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EL CAJON - More than 600 of JOE GIZONI's
family members and friends came to
the Grossmont High School varsity baseball diamond Sunday (April
27) to
celebrate the memory of the man who shared his life with so many
in East
County.
The 82-year-old Gizoni, who died of a heart
attack on April 19, was
remembered for his countless hours of dedication and contributions
to the
students-athletes of Grossmont High.
The baseball field - where the tribute was
conducted - was prepped as if it
were a game day. The bases were in place, the base lines chalked,
grass
freshly mowed and the Star Spangled Banner was played. Flags were
resting at
half-mast.
Grossmont's volunteer statistician and public
address announcer BILL DUNNING
offered his traditional call "Play ball," at the conclusion
of the National
Anthem.
Only the reliable, ever-resourceful Gizoni
was missing from the simulated
game-day ritual.
Speakers included Gizoni's son, CHARLES,
Grossmont baseball coach ROB
PHILLIPS, former Foothillers baseball coach and now ASB Advisor
JEFF
MEREDITH, and Dunning, as well as former Grossmont High football/swim
coach
and long-time Gizoni fishing buddy GENE ANDREWS, among others.
(04-27-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Anybody who has been around East
County high school athletics the
past four decades would recognize the face if not the name of
JOE GIZONI.
Truly an East County icon, Gizoni was a pillar of the community
in his own
unassuming way. Although his connection was clearly with Grossmont
High
School, where he had served as equipment manager and volunteer-extraordinaire
since the early 1960s, Gizoni was a common presence at countless
East County
sports activities - boys, girls, high school, college - he was
there. One of
those rare individuals who was devoted to providing a smooth playground
for
the youth around him, Gizoni, 82, died of a heart attack on Saturday
night
(April 19). He WILL be missed.
"As far as I'm concerned, the 'G' in
Grossmont stands for Gizoni," said
Foothillers baseball coach ROB PHILLIPS.
Phillips and JEFF MEREDITH, the present
Grossmont High Associated Student
Body director and former baseball coach, were both huge fans of
Gizoni, who
did "all those little things" to make the Foothillers'
baseball program run
smoothly. He offered similar support for the other sports programs.
A low-key personality, it was common to
find Gizoni raking the field,
chalking the baselines or hoisting the flag hours before a Grossmont
varsity
baseball home game. Moments after the first pitch, Gizoni would
don his
chef's hat and fire up the barbecue next to the Grossmont High
concession
stand. The man was a one-man gang, whether it came to shoveling,
sweeping or
cooking.
Gizoni was the king of the greatest band
of volunteers any East County high
school has enjoyed, but he was quick to give credit to his closest
compadres,
PATSY EARLY and BILL DUNNING among others.
"Everybody ever associated with Grossmont
High School sports knew Joe
Gizoni," Phillips said.
In honor of their beloved best fan, the
Foothillers named the school's
varsity baseball field "Joe Gizoni Field" four years
ago.
In a surprise birthday celebration at the
El Cajon Community Center, the
Grossmont baseball community presented Gizoni with an all-expenses-paid
trip
to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. two years ago.
"Joe was so happy to make that trip," Phillips said.
To truly realize Joe's humanity and dedication
one only need know of the
stray cat at the ball field he adopted some time back and named
"Boots." The
cat lives in the Foothillers' home dugout and waits for Joe's
arrival for
breakfast every morning.
"The impact of Joe's death really hit
me when Marge (Gizoni's wife) called me
Easter Sunday at 8:30 in the morning to tell me what had happened
and asked
if I could feed Boots," said Phillips, who was stunned by
the news of
Gizoni's passing.
A memorial service is planned for Gizoni
on the field that bears his name on
Sunday (April 27) at 1 pm.
(04-21-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - If El Capitan (13-2) isn't the
No. 1 team in San Diego County it
has to be awfully close. The Vaqueros compiled a .388 team batting
average,
belted 9 home runs, and scored 46 runs as they finished third
in the
prestigious Toyo Tire National Classic in Orange County with three
wins in
four starts. Coach STEVE VICKERY's club concluded the tournament
on Thursday
(April 17) with a 15-2 romp over Mission Bay - the current No.1-ranked
crew
in San Diego County.
BRANDON RAUCH and JASON GUZMAN were named to the all-tournament team.
Rauch, who hit .412 (7-for-17) with six
extra-base hits and 9 RBI in the four
games, flexed up to batter the Buccaneers (15-3) for two homers,
a double and
5 RBI in Thursday's finale.
"Brandon was struggling the first part
of the year, but he caught fire up
here," Vickery said. "He's been a lot more relaxed at
the plate. He's not
pressing so much. He appears to be locked in, which is a good
thing as there
is a lot of baseball left to be played this season."
Guzman, who was 8-for-14 (.517) with three
homers, 7 runs and 7 RBI plus a
complete-game pitching win in the tournament, was a modest 2-for-3
against
Mission Bay. He did bang the Bucs for his East County-tying 7th
home run with
a man aboard in the 3rd inning.
AUSTIN RAUCH joined El Capitan's home run parade with a solo shot in the 3rd.
El Capitan built an 11-0 lead before the
Bucs could find the scoreboard. That
was no doubt a comforting feeling for junior right-hander BURKE
DRAHEIM, who
scattered 8 hits en route to his third win without a loss.
"Playing up here against all these
great teams gave our kids confidence,"
Vickery said. " Now they think they can play with anybody."
While the Vaqueros were pounding their way
into national prominence, rain
continued to wreak havoc on the 53rd annual Lions Tournament in
San Diego
County. The inclement weather pelted players three of the scheduled
four
days, eventually causing tournament officials to cancel the semifinals
and
finals slated for Thursday. No make-ups are planned.
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY, April 16 - Stories updated:
EL CAPITAN 15, CENTENNIAL (Nev.) 5 - Something about Orange County air brings
out the best in El Capitan outfielder BRANDON RAUCH. The 6-foot-2,
210-pound
senior drove in 4 runs with a two-run homer and a double as the
Vaqueros
(12-1) extended their winning streak to 12 games in Wednesday's
(April 16)
second round of the Toyo Tire National Classic.
Five was El Capitan's lucky number in this
game, as the Vaqueros divided
their 15 runs into thirds of five runs in the 2nd inning, five
in the 3rd and
5 in the 6th.
Rauch, who went 4-for-10 in the first two
National Classic encounters, capped
the first fistful of runs with a 2-run double to left center.
El Capitan plated another five-spot in the
3rd inning. Walks to VERN WENGELER
and JORDAN ANDERSON set the stage for NIK GARCIA's 3-run home
run. That blow
made it 8-0 and the Vaqueros tacked on two more tallies as JORDAN
ABRUZZO
picked up an RBI with a bases-loaded walk and Wengeler smacked
an RBI single.
"The fives were certainly wild for
us as we batted around in two consecutive
innings," El Capitan coach STEVE VICKERY said.
Anderson's line-drive double steered the
Vaqueros onto a third 5-run inning
in the 6th. ROBBIE ZABIEREK's single up the middle cashed in Anderson
to
make it 11-5. After singles by JASON GUZMAN and JOSH WALSTON loaded
the
bases, El Capitan punched in runs on sacrifice flies by SHAUN
BLAKE and
Guzman. Rauch supplied the crowning blow with his fourth home
run with a man
aboard.
Walston finished 3-for-3 for El Capitan,
which raked four Centennial pitchers
for 15 hits.
Guzman turned in a complete-game 5-hitter
to earn his East County-leading 5th
victory against one loss.
The victory set the stage for a possible
meeting with the nation's No.
1-ranked team La Quinta. But that showdown was nullified when
Taylorville's
(Utah) toppled the injury-riddled Blackhawks 10-1 in Wednesday's
quarterfinals.
TAYLORSVILLE (Utah) 8, EL CAPITAN 1 - The Vaqueros met their match in
Wednesday night's (April 16) semifinals, losing to the eventual
champions of
the Toyo Tire National Classic at Cal State Fullerton.
Taylorsville's UOP-bound Mike Mathews put
the heavy-hitting Vaqueros on a
steady diet of frustration. The senior right-hander, who was named
the
tournament's MVP, limited the Vaqueros to a season low 4 hits,
while striking
out 8.
Despite seeing their lengthy win streak
end, El Capitan managed to avoid the
shutout with a run in the bottom of the 7th inning. VERN WENGELER
doubled and
eventually came home on JORDAN ANDERSON'S infield groundout.
"Playing under the lights is just a
different game," Vickery said. "Of
course, the other team was playing the same lights and they didn't
have much
trouble. A couple close calls led to walks and we made some back-breaking
errors and it all stacked up against us."
HELIX 11, SAN BERNARDINO CAJON 7 - The Highlanders broke out of an offensive
slumber to earn a berth in Thursday's (April 17) semifinals of
the AAAA
Division of the Lions Tournament. That came as quite a relief
for second-year
Helix head coach COLE HOLLAND and his squad, which began the season
2-11.
But after spending eight hours at their
home ballpark on Wednesday (April
16), all Holland and his troops could do Thursday was sit inside
the dugout
at San Diego Mesa College and watch the rain fall. The struggling
Highlanders
(4-11) were slated to play Castle Park in the AAAA Division semifinals,
but
lost out to the weather.
