 7th inning run, which proved
important, saw ADAM NASH mash a lead double, later
scoring on a perfect squeeze bunt by MICHAEL STOWER.
"I thing we're going to have a great season,"
added Kanakaris. “We have some leaders on
the team who are coming around with their hitting.
It was an all-around good job -- a team effort."
University City (6-5) registered consecutive
triples to start its 7th to chase Gee, but BRAD
ROBERTSON entered to shut the door and register
his second save of the season.
The victory elevated El Cajon Valley’s overall
mark to 8-4. That’s the most victories by
an ECV squad since the 1999 Braves went 8-20.
The current winning streak is the longest at
El Cajon Valley since 1995.
As an added bonus the Braves beat Horizon, where
Rupp was an assistant coach last season.
“Yeah this one was special because I know
all the kids at Horizon,” he said. The Panthers
(6-5) were chiding Rupp and his new team throughout
the game.
But the Braves got the last word.
With the score knotted at 2-2, senior ANTHONY
VROLIJK got the Braves in the bottom of the 7th
when he was hit by a pitch. EFREN PADILLA singled.
ABEL CERVANTES, the SDCIF’s leading hitter,
loaded the bases when the Horizon left-fielder
dropped the ball for an error. ADRIAN PADILLA
lifted a second fly ball to left field that allowed
Vrolijk to score the winning run.
“I knew this would be a tough game from
a mental standpoint,” Rupp said. “I
didn’t want our kids to be satisfied with
winning the Lions (Tournament Division 1A) championship
last week.”
“We need to move on. We didn’t play
our best game of the year but we played well enough
to win. And that’s what counts.”
El Cajon Valley’s pitcher, MATT THOMAS,
scattered 8 hits over seven innings to post his
SDCIF-leading fifth win without a loss. The senior
right-hander walked one and struck out five.
“Probably the best thing that Matt does
is he throws strikes and gets a lot of ground
ball,” Rupp said. “I’ve assured
him we have a good defense behind, that his teammates
can make plays.”
El Cajon Valley rolled two double plays against
Horizon.
The Braves took the lead in the 4th inning on
an inside-the-park home run by GAVINO PINAL. It
was Pinal’s second home run of the year.
The Panthers countered with a run in the 5th,
but the Braves moved back in front on Adrian Padilla’s
RBI single in the bottom of the 5th.
Again Horizon came back to tie the game in the
top of the 6th, but it didn’t matter.
Cervantes, who entered the game batting .735
(25 for 34) had only one hit in four at-bats.
However, he did extend his current hitting streak
to seven games – one fewer than Vrolijk,
who has hit in eight straight. Vrolijk reached
base in three of his four at-bats, which included
being hit by a pitch twice.
“Everybody is doing something to make us
win,” Rupp said. “All of our players
have roles.”
Mon., Mar. 24
City Conference Tournament
PATRIOTS 5, CENTURIONS 4
Christian (8-3)
University City (6-5)
000 301 1 - 5 8 2
200 000 2 - 4 7 1
Gee, Robertson
(7) and Gruber; Noack, Geilenfeldt (3),
Fort (3) and Cafcules. W-Gee (4-1). L-Geilenfeldt
(0-1). S-Robertson (2).
Non-League
BRAVES 3, PANTHERS 2
Horizon (6-5)
El Cajon Valley (8-4)
000 011 0 - 2 8 2
000 110 1 - 3 7 2
One out when winning
run scored.
Gwinn, Bailon (5), Saquilon (7) and White.
Thomas and Laudermilk. W-Thomas (5-0). L-Saquilon.
HR-Pinal (2) 4th, solo.
And Santana was desperately looking everywhere
for help.
"And I only had five innings left because
I already pitched five innings this week,"
noted Sultans ace JAMES NEEDY. "So RYAN STUTZ
was told to pitch -- and he did a great job."
Stutz didn't volunteer for the role -- better,
he was told he was going to pitch -- yet it turned
out to be a great move.
“Ryan is the anchor of our defense,”
Santana coach JERRY HENSON said. “I hate
to break up our infield by asking him to pitch.
But we needed help on the hill and Ryan certainly
gave it to us.”
In his first pitching outing of the season (except
for a micro-brief, 2-pitch performance against
Carlsbad on Mar. 8), Stutz delivered.
The junior pitched a complete-game, 2-hitter
to mow down Mission Hills, 3-0, in the semifinals,
then was in the center of two Santana rallies
in the nightcap to outlast St. Augustine , 4-3,
to allow Santana to capture the 5A Division title
Thursday (Mar. 20) at Grossmont College.
For his efforts, Stutz was named the division's
most valuable player at the 58th annual event.
"I was nervous -- real nervous," admitted
Stutz. "But once I got out there, I was ready
to go."
The coaching staff noted that the right-hander
has thrown several bullpen sessions, liking the
movement of his fastball. So rearing back and
firing, Stutz registered 10 strikeouts of Grizzlies
batters.
“Stutz had a lot on his mind because they
buried his grandfather on Tuesday,” Henson
said. “This was his first ever varsity pitching
start and he was outstanding. He had a nasty curveball.
That was his ‘out’ pitch.
“A lot of guys nowadays throw a ‘slurve’
instead a 12-to-6 curve like Stutz threw. It made
a major difference for him.”
Stutz also scored an important insurance run
in the 7th inning. With one out, he lined the
first of three consecutive singles, as BRANDYN
BELL moved Stutz to third, then scored on a KYLE
HAYES basehit.
Santana's other runs came in the 4th on a 2-run
double by DALLAS SEIDEL. His blast to the wall
in left-center field followed back-to-back leadoff
singles by Hayes and Needy.
In the championship contest, Needy, who entered
with a 3-0 record and a flawless earned-run average,
allowed his first earned runs of the season. But
after Santana gained its second lead at 4-2, he
pitched out of a pair of jams to maintain the
advantage.
"They got a runner on second with no outs
once, and they got another runner to third, but
the guys made plays behind me," noted Needy.
"Kyle (Hayes) made a couple of grabs at third,
and Saints hit a ball to the gap that ANTHONY
(MORENO) caught."
Bell came on and tossed two innings of no-hit
ball to register his second save of the season,
tying him with JAMES TREBUS of Mount Miguel for
the East County lead.
The lead changed twice in the early innings.
Santana scored in the 1st on a two-out double by
Stutz, scoring on a Hayes basehit.
The Saints pulled even in the bottom of the inning,
but not without controversy.
Following an RBI triple by Saints centerfielder
Colin Hofmann, the senior tried to come home on
a tapper to the mound. Needy threw the ball to
DUSTIN BUMBAR, who got barrel-rolled.
Bumbar hung on to the ball, bleeding from the
mouth, while Hofmann was out and immediately ejected
by the plate umpire.