Helix played marathon ball on Wednesday,
pounding out 14 hits and surviving a
dozen walks to grab a victory over the Cowboys from San Bernardino
in 10
innings.
Senior third baseman RYAN HULBERT belted
a two-run home run to break a 5-5
tie in the 8th inning and then keyed the winning rally with a
2-run single in
the 10th.
DREW FOY was 4-for-5 and MATT POWELL collected
3 hits and one RBI for Helix.
MIKE LIEBERKNECHT chipped in with a pair of hits and two RBI.
ROBERT STEVENS survived a shaky defense
and pitched 8 1/3 innings in the
opener, making two appearances on the mound and earning his first
save. OSCAR
VILLASENOR was credited with his first win in three decisions.
USDHS 10, HELIX 9 -
Just when it appeared that host Helix might be blown out
in the nightcap, falling behind 6-0 after 3 innings, the Highlanders
battled
back to take a lead before succumbing in eight innings under the
lights.
Five Helix pitchers combined to hand out
14 free passes (13 walks, one hit
batter), but the Highlanders still managed to make a game of it.
Trailing 8-2 entering the bottom of the
5th, the Highlanders scrambled back
with 5 runs on 5 hits that included NATE METROKA's solo homer
and RBI singles
by Hulbert and JESSE GARCIA.
The Highlanders took a 9-8 lead in the 6th
inning on Hulbert's two-run homer.
But the visiting Dons scored single runs in the 7th and 8th innings
to pull
out the victory.
GRANITE HILLS 4, ELK GROVE 1 - Sophomore DONNY ANDERSON pitched the Eagles'
first complete game of the season in Wednesday's (April 16) Lions
Tournament
Classic Division contest in El Cajon. The lanky right-hander,
who is
gradually becoming the ace of the Eagles green staff, lowered
his ERA to 2.42
as he rolled his record to 2-0. Anderson scattered 6 hits, walked
2 and
struck out 6.
After JEREMY CLARK doubled in JOHN COIT
in the first inning and ANDY ROBERTS
hoisted a sacrifice fly, NICK MONETTE smashed a two-run single
in the 2nd
inning to give Granite Hills a 4-0 lead.
GRANITE HILLS 15, FALLBROOK 4 - JEREMY CLARK's second grand slam of the
season and a three-run single by WADE FRANCIS in a 9-run first
inning helped
the Eagles (11-2) complete a 2-game Lions Tournament Classic sweep.
MIKE SUCH recorded the Eagles' second complete
game, checking the 7th-ranked
Warriors on 6 hits. The Eagles junior southpaw struck out 6, scattered
6 hits
and allowed only 2 earned runs as he notched his second win without
a loss.
"Honestly, the weather made a big difference
for me," said Such, who was
wearing a long-sleeve undershirt. "I like it when it's hot.
The hotter, the
better. It just relaxes me, makes me feel more comfortable."
Francis finished Wednesday's (April 16) nightcap 3-for-4 with 5 RBI.
Granite Hills, ranked No. 6 by the Union-Tribune,
is riding a 7-game winning
streak. But the Eagles missed qualifying for the Classic Division
semifinals
by one run. The tournament tie-breaker gave Poway the final semiifnal
berth,
as the Titans allowed only 4 runs in two tournament outings while
Granite
Hills gave up 5.
Turns out, it did not matter, as Mother
Nature decided the issue by raining
out all of the tournament's semifinals and finals.
SANTA FE SPRINGS 6, VALHALLA 5 - It took the Norsemen five innings to
generate their first hit in Wednesday's (April 16) semifinals
of the Las
Vegas Blazer Sportco Tournament.
"Their pitcher (Joe Encinas) had a
perfect game for four innings," Valhalla
coach STEVE PERDUE said. "The guy was throwing in the 90s
(mph), and had a
great breaking pitch. But he wasn't as effective once we made
him throw from
the stretch."
Valhalla (10-5), which won three of four
in Nevada, scored 5 runs after two
were out in the 6th inning. After TOMMY McCLAIN was hit by a pitch
to start
the inning, the next two Norsemen flied out. EDDIE MAPULA then
broke up
Encinas' no-hit bid with an infield single.
SEAN O'SULLIVAN shattered Encinas' shutout
with an RBI single, which also
extended the Valhalla sophomore's season-long hitting streak to
15 games.
JASON TALIA followed with another run-scoring single. CHRIS OLSEN
hoisted a
three-run home run and suddenly the Norsemen were in position
to beat one of
the top pitchers in the tournament.
ZACH BARGER kept things going in the 6th
with a single and steal of second
base. But Valhalla could not get the knockout blow.
"It was a good tournament for us,"
Perdue said. "It should give us a
jump-start going into the second half of the season."
GROSSMONT 11, PATRICK HENRY 4 - A large contingent of scouts were on hand at
Joe Gizoni Field to watch pitching aces Nate Boman of Patrick
Henry and BRANT
RUSTICH of Grossmont swap pitches in Wednesday's AAAA Division
pool-play
finale.
Both pitchers struggled with control, as
they stared down at a battery of
radar guns behind the home plate screen at Grossmont.
Boman handed the Hillers a run in the 2nd
inning on a bases-loaded walk to
PAUL HODGE. The senior southpaw, who walked 5 and struck out 7,
issued two
walks in the 4th inning before JAMES BEEBE blasted a 3-run home
run to
right-center field. The onslaught continued as Rustich and JUSTIN
BAUM stung
Boman for base hits. After KELLEN ROSSITTO was hit by a pitch
to load the
bases, JOE STAAB singled to center, scoring Rustich. Baum, however,
was cut
down at the plate on the play to end the inning.
Boman left the mound after the 4th inning,
but the Eastern League-leading
Patriots (9-6) were trailing 5-4.
Grossmont (9-5) broke the game open against
the Henry bullpen, pouring on 6
runs in the 5th. Rustich (2-for-4) supplied the big blow - a 3-run
double
into the left field corner. Staab (3-for-5) capped the outburst
with 2-run
single. RICK SILVA (2-for-2) also had an RBI single in the 5th
frame.
Rustich earned his 4th win in five decisions,
allowing only 2 earned runs
despite walking 7 in 5 1/3 innings. TONY MEDINA blanked the Patriots
over the
final 1 2/3 innings.
Boman had a two-run double for Henry.
BONITA VISTA 6, GROSSMONT 4 - This was a somewhat surprising loss for the
Foothillers on Wednesday (April 16) - a setback that eventually
denied them
a berth in the Lions AAAA Division semifinals.
Outside of a pair of singles from TONY CUSUMANO
and BRANT RUSTICH's third
home run of the season with nobody on in the 7th, the Foothillers
put out a
meek offensive effort against the visiting Barons (7-7) in game
one.
MONTE VISTA 8, CLAIREMONT 7 - One thing the Monarchs (5-9) can take solace
from is all three of their AAA Division games in the Lions Tournament
were
one-run affairs - and they won two.
The Monarchs rallied from a 7-4 deficit
to turn back the Chieftains in
Wednesday's (April 16) pool play finale. ALEX BARAJAS provided
the spark with
a solo home run in the 6th inning.
Monte Vista tied the contest at 7-all in
the 7th on singles by DALLAS
HUBBARD, B.H. MINNICH, CHRIS ANDERSON and JESSE RODRIGUEZ, the
latter two
picking up RBI.
Momentum continued to swing Monte Vista's
way in the 8th inning as Hubbard
reached base on an error, advanced to third on ROBERT TIDWELL's
single and
scored on Minnich's sacrifice fly.
Reliever Rodriguez silenced the visiting
Chiefs on 2 hits over the final
three innings to notch the pitching win.
SAN MARCOS 4, MONTE VISTA 3 - The Monarchs let this one get away in
Wednesday's (April 16) early morning opener in Spring Valley.
They lost a 2-1
lead in the 7th and a 3-2 edge in the 8th before the Knights parlayed
a walk,
an error and Brandon Silva's RBI single to win it in the 10th.
JOE BERRY (4-for-10 in the doubleheader)
belted a solo home run in the 6th
inning for the Monarchs. Hubbard was 2-for-5 with 3 steals in
the loss to San
Marcos.
WEST HILLS 3, FOOTHILL (Nev) 2 - After suffering two ringing defeats, the
Wolf Pack (6-9) climbed off the mat Wednesday (April 16) to grab
a
come-from-behind Lions Tournament AAAA Division nod over the Falcons
from
Nevada.
CODY DENNIS tripled home ANDREW NICHOLS
with one out in the 6th inning to
break a 2-2 tie in the game played at Castle Park.
DUSTIN BEECHLER drove in the Pack's first
two runs, doubling home CLAY
COULTER to tie it 2-2 in the 5th after plating Coulter with a
single in the
3rd inning.
Both Beechler and the San Diego State-bound
Coulter had 3 hits in the victory
over Foothill.
EDDIE PRYOR (2-3) rationed the Falcons to
3 hits over 6 1/3 innings, while
striking out 7. RUSSELL BRAZWELL got the final two outs to earn
the save,
thanks to some handiwork by his defense.
Brazwell picked up for Pryor with the tying
and winning runs on base.
Brazwell struck out the first man he faced for out No. 2. Foothill's
Chris
Gillaspy then lined a single to center.
Pryor, who had moved to center field with
the pitching change, took
Gillaspy's shot on a hop and threw to the plate. First baseman
NICK RODIECK
cut the throw, wheeled and fired to catcher Coulter, who tagged
the would-be
tying runner for the final out.
SANTANA 2, CENTENNIAL (Ca.) 0 - After surrendering 5 earned runs in 1 1/3
innings of Monday's (April 14) opening game of the Las Vegas Blazer
Sportco
Tournament, Santana junior right-hander TOMMY WILEY turned in
a 7-hit shutout
in Wednesday's consolation final.
Wiley, who walked one and struck out 4 in
the complete-game effort, was
supported by three double plays.
Santana (9-8) scored all the runs it needed
in the 2nd inning. RAY CHRISTIE
walked and advanced to second on KENNY VILABOY's sacrifice bunt.
After SAM
PHILLIPS was hit by a pitch, CHEYENNE GILES moved the runners
along another
90 feet with a bunt.
That set the stage for NICK CARAVEO's double
down the left field line that
scored the only two runs of the game.
EL CAJON VALLEY 9, JOHNSTOWN (Pa.) 7
- JOSH BOWEN drilled a two-run single
in
the top of the 9th inning Wednesday (April 16) to break a 7-7
tie and point
the Braves (6-9) to their second straight Lions Tournament A Division
victory.
Singles by NICK SPEARS and JESSE ORTIZ -
and a double steal by the same duo -
set the stage for Bowen's game-winning blow.
Spears, a 5-foot-10, 125-pound freshman
right-hander, pitched the final 2 1/3
innings to push his season record to 3-1.
"The really big thing for us is nobody
struck out in the nine innings," El
Cajon Valley coach WAYNE WEIGHTMAN said.
SHANE MYER was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles,
a walk, 3 RBI and a run scored
to pace the Braves offensively.
MOUNT MIGUEL 3, EL CAMINO 2 - ADRIAN PEREZ singled home JEREMY PEREDO from
second base in the 4th inning and pitchers EDDIE GONZALES (3-0)
and ANTELMO
GOMEZ made it stand up in Wednesday's (April 16) first game of
a Lions AAA
Division double-header.
Gonzales, who limited the Wildcats to 2
hits and one earned run, actually saw
his ERA rise to 0.89 as he collected his third win without a loss.
MICHAEL McLAUGHLIN drove in Mount Miguel's
first two runs with a 1st inning
single and a sacrifice fly in the 3rd. Perez was 2-for-2 in the
game played
at Monte Vista.
ST. AUGUSTINE 8, MOUNT MIGUEL 4 - Porous defense sabotaged Mount Miguel's
pitching in Wednesday's (April 16) afternoon outing at Hickman
Field.
Only one of the six runs allowed by Matadors'
starter JOEY STREET was earned.
One of the three runs given up by reliever MICHAEL FRELKE was
earned, no
thanks to four Mount Miguel errors.
On the positive side, MICHAEL McLAUGHLIN
was 2-for-4 with three RBI. The
junior southpaw was 6-for-9 with 7 RBI in the three tournament
games.
STEELE CANYON 7, JOHNSTOWN (Pa.) 4 - An RBI double by DONALD ARTHUR followed
by CHRIS RICE's run-scoring triple gave the Cougars a 6-4 lead
over the
visitors from Pennsylvania in the 6th inning of Wednesday's (April
16) Lions
Tournament A Division game at Kearny High.
BRYER BIDEGAIN was 3-for-3 with a double,
two runs scored and one RBI for the
Cougars, who collected 10 hits off three Trojans' pitchers. JORDAN
ROBINSON
was 2-for-4 with a triple and one RBI for Steele Canyon, which
also received
a pair of hits from lead-off man BRYAN KIDA.
Arthur pitched three strong innings in relief
to gain his second win without
a loss. He allowed just one run and 2 hits while striking out
4 and walking
none.
KEARNY 14, STEELE CANYON 7 - The Cougars' ANDREW BOGAN drove in 4 runs with
a
home run, two singles and a sacrifice fly in the final game of
Lions A
Division Pool play Wednesday's (April 16) at Kearny.
(04-16-03/Rev. 4-17)
EastCountySports.com
LAKESIDE - No matter where the El Capitan
Vaqueros play they seem to put on
an offensive show. Matched up against Orange County traditional
power
Esperanza of Anaheim, the Vaqueros, ranked No. 5 in San Diego
County, poured
on the steam to earn their 11th straight win with a 15-8 romp
in Tuesday's
(April 15) Toyo Tire National Classic in Anaheim.
Eleven Vaqueros scored, nine contributed
to an 18-hit attack and 7 drove in
runs as El Capitan (11-1) inched closer to a possible confrontation
with La
Quinta - the nation's top-ranked team.
If El Capitan beats Centennial in Wednesday's
(April 16) 2 p.m. quarterfinal,
the Vaqueros will advance to a national showdown against La Quinta
Wednesday
night at 8 at Cal State-Fullerton.
The focus in Tuesday's stinging victory
over perennial power Esperanza (4-11)
was El Capitan senior JASON GUZMAN, who belted his 5th and 6th
home runs and
a double to drive in 4 runs and raise a stir among the cadre of
scouts in
attendance.
Guzman pulled a towering 410-foot solo shot
leading off the 4th inning and
then rifled an opposite field two-run smash (his 6th roundtripper
of the
year) in the 7th. Oh yes, inbetween he doubled off the center-field
wall to
cash in a run in the 4th inning.
The 3-for-5 raised Guzman's batting average
to .463 (19-for-41), Don't forget
now, this guy is really more of a pitcher.
JOSH WALSTON was 3-for-5 with his first
varsity home run and 2 RBI, while
JORDAN ABRUZZO was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
HELIX 2, TORREY PINES 0 - Pitching hasn't a problem for coach COLE HOLLAND's
Highlanders this season. Scoring runs and eliminating fielding
miscues has
been a burden, however.
Realistically speaking, the pattern continued
for Helix in Tuesday's (April
15) AAAA Division game of the Lions Tournament in the Falcons'
nest.
A double by NATE METROKA followed by BRIAN
RICARD's third home run of the
season in the 3rd inning was all the backing senior right-hander
JESSE GARCIA
needed as Helix won for only the 3rd time in 13 starts.
"We've been struggling with the bats,
so it was nice to see someone step up,"
Holland said.
Metroka (3-for-3) and Ricard were the only
Highlanders who connected against
Torrey Pines junior Brian Murphy.
That was only part of the story for Helix.
"This is the first time in 13 games
that we haven't made an error," Holland
noted.
Garcia, a senior right-hander who hyper-extended
his left elbow on Saturday
(April 12) attempting to tag a runner while covering first base,
shook off
the malady to pitch his second complete-game victory in succession.
That's
somewhat remarkable, considering the Highlanders' victory count
is a bit
below normal.
EL CAJON VALLEY 7, ARMY-NAVY 6 - OMAR MENDEZ came up with the key plays -
offensively and defensively - as the Braves held on to edge the
visiting
Warriors in Tuesday's (April 15) Lions Tournament A Division contest.
Mendez slashed a 2-run single, giving the
Braves the lead in the 6th inning.
And then he anchored a stout defensive stand in the top of the
7th.
All of the Army-Navy Academy final three
outs were of the dazzling variety.
The first out was recorded at the plate when shortstop Mendez
cut down the
tying run on a throw to catcher RANDY SMITH. Then second baseman
JOSH BOWEN
made a sliding catch behind first base to keep the tying run from
advancing
to third.
The victory-sealing play belonged to right
fielder FREDERICO CARREON, who
made a running catch of a well-hit fly ball headed toward the
354 gap marker
with the sun in his eyes.
The Braves (5-9) rallied from a 5-2 deficit
with five runs in their final two
turns at bat. NICK SPEARS singled in one run and Smith singled
in two more to
tie it 5-5 at the end of five.
Three El Cajon Valley pitchers survived
10 walks, three hit batsmen and 4
hits while striking out 9. Spears pitched the final two innings
to pick up
the victory.
MONTE VISTA 5, ENTERPRISE (Redding) 4
- The Monarchs snapped a six-game
losing streak in Tuesday's (April 15) AAA Division Lions Tournament
game as
ALEX BARAJAS' RBI single in the bottom of the 7th inning broke
a 4-4 tie and
gave Monte Vista (4-8) the victory.
Barajas, a blue-chip wide receiver in football
for the Monarchs, worked the
count to 3-2 before delivering his game-winning blow.
"I knew he'd throw a fastball,"
said Barajas, who scored on EDDIE LEDESMA's
RBI single to knot the game at 3-3 in the 6th inning. "I
sat back, and tried
to hit it somewhere. It was a perfect pitch, right down the middle.
I kind of
got underneath it a little bit, but it dropped in and that's all
that counts."
GERRY GUZMAN pitched the final 2 innings
of relief, allowing one run and 3
hits as he collected his first victory.
MOUNT MIGUEL 4, SOUTHWEST (SD) 2 - For a team that had not played in 10
days, the Matadors (8-4) generated enough effort to skip past
Southwest in
Tuesday's (April 15) AAA Division Lions Tournament game at Monte
Vista.
The Matadors, off to their best start in
several years, did all of their
scoring in the 3rd inning. ADRIAN BISHOP, who was 2-for-4 with
a triple,
provided the spark in the key inning with a leadoff single. JAVIER
BROWN
followed with a drag-bunt single and both runners darted home
on MIKE
McLAUGHLIN's double to center for a 2-1 lead.
DANE PONCIANO followed with a single to
score McLaughlin. ANTELMO GOMEZ
tacked on insurance run with an RBI double.
That brief scoring burst was enough for
the Mount Miguel talented pitching
trio of McLaughlin, EDDIE GONZALES and JOEY STREET. McLaughlin
pitched the
first 5 innings - allowing 5 hits and no earned runs, while striking
out 8 -
as the junior left-hander logged his 4th win against 2 losses.
Street got the final two outs to record his East County-high 3rd save.
It was a banner outing for McLaughlin, who
was 3-for-4 with a double. The
versatile junior hoisted his batting average to .513. The Matadors'
TOMMY
TOLEDO was 3-for-3.
VALHALLA 15, CENTENNIAL (NV) 4 - A 9-run 4th inning and a 15-hit attack
helped the visiting Norsemen steamroller one of Nevada's finest
teams in the
annual Blazer Sportco Tournament on Tuesday (April 15) in Las
Vegas.
The bottom of the order picked up the Norsemen
in this go-'round. DREW
GARCIA, batting 7th in the lineup, blasted a 2-run home run and
finished
2-for-5 with 3 runs scored. GARRETT ALLYN, batting 8th, was 3-for-3
with 3
RBI and two runs scored.
The hit parade was seemingly endless for
Valhalla as catcher CHRIS OLSEN was
2-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI, and SEAN O'SULLIVAN was 2-for-4
with a
double, a run and one RBI.
VALHALLA 10, KINGMAN (AZ) 0 - GARRETT EDGE
and DAVID NOBLE combined on the
3-hit shutout for Valhalla (10-4), which stretched its winning
streak to five
with Tuesday's (April 15) Las Vegas Blazer Sportco Tournament
sweep.
EDDIE MAPULA, who is batting at a .450 clip
(9-for-20) with 8 runs scored and
12 RBI over the last six games, drove in 4 runs in Valhalla's
latest conquest
with a two-run single and a two-run triple.
The Norsemen, who have won six of their
last seven, made the most of 4 hits
in this game that was halted after five innings due to tournament
time
constraints. For the second time in two games, the 4th inning
was productive
for Valhalla, which erupted for a 7-spot to all but decide the
issue.
CARSON (NV) 12, SANTANA 5 - The Sultans (8-8) fell behind 8-0 after two
innings and never recovered in Tuesday's (April 15) Las Vegas
Blazer Sportco
Tournament.
Back-to-back home runs by BRICE NELSON and
NICK CARAVEO keyed a 4-run third
inning for Santana. Senior RAY CHRISTIE, who was 2-for-3 in the
game and has
7 hits in his last 11 at-bats, also plated a run with a double.
Nelson finished 2-for-3 with an RBI double,
and JEFF WOODS also had two hits
for Santana, which wraps up tournament play on Wednesday (April
16).
MIRA MESA 5, WEST HILLS 4 - Senior CLAY COULTER was a one-man gang for West
Hills in Tuesday's (April 15) Lions Tournament AAAA Division game
against the
Marauders at Castle Park. His supporting cast, however, came up
a bit short
as the Wolf Pack (5-9) was stung with its third one-run loss.
Coulter (2-for-4) clubbed his 3rd home run
with 2 runners on to key a 4-run
2nd inning that propelled West Hills into a 4-1 lead over the
Marauders
(7-5). It was short-lived as Mira Mesa tied it with 3 runs in
the 3rd
inning. J.J. Schmidt supplied the punch in the Marauders comeback
with a
two-run homer.
A West Hills miscue in the outfield helped
the Marauders gain the winning
edge in the 6th inning, spoiling another fine performance by Coulter.
Only
Two of Mira Mesa's runs were earned against Coulter, who pitched
a
complete-game 5-hitter.
"We made some defensive mistakes that
allowed them to score," lamented West
Hills coach JARED CARMAN. "It's too bad, because Coulter
pitched a great
game."
(04-15-03)
Valhalla's
Sean O'Sullivan pitched a perfect game against Valley Center in
Monday's (4-14-03) opening round of the Las Vegas Blazer Sportco
tournament, as the Norsemen won 10-0. (Courtesy photo)
EastCountySports.com
LAS VEGAS - Few will argue that sophomore
SEAN O'SULLIVAN is one of the top
pitchers in San Diego County. Yet, the Valhalla right-hander is
hardly a
household name. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound standout
knows what it
takes to win. He proved that in a headline-like manner in Monday's
(April 14)
first round of the Las Vegas Blazer Sportco Baseball Tournament.
For the
record, O'Sullivan was perfect as the Norsemen buried Valley Center
10-0 in a
game called after 6 innings per the tournament's 10-run mercy
rule.
O'Sullivan retired all 18 batters he faced
as he became only the 5th East
County pitcher in history and just the 8th on the San Diego CIF
books to
record a perfect game. Smooth as glass was O'Sullivan (4-1), as
he permitted
only two fly balls to the outfield while expending just 68 pitches
to record
his 4th complete game. He struck out 7 and walked none.
"It's hard to believe he's only 15,"
admitted Valhalla coach STEVE PERDUE.
"He was so much in command. He made them look foolish. Just
unbelievable. He
got into a rhythm and never went deep into the count. They hit
only two balls
to the outfield."
Fact is, O'Sullivan struck out 7 and walked
none, as he issued just 68
pitches to record his 4th win in five decisions.
All nine starters contributed to Valhalla's
13-hit attack. Seven Norsemen
contributed RBI, including ZACH BARGER, who blasted a two-run
homer in the
bottom of the 6th inning to end the game.
EDDIE MAPULA (2-for-3) smashed a 2-run single
and JASON HINTON (2-for-4)
hammered an RBI triple for Valhalla (8-4).
The last perfect game thrown by a San Diego
County pitcher came in 1998 when
Madison's Patrick Evertsen retired all 18 Clairemont hitters in
a 10-0
victory called after six innings by the mercy rule.
DURANGO (Nev.) 8, SANTANA 6 - The Sultans fell behind 6-0 after 2 innings
and never recovered in Monday's (April 14) opening round of the
Las Vegas
Blazer Sportco Tournament.
Sophomore KENNY VILABOY was 3-for-3 with
a double and one RBI for Santana,
which also received 2 hits, two RBI and a pair of steals from
senior leadoff
hitter NICK CARAVEO.
Senior speedster RAY CHRISTIE received a
rare start for Santana and came
through with 2 hits and 2 runs scored for the Sultans.
SANTANA 14, PALO VERDE (Ariz.) 2 - The Sultans marched 15 batters to the
plate in the 3rd inning of Monday's (April 14) second round of
the Las Vegas
Blazer Sportco Tournament. The results: 11 runs and 11 hits. In
other words,
game over.
Catcher BRANDON HALEY drove in two runs
with his 4th home run and a double,
while CHEYENNE GILES unleashed a bases-loaded triple in the blowout
3rd
inning for Santana (8-7). JEFF WOODS and JOSH MAZZOLA were each
2-for-2 with
one RBI in the Sultans' game-breaking frame.
Woods finished the nightcap 3-for-3 with
his 3rd home run and 2 RBI, while
KENNY VILABOY was 5-for-6 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Santana junior JOSH ATWELL pitched a 4-hitter
and struck out 11 while rolling
his season record to 2-0 in a game that was halted after 4 1/2
innings,
mercy rule.
53RD annual LIONS TOURNAMENT
GROSSMONT 8, EAST UTAH 7 - Neither rain nor the visiting East Utah Leopards
(5-2) could hold down the Foothillers in Monday's (April 14) rain-spattered
opening round at Joe Gizoni Field in the nation's largest high
school
baseball tournament.
Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS was probably
praying for rain after seeing his
team fall behind the leaping Leopards from Salt Lake City 7-0
after 1 ?
innings.
Credit the Foothillers (8-4) for fighting
back. KELLEN ROSSITTO got Grossmont
on the board when he followed a two-out walk to CHRIS TAKATA with
his second
home run of the year in the 2nd inning.
In the 3rd inning, JAMES BEEBE walked, BRANT
RUSTICH singled and JUSTIN BAUM
belted his 4th home run of the year to pull the Foothillers back
into the
game at 7-5.
A two-out rally in the 4th inning helped
the Hillers shave the margin to one
run as Beebe doubled and cruised home on ALBERT GENOVESE's single.
EVAN AMADOR launched his second homer of
the year to tie the score 7-7 in the
5th inning. But that was only the beginning. Takata singled and
CASEY
WILLIAMS was inserted into the lineup as a pinch runner. That
proved to be a
smart move as Rossitto followed with a long single and Williams
poured on the
speed to score the winning run.
A sterling relief effort by ANDREW GREEN,
who allowed 3 hits and 2 runs while
striking out 6, was a major contribution to the Grossmont victory.
CASTLE PARK 15, WEST HILLS 8 - The Wolf Pack's pitching staff caved in,
allowing the visiting Trojans (3-10) a dozen runs in the 7th inning
of
Monday's (April 14) first round of the Lions Tournament 4A Division
in Santee.
DUSTIN BEECHLER drove in 3 runs with two
singles and a two-run home run for
West Hills (5-8), while CLAY COULTER was 2-for-3 with a double,
a triple and
3 runs scored plus one RBI.
Junior Jose Valerio supplied the knockout
punch for Castle Park with 2 home
runs and 5 RBI in the decisive 7th inning.
CALVIN CHRISTIAN 5, STEELE CANYON 4 (8)
- The Cougars tied the Lions
Tournament A Division game with bases-loaded walks to BRYAN KIDA
and BRYER
BIDEGAIN in the 7th inning, but could do no more damage in that
frame. To add
to their anguish, the Cougars loaded the bases with nobody out
in the 8th
inning only to come up empty.
The Crusaders (9-2) claimed victory on Brandon
Gill's RBI double off the
right-center fence in the bottom of the 8th inning Monday (April
14) at
Kearny High.
Steele Canyon (5-7) was playing catch-up
from the get-go, as Kida's solo
homer in the 3rd inning tied the game 1-1. DEVON DUBY's RBI single
erased a
2-1 Calvin Christian lead in the 5th but the Cougars could not
gain the upper
hand.
CORONADO 4, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 - Joe Thivierge and Geoffrey Thorne combined to
pitch a no-hitter at the Braves (4-9) in Monday's (April 14) opening
round of
the Lions Tournament.
Five Braves reached base on walks - two
were picked off - and two-reached
third base.
SHANE MYER did a solid job, allowing just
6 hits and 2 runs in six innings
work for the Braves.
KSA TOURNAMENT
COLEMAN (Ala.) 5, CHRISTIAN 1 - The Patriots received another strong pitching
performance from senior southpaw BRIAN SCHROEDER in the finals
of the KSA
Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
Coleman (30-7), the two-time Alabama 5A
state champion, scored 4 runs (two
earned) on four hits in the 1st inning and then rode the 5-hit
pitching of
Whitney Ford (10-1) to take the tournament title.
"They hit only one ball out of the
infield in that first inning," Christian
coach MIKE MITCHELL said of the Bearcats. "To Brian's credit,
though, he kept
his poise and gave up only 2 hits and one run over the final five
innings."
Mitchell said dozens of scouts were on hand
to watch Schroeder, who walked
none and strike out 8 while logging his 4th complete game. Schroeder
(4-2)
has struck out 66 in 40 2/3 innings.
Schroeder accounted for Christian's only
run in the game as he doubled and
scored on DANNY RILEY's two-base hit in the 6th inning. Schroeder
has
garnered at least one hit in all 15 of the Christian's games this
season.
The Patriots (10-5) finished their trip
to Florida with three wins in four
starts. They don't play again until Tuesday (April 22) when they
travel to
Morse for an Eastern League game.
(04-14-03)
Granite Hills first baseman James records a
put out, but the Eagles' tournament game was called off due to
rain.
EastCountySports.com
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida has a reputation
for warm, balmy weather and soft
summer breezes. When Christian High's baseball team took the field
in
Thursday's (April 11) opening round of the KSA Tournament that
wasn't the
kind of atmosphere the Patriots found. Instead, Christian had
to endure
unusually chilly 50-degree weather and 40 mph winds. Like the
first-class
program that they are, the Patriots overcame the elements to defeat
Oxbow
(Vermont) 14-1 and Telstar (Maine) 7-1 in Friday's (April 11)
opening day and
then came-from-behind to edge Chattahoochee (Geo.) 10-9 in Saturday's
semifinals.
Clearly the most impressive of the three
Christian (10-4) wins in Florida was
the victory over the Atlanta-based Cougars (14-2).
"That was a very big win for us,"
Christian coach MIKE MITCHELL said. "Coming
from back from an 8-3 deficit shows what kind of team we have
here."
Christian jumped in front 3-0 over Chattahoochee
in the 1st inning as EDDIE
LISTANDER singled in one run and DONNY PARKER singled in two more.
After that, the Patriots were silenced for
4 innings as Chattahoochee
expanded its advantage to five runs.
The Patriots' comeback actually began in
the 5th inning when an error opened
the door to JOEL ALLEN's RBI single and a 2-run double by DANIEL
MAGNESS.
With its back to the wall 9-6 entering the
7th inning, the Patriots (10-4)
received a leadoff spark from BRIAN SCHROEDER, who tripled off
the center
field fence. Magness brought Schroeder home with a sacrifice fly
for the
second out in the final frame, this leaving Christian two runs
short with one
out left.
Listander, who battled for 10 pitches before
drawing a walk, kept Christian's
hopes alive. Parker followed with a double down the right field
line, putting
the tying runs in scoring position. JOSH OLDENBURG ran for Parker,
and
eventually scored the tying run on BRANDON ABELL's line-drive,
two-run single
to center on an 0-2 pitch.
Abell then scampered home with what proved
to be the winning run on JOEL
MATTHEWS' double to left center.
The Patriots were from out of the hole as
the Cougars from Georgia were
hardly used to absorbing defeats.
Christian went with a rare relief appearance
from Magness to secure the
victory. The Patriots' senior southpaw, who has been hampered
by shoulder
problems, started the 7th inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
The Cougars, however, refused to go quietly
as they loaded the bases with two
outs. Magness was worthy to the challenge as he a got a game-ending
ground
out to earn his second save of the season an the 11th of his four-year
career.
Schroeder led a 13-hit attack with three
hits, extending his season-long
hitting streak to 14 games.
Earlier in the tournament, Christian clipped
Oxbow (Vermont) 14-1 and Telstar
(Maine) 7-1. The three game sweep propelled the Patriots into
the
championship encounter against Campbell (Ala.) on Monday (April
14).
BRANDON ABELL was 5-for-5 with a double,
two RBI and 3 runs scored in
Christian's tournament-opening rout of Oxbow. That was the start
of an
8-for-14 surge for Abell, the Patriots' junior shortstop. Senior
JOEL
MATTHEWS rationed Oxbow to one unearned run on 3 hits, while striking
out 10
and walking 2 to earn his second win in three decisions.
SEAN RYAN stepped up in the Patriots' second
KSA Tournament game, spinning a
complete-game 2-hitter in a 7-1 victory over Telstar (Maine).
The 6-foot-3
senior right-hander struck out a career-high 13, while the Patriots
capitalized on 5 Telstar errors.
JOEL ALLEN was 4-for-7 with 2 RBI to pace
the Patriots against Oxbow and
Telstar.
(04-12-03)
Monte Vista's Dallas Hubbard slides safely
as Granite Hills pitcher Thomas Kennedy covers first Thursday
(4-10-03).
EastCountySports.com
LAKESIDE - Some teams might have been discouraged
after losing their season
opener. Not El Capitan. Since dropping a lid-lifting decision
to perennial
power Rancho Bernardo on opening day, the Vaqueros have stacked
up 10
consecutive victories. None of those wins has been any more impressive
than
Thursday's (April 10) Grossmont North League 12-3 dismantling
of visiting
Santana in the league opener for both teams.
Catcher JORDAN ABRUZZO went 4-for-4 with
3 doubles and 3 RBI as the Vaqueros
built a 12-0 lead after three innings and then breezed to the
lopsided
victory.
Senior pitcher JASON GUZMAN proved his mettle
as a double threat, hitting his
4th home run of the season while blanking the Sultans on 2 hits
over 4
shutout innings to earn his 4th win in five decisions.
BRANDON RAUCH gave El Capitan (10-1, 1-0)
a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning as he
followed a leadoff walk to JUSTIN SNYDER with his 3rd home run
of the season.
The Vaqueros continued their onslaught in
the 2nd inning. Guzman led off with
an opposite field home run to left, and then JOSH WALSTON tripled
and scored
on Snyder's double. After Rauch was hit by a pitch, Abruzzo kept
the rally
smoking with a 2-run double. VERN WENGELER hammered an RBI double
to center
to cap the uprising.
El Capitan gave a repeat performance in
the 3rd inning. Abruzzo's two-run
single was the key blow as the Vaqueros opened up a 12-0 bulge.
Wengeler and
SHAUN BLAKE also chipped in with a run-scoring single apiece.
JOSH MAZZOLA helped Santana (7-6, 0-1) avoid
the shutout as he doubled and
scored in the 6th and swatted a solo homer in the 7th inning.
VALHALLA 10-8, STEELE CANYON 3-6 - The slumping Norsemen, who had lost four
of their previous five non-league outings, rose to the occasion
Thursday
(April 10) to open the Grossmont South League season with a doubleheader
sweep of the first-year varsity Steele Canyon Cougars.
While that may not seem like a major accomplishment,
it was a positive
conquest for a Valhalla squad unsure of whether it is championship
worthy.
Sophomore SEAN O'SULLIVAN (3-1) limited
the visiting Cougars to one run and 2
hits over five innings in the opener, and then Valhalla relied
on its
offensive sock and an untimely error by the youthful Cougars in
the nightcap
to complete the sweep.
A sacrifice fly by JASON TALIA and a 2-run
double by ZACK BARGER propelled
the Norsemen into a 3-0 first inning lead. After that, the rout
was on.
Valhalla knocked down a dozen hits, with Talia and CHRIS OLSEN
driving in 2
runs apiece.
In the nightcap, two-run singles by freshman
catcher WILL MURRAY and JOE
INZONE helped Steele Canyon take a 5-4 lead in the 2nd inning.
The Norsemen eventually tied the game 6-6
on EDDIE MAPULA's RBI double in the
4th.
An unearned run in the 6th inning gave Valhalla
a 7-6 lead. The Norsemen
added an insurance run in the 7th as Barger doubled and scored
on a base hit
by TOMMY McCLAIN.
GRANITE HILLS 9-12, MONTE VISTA 0-2 -
DONNY ANDERSON pitched five innings
of shutout ball in Thursday's (April 10) opener and four Granite
Hills
pitchers combined to spin an 8-hitter in the nightcap as Grossmont
South
League favorite Granite Hills opened the league campaign with
a sweep at
Monte Vista.
Granite Hills first baseman KEVIN JAMES
went 4-for-6 with a triple, a home
run and 6 RBI, while leadoff man JOHN COIT went 5-for-7 in the
twinbill.
Perhaps the biggest star for the Eagles
(9-2, 2-0) - ranked No. 7 in the
county - was DONNY ANDERSON. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound sophomore
not only
pitched a 3-hitter over the opening 5 innings of the opener, he
also launched
a 3-run home run in the second game.
The Eagles' CASEY CRAIG, a former Monarch,
was 4-for-4 with a double and a
triple, 4 runs scored and 3 RBI in the doubleheader.
A highpoint for Monte Vista was the pitching
of reliever MIKE McDOLE, who
blanked the Eagles on 4 hits while striking out 7 over 4 1/3 innings
of
relief in game two.
GROSSMONT 12, EL CAJON VALLEY 5 - The visiting Foothillers (7-4) scored in
six of their seven turns at-bat as they bowled over host El Cajon
Valley in
Thursday's (April 10) Grossmont North League opener for both teams.
Although the Braves' pristine ballpark is
not known for yielding the long
ball, four shots left the yard when these clubs collided for the
first of
three scheduled meetings.
After EVAN AMADOR gave the Hillers a 1-0
edge with an RBI single in the 1st
inning, base hits by RICK SILVA and PAUL HODGE set the table for
JAMES
BEEBE's first varsity home run and a 4-0 Grossmont lead.
GERARD HOPPER hoisted a mammoth fence-clearing
drive off Grossmont ace BRANT
RUSTICH to put El Cajon Valley (4-8, 0-1) on the board in the
bottom of 2nd
inning.
KELLEN ROSSITTO countered with a two-run
homer to left field in the 3rd
inning to give Grossmont a 6-1 bulge.
JUSTIN BAUM's 3-run homer in the 4th all but sealed the victory for Grossmont.
El Cajon Valley's starting pitcher - freshman
NICK SPEARS - came into the
game having not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 innings. The lanky
right-hander was roughed up for 6 earned runs in 3 innings against
Grossmont.
PATRICK HENRY 6, WEST HILLS 2 - The visiting Wolf Pack surrendered 6 runs
in the final two innings of Thursday's (April 10) non-league encounter
at
Eastern League-leading Patrick Henry
The Wolf Pack (5-7) stepped out to a 1-0
lead in the 1st inning as MATT LUNA
doubled and scored on DUSTIN BEECHLER's single.
By the time pinch hitter ZACK BILBREY singled
up the middle to score West
Hills' final run in the 7th inning, the game had been decided.
The knockout
blow for Henry was Ben Patty's two-run homer in the 6th inning.
Luna and CODY DENNIS collected two hits
apiece for the Wolf Pack, who totaled
6 safeties in the game.
EDDIE PRYOR pitched the opening 4 1/3 innings,
and was tagged with the loss
after allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs.
Meanwhile, West Hills catcher CLAY COULTER
said he has accepted a scholarship
offer to San Diego State.
(04-10-03)
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - A year ago Santana's JEFF WOODS
was a starting third baseman who
also helped out with the pitching chores. Quite a load to ask
of a freshman
playing at the varsity level. But Woods met the challenge and
now is testing
his skills as a shortstop, while maintaining an occasional toehold
on the
mound. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-hander enjoyed a rewarding
outing
Tuesday (April 8) in the Sultans 15-3 non-league victory over
the visiting
Horizon Panthers.
In addition to driving in 4 runs with a
pair of hits, including a
bases-loaded triple, Woods, the first of seven Santana pitchers,
also hurled
2 shutout innings to notch his second win in as many decisions.
Making the defensive shift in the infield
has been the stiffest test for
Woods.
"I'm still getting used to it,"
he said. "As a shortstop, I have to cover a
lot more ground and think more. It's not so much about reaction
as it was at
third base. But yeah, I like playing shortstop."
Santana coach JERRY HENSON likes having him playing there, too.
"He can play in the outfield, play
any position you want him to play," Henson
said. "We moved him to shortstop because honestly we didn't
have anyone to
play there. He's still a young kid with a very mature attitude.
He's got all
the tools, and is able to adapt to most any situation."
Woods, who leads the Sultans (7-5) with
a .489 batting average and 15 RBI,
capped a 10-run 5th inning against Horizon (6-4) with a bases-loaded
triple.
"The thing that amazes me most about
him is he's just a young pup who is only
going to get better," Henson said. "He's just awesome."
Woods accepted two walks against Horizon,
which was playing without senior
Zach Robinson, a .480 hitter and the county's leading RBI man
(23 in 9 games).
"Jeff is very patient at the plate,"
Henson said. "He doesn't go fishing very
often. And he's always taking extra BP."
While Woods is not unlike any other hitter
who loves to hear the crack (or
ping) of the bat, he isn't so proud that he won't take a walk
if an opponent
elects to pitch around him.
"It seems like the pitchers are being
more careful with me," Woods said. "I'm
not seeing as many good pitches to hit as I did last year. I'm
walking a lot
more this year."
A muffed pick-off play opened the door to
a 10-run bottom of the 5th inning
for the Sultans, who had blown a 3-0 lead in the top of the 5th.
Santana took a 4-3 edge when BRANDON HALEY
was hit by a pitch with the
bases-loaded. JOSH MAZZOLA, who was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI in the
game, singled
in two runs to make it a 6-3 advantage for Santana. TOMMY WILEY,
who stroked
a 2-run single in the 1st inning, picked up a third RBI on a bases-loaded
walk in the 5th.
(04-08-03)
Christian's Donny Parker makes the turn at
third to score the eventual game-winning run in the Patriots'
win over Serra on Monday (4-07-03).
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Even when BRIAN SCHROEDER isn't at his best, he's better than most. The Christian High senior had trouble locating his slider in Monday's (April 7) Eastern League pitching duel against Serra's Charles Nolte, but still managed to come out on top as the Patriots edged the Conquistadors 2-1.
Schroeder fired a complete-game 3-hitter and struck out 12 as Christian (7-4, 1-1) snapped a 3-game losing streak. The hard-throwing left-hander raised his East County-leading strikeout count to 58 in 34 2/3 innings.
"Usually, the slider is my 'out' pitch," explained Schroeder, who has compiled an 0.40 ERA and a 4-1 record in five starts this season. "I can usually trust my slider to where I'm not afraid to throw it no matter what the count might be. But it was inconsistent for me today, so I went more with my change-up to complement my fastball."
Schroeder struck out at least one batter in every inning.
"I was able to spot my fastball, throw it by guys with some consistency," he said.
Said Christian coach MIKE MITCHELL: "This was probably the worst command he's had in any game all year. It's games like this that shows how really good he is."
Schroeder is not too bad with the bat, either.
He opened the game by smacking
a 1-1 Nolte curveball over the right field fence for his county
leading 7th
home run.
"The first two pitches he threw me
were fastballs - one down the middle, the
second one low and away," Schroeder said. "I was looking
curveball on that
third pitch and that's what I got. I hit it pretty well."
Christian's lead was short-lived as the
Conquistadors pushed across the tying
run in the bottom of the 1st inning. And the game remained knotted
as both
pitchers dominated.
The Patriots broke through in the 5th inning
when Nolte made a mistake by
hitting DONNY PARKER to ignite a 2-out rally. DANIEL MAGNESS followed
with a
booming double off the center field fence, scoring Parker.
"It was nice to get out of the little
slump I was in," said Magness, who was
1-for-11 before delivering his 3rd game winning hit of the season.
"I knew
what (pitch) was coming and I smacked it. (Nolte) threw the same
pitches to
me before, first going outside, then high with a fastball."
It was one of the few mistakes Nolte made.
The junior right-hander limited
the Patriots to four hits and struck out 11 in the league opener
for Serra
(8-4, 0-1).
The biggest turn-around for Christian was its flawless defense.
"Overall, it was probably the best defensive game we've had," Schroeder said.
Christian left Tuesday (April 8) for Orlando,
Fla. where the Patriots will
play four games in the KSA Tournament.
(04-07-03)
Helix's Jesse Garcia (1) struck out 10 in a complete
game victory over Mount Miguel in Saturday's (4-5-03) Grossmont
South League opener for both teams. (Photo by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com
SPRING VALLEY - Records are not kept for such matters, but it is a rare day indeed when an East County league season opens with a doubleheader, as was the case on Saturday (April 6) when Mount Miguel entertained Helix in a Grossmont South League twinbill. The surprising Matadors and the victory-starved Highlanders negotiated a split, Helix taking the opener 5-4 and Mount Miguel claiming the nightcap 7-4.
Helix sophomore NICK LEDESMA was 4-for-8 with his first varsity home run and 4 runs scored for Helix (2-10, 1-1). Mount Miguel (7-4, 1-1) received pitching worthy of a sweep from MIKE McLAUGHLIN and JOEY STREET, but settled for a split.
HELIX 5, MOUNT MIGUEL 4 - Hard-luck right-hander JESSE GARCIA fired a 5-hitter, allowed only 3 earned runs and struck out 10 as he earned his first varsity victory in three decisions with a complete game effort.
"Garcia is the real deal," Mount Miguel coach ERNIE REYES said.
What made matters worse for the Matadors was their smug attitude toward tradition-rich Helix.
"My guys underestimated them," Reyes admitted. "They looked at Helix's record (1-9 coming in) and thought they were going to just lay down, just hand us two wins."
Such was not the case.
"(Helix) came out with enthusiasm and
played us hard," Reyes said. "They
played aggressive and took it to us in that first game. It was
a good
learning experience for us."
A home run by BRIAN RICARD off Mount Miguel
ace left-hander McLaughlin
followed a one-out single by Ledesma to give Helix a 2-0 lead
in the 1st
inning.
The Highlanders made it 3-1 in the 3rd on
MATT POWELL's sacrifice fly, but
Mount Miguel regained the lead on ADRIAN PEREZ's three-run homer
in the 4th
frame.
A muffed pop fly in the top of the 5th handed
Helix two unearned runs and its
second victory in 11 starts.
McLaughlin pitched well enough to win most
games, but was saddled with his
second loss in five decisions despite allowing only 2 earned runs.
He struck
out 7 in 6 1/3 innings.
Mount Miguel's Jeremy Peredo (11) eludes the tag of
Helix pitcher Jesse Garcia
(1), who was covering first base, in Saturday's (4-5-03) Grossmont
South
League action. The Matadors' Dane Ponciano heads for third base
on the play.
(Photo by Travis Downs)
MOUNT MIGUEL 7, HELIX 4 - After Helix's NICK LEDESMA slugged a solo homer
with one out in the top of 1st inning, the Matadors took control.
An RBI
double by McLaughlin tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first.
The Matadors marched in front with 4 runs
in the 2nd inning. ADRIAN PEREZ's
RBI single gave Mount Miguel a 2-1 edge. ADRIAN BISHOP tacked
on a 2-run
double to expand the Matadors' advantage and JAVIER BROWN capped
the big
inning with an RBI double.
A two-run homer by ANTELMO GOMEZ gave Mount
Miguel a 7-1 bulge after three
frames.
That was more than enough support for Street,
who turned in his second
complete game in four starts. He allowed just 6 hits and 3 earned
runs while
walking 3 and striking out 7 as he balanced his record at 2-2.
Junior OSCAR VILLASENOR threw three innings
of hitless relief for the
Highlanders, but starter ROBERT STEVENS was tagged with his 4th
loss in as
many decisions.
As a sort of consolation prize, Stevens lined a 2-run single in the Helix 7th.
"To get a league win was good for us
even though we would have liked to have
won two," Helix coach COLE HOLLAND said. "We kind of
gave that second game
away, which is disappointing. I think we are starting to come
around, though."
(04-05-03)
Christian's Joel Allen (left) eludes the tag
to score in the top 6th at Clairemont to cut the Chiefs' lead
to 4-2 Friday (4-4-03).
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - It's been a rocky three days
for Christian High, as the Patriots
lost three games in a row for only the fourth time in coach MIKE
MITCHELL's 8
years at the helm. Four errors - three in the 2nd inning - and
poor base
running in the 7th added up to a 5-4 City Conference Tournament
loss to
Clairemont Friday (April 4) on the Chieftains' wind-swept diamond.
"The way we played in the 7th inning
(Friday, April 4) is the way things have
gone for us this week," said Mitchell, who saw the Patriots'
record slide to
6-4. "This whole week has been anything we can do wrong,
we will. We've made
base-running errors, fielding errors, throwing errors, mental
errors . . . we
are running out of ways to make mistakes. The problem is I'm afraid
we are
going to start repeating them."
Mitchell wasn't just spouting cliches, either.
In the 2nd inning, three of
the Patriots' four infielders committed fielding miscues. The
Chiefs (6-2-1)
cashed them in for two unearned runs and a 3-1 lead they wouldn't
lose.
"This was a full-team loss," Mitchell said.
JOEL ALLEN was an iron man on the mound
for the Patriots, who are running a
bit thin on pitching at the moment. He gave up just 6 hits and
3 earned runs,
while striking out 10. He maintained his velocity despite throwing
128
pitches.
"He certainly pitched well enough to win," Mitchell said.
And he almost did.
Trailing 5-2 heading into the top of the
7th inning, pinch hitter JOEL
MATTHEWS was hit by a pitch to give the Patriots a start. He advanced
to
second base on BRIAN SCHROEDER's single to right-center. DONNY
PARKER kept
the rally rolling when he singled to right, scoring Matthews.
Clairemont
right fielder Nick Cleaver attempted to throw out Schroeder, who
was digging
for third base. Schroeder beat the throw, but Parker (carrying
the potential
tying run) was nailed trying to go to second base on the play.
DANIEL MAGNESS then stung a sinking line
drive to center, but was robbed of a
hit when center fielder Bobby Schleifer made a diving catch. Not
only did
Schleifer deny Magness, the Patriots failed to score from third
on the play.
No tag, no run.
EDDIE LISTANDER sliced a two-out double
down the right field to score
Schroeder, putting the tying marker in scoring position. But Allen
grounded
out to end the game.
Schroeder, Parker and BRANDON ABELL had
two hits apiece for Christian.
Schroeder hit his East County-leading 6th home run in the first
inning.
The Patriots have two days to regroup before
traveling to Serra on Monday
(April 7) for an Eastern League contest at 3 p.m.
(04-04-03)
Christian High's Tim Martin is retired by the
Patrick Henry first baseman Thursday (4-3-03).
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Whenever Grossmont High's BRANT
RUSTICH is on the mound, a horde
of professional baseball scouts are certain to reserve box seats.
Those
talent scouts - some two dozen of them - were present for Thursday's
(April
3) Grossmont Conference Tournament game won by visiting Granite
Hills 10-5.
Obviously bent on impressing the pay-for-play
audience, the usually stable
Rustich was nervously overthrowing, buzzing the radar guns between
89-to-91
miles per hour during the 4 innings and 91 pitches he was on the
mound. The
6-foot-6, 225-pound right-hander walked 6, gave up 5 hits and
4 runs in his
poorest outing of the season.
Rustich, however, refused to go down without
a fight. His leadoff home run in
the 6th inning tied the game 4-4. The Foothillers (6-4), who came
in riding a
4-game winning streak, had a chance to take the lead in the 6th.
EVAN AMADOR
reached base on an error and advanced to second on a balk, but
was cut down
attempting to score on a single by pinch-hitter JOE STAAB.
Credit Granite Hills sophomore center fielder
RYAN MARQUIS for pegging a
perfect one-hop throw to catcher JOHN COIT to nail Amador at the
dish.
Often maligned for its lack of defense,
Granite Hills (7-2) - ranked No. 8 in
the county - was able to celebrate a second defensive gem when
Coit picked
Staab off first base to end the 6th inning.
Granite Hills played long ball to secure
the victory in the 7th inning as
JEREMY CLARK clubbed a grand slam and ANDY ROBERTS ripped a two-run
homer to
stake the Eagles to a 10-4 advantage.
"When I was batting sixth in the (Granite
Hills batting order), I saw a lot
of fastballs," said Clark. "This was the first time
I've batted second this
year. They threw me a lot more off-speed pitches, but my home
run came on a
curveball."
Clark's grand slam followed an error and a pair of walks.
"I was just looking for anything I
could turn on," said Clark, who was
3-for-6 with 6 RBI. "When I made contact I knew I hit it
pretty well, but I
wasn't sure if it would go out."
Sophomore DONNY ANDERSON pitched the first
five innings, scattering 6 hits
and allowing 2 earned runs. Reliever ANTHONY YBARRA pitched the
final 2
innings to log his second win in as many decisions.
Grossmont High leadoff man JAMES BEEBE was 3-for-4 with 2 runs and one RBI.
EL CAJON VALLEY 2, MONTE VISTA 0 - GERARD HOPPER and SHANE MYER combined
to pitch a 1-hitter as the Braves (4-7) played their best game
of the season
in Thursday's (April 3) Grossmont Conference Tournament game.
ALBERT ARMENDARIZ sliced a two-run triple
down the right field line to untie
the scoreless knot in the 6th inning. It was Armendariz's second
game-winning
shot in three games.
"He hit a 1-2 pitch on the black," said El Cajon Valley coach WAYNE WEIGHTMAN.
Armendariz's blow scored NICK SPEARS (single)
and JESSE ORTIZ (walk) with the
winning markers.
Hopper, who had toiled 4 2/3 innings in
four previous appearances,
surrendered only a leadoff single by BRIAN REMLINGER in the 3rd
inning.
Remlinger was quickly erased, however, on a back-door pickoff
throw from
catcher RANDY SMITH to first baseman Myer.
Smith, the Braves' sophomore catcher, also
cut down a pair of would-be
base-stealers during the shutout 2nd and 6th innings.
Equally as impressive was the double-play
initiated by El Cajon Valley right
fielder FREDERICO CARREON. The sophomore made a diving catch of
a DALLAS
HUBBARD blooper, then jumped to his feet to double off a Monte
Vista runner
at first base for an inning-pending double play in the 4th
"That was a highlight reel play by Frederico," Weightman said.
Weightman said he had hoped that the 6-foot-3,
255-pound Hopper could "go at
least 4 innings and hopefully 5." The big guy made it through
5 frames,
walking 4 and striking out 4 before handing the ball to reliever
Myers.
Myer walked Monte Vista's ALEX BARAJAS to
start the 6th, but a strong throw
by Smith cut down the Monarchs' leadoff man attempting to steal
second.
The Monarchs eventually got a runner on
second base later in the 6th, but
Myer choked off the rally and then retired Monte Vista in order
in the 7th.
STEELE CANYON 6, SANTANA 5 - After being outscored 39-7 in consecutive
Grossmont Conference Tournament losses to Grossmont, El Cajon
Valley and El
Capitan, the first-year varsity Cougars kicked up their heels
on Thursday
(April 3) to hand host Santana a stunning defeat.
The Cougars (5-4) staged a two-out rally
to score 4 runs in the 7th inning to
overcome a 3-2 deficit and claim their first victory over a Grossmont
Conference opponent.
JORDAN ROBINSON walked with 2 down and BRYAN
KIDA followed with a single. A
Santana error gave JASON WITTKOP life and loaded the bases for
Steele Canyon.
DONALD ARTHUR made the Sultans pay for their
errant ways as he hammered a 3-2
pitch into the left-center field gap for a bases-clearing double
and a 5-3
Steele Canyon lead. CHRIS RICE, who ripped his third homer in
the 2nd
inning, capped the Cougars' 7th inning rally with a double to
score Arthur.
"Our kids were pretty pumped up after
the game," Steele Canyon coach PHIL
MITTRY admitted. "We've played well in spots in several games,
but this was
our best complete game. We played solid defense, made plays when
the game was
on the line."
Steele Canyon rallied from a 2-0 first inning
deficit at Santana by scoring 2
runs in the 2nd frame. Rice supplied a leadoff home run and CHRIS
ALVAREZ
followed with a double. One out later ANDREW BOGAN singled to
left-center
scoring Alvarez to make it 2-2.
Santana regained the lead in the 5th inning
as BRANDON HALEY doubled and
scored on RYAN HOWARD's triple down the right field line.
Howard, who was 3-for-4, followed JOSH MAZZOLA's
sacrifice fly in the 7th
with an RBI single. But Steele Canyon reliever RICKY BAILEY extinguished
the
Sultans' rally to earn his first win.
PATRICK HENRY 3, CHRISTIAN 2 - It's been almost a year to the day since
Christian High last lost back-to-back games.
In Thursday's (April 3) battle of the Eastern
League's top two finishers of a
year ago, champion Christian was stymied by curveball-happy Nate
Boman in
this year's loop opener. Fact is, Boman was a one-man wrecking
crew as he not
only pitched a complete-game 2-hitter and struck out 11, he also
slugged a
solo home run to ignite a three-run 4th inning.
Just to be able to win a decision over Christian
phenom BRIAN SCHROEDER says
volumes about Boman and Henry (6-4, 1-0). Schroeder gave up six
hits, but
only one of the runs produced by the visitors from Allied Gardens
was earned.
That was a significant marker in that it was the first earned
run allowed by
Schroeder in 27 2/3 innings. That computes to a San Diego County-best
ERA of
0.25 and a 3-1 record.
Schroeder struck out 11, giving him 46 whiffs for the young season.
"Both pitchers threw real well,"
Christian coach MIKE MITCHELL said. "(Henry)
made their plays when they needed to, and we didn't. Our errors
cost us the
game."
Two Christian errors followed Boman's home
run in the 4th inning, which led
to two unearned runs for the visitors and a 3-0 lead.
Christian scrambled back for 2 runs in the
5th inning. SEAN RYAN drew a
one-out walk and BRANDON ABELL followed with a double. DANNY RILEY
walked to
load the bases and JOEL ALLEN drew a second base-on-balls to force
across
Ryan with Christian's first run. But Boman coaxed infield grounders
from
Schroeder and DANIEL MAGNESS to trade two out for a second run
and get out of
the inning.
In 2002 - a season in which Christian finished
26-7 overall and captured the
Eastern League pennant - the Patriots absorbed consecutive losses
only once.
They dropped a 2-1 decision at El Capitan in eight innings on
March 28 and
then hit low ebb in losing to Scripps Ranch 10-1 on April 1.
So there is still plenty of hope for Christian
(6-3) which travels to
Clairemont for its final City Conference Tournament game on Friday
(April 4)
at 3 p.m.
EL CAPITAN 6, VALHALLA 2 - The 5th-ranked Vaqueros (9-1) won their 9th
straight game with relative ease in Thursday's (April 3) Grossmont
Conference
Tournament victory over visiting Valhalla in Lakeside.
By winning, El Capitan qualified for the
Grossmont Conference Tournament
championship game against Mount Miguel, which has been moved to
Wednesday,
May 21 in Spring Valley.
The Vaqueros scored all 6 of their runs
in the first two innings and senior
right-hander JASON GUZMAN (3-1) took care of the rest. Guzman,
who walked one
and struck out 4, scattered 8 hits and did not allow an earned
run as he
posted his 3rd straight victory.
RBI singles by VERN WENGELER and JORDAN
ANDERSON staked El Capitan to a 2-0
first inning lead.
JORDAN ABRUZZO added a 2-run double and
Wengeler plated a run with a base hit
in a 4-run 2nd inning as El Capitan appeared to be on its way
to a lopsided
win. Wengeler was 3-for-3 for the day, raising his season average
to .500
(15-for-30).
The biggest confidence builder for El Capitan
was it's ability to produce
against Valhalla's sophomore sensation SEAN O'SULLIVAN, who allowed
9 hits
and 2 earned runs in his East County-leading 3rd complete game.
For Valhalla (5-4), JASON HINTON was 3-for-4
with a run scored, while DREW
GARCIA returned to the lineup to go 2-for-3.
(04-03-03)
West Hills' Nathan Wick reaches on an error
as Helix first baseman Ray Rivera lunges for a throw during the
Wolf Pack's 4-0 win over the Highlanders in a Grossmont Conference
Tournament game Wednesday (4-02-03).
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - The Helix Highlanders are so concerned
with their downward spiral
that they probably never heard of West Hills pitcher NICK RODIECK.
Until
Wednesday's (April 2) Grossmont Conference Tournament game, that
is. The Wolf Pack's 6-foot,
150-pound junior right-hander needed only 80 pitches to author
a 4-hit
shutout as West Hills spiked the visiting Highlanders 4-0.
It was the 3rd straight win for Rodieck
(3-2), who logged his first complete
game and a career high 10 strikeouts.
"Nick got ahead in the count to almost
every hitter today," West Hills coach
JARROD CARMAN said. "He's the one guy on our staff who can
throw three
pitches for strikes. He's not overpowering, but he knows how to
locate his
pitches."
West Hills (4-5), which has won 4 of its
last 6 starts, took the lead in the
opening frame. CLAY COULTER, East County's leading hitter at the
beginning of
the week, rebounded from an 0-for-3 effort on Tuesday at Mount
Miguel with a
leadoff double in the bottom of the 1st inning. He eventually
scored on
DUSTIN BEECHLER's sacrifice fly.
Singles by MATT LUNA and Beechler, coupled
with some shoddy fielding by the
Highlanders, handed West Hills 2 more runs in the 3rd inning.
A walk to Luna and a double by Beechler
set up the Wolf Pack's final run in
the 5th inning, which came across on a passed ball.
Catcher MATT POWELL accounted for half of the Highlanders (1-9) four hits.
"Our kids and coaches are frustrated,"
Helix coach COLE HOLLAND said. "Even
though our pitchers have given up 13 hits on 0-2 and 1-2 pitches,
they've
still carried our team. They've pitched well enough to win a lot
more games
than we have."
To prove Holland's point, one needs only
to check the 1st inning of
Wednesday's game. Coulter, the Wolf Pack's leadoff batter, doubled
on an 0-2
pitch and finished the day 2-for-4.
"Our hitters need to rise up and take
some of the pressure off our pitchers,"
Holland said. "If you take away the El Cajon game (won by
Helix 14-3), we're
hitting about a buck-50 as a team. That's not going to win very
many games in
anybody's league."
Helix's Ray Rivera stretches for putout
of West Hill's Marcus Schaer (6) Wednesday (4-2-03).
PT. LOMA 7, CHRISTIAN 3 - When JOEL ALLEN hit the first pitch from Pt. Loma's
James Doss off the roof of the Christian High weight room and
into the
swimming pool, it appeared the Patriots were on course to another
victory in
Wednesday's (April 2) City Conference Tournament game.
Turns out, Allen's 3rd home run of the season
might have sent a false message
to the Patriots, who showed little pizzazz thereafter as they
lost for only
the second time in 8 starts.
"We were horrible," Christian
coach MIKE MITCHELL said. "This was a lot like
the first game we lost (to Ramona 4-2). In both games we've lost,
we were
flat. We did a good job of contributing to the other team's success."
Three Christian errors handed the visiting Pointers (4-5) three unearned runs.
Offensively, the top three hitters in the
batting order generated 5 of
Christian's 6 hits. BRIAN SCHROEDER slugged his county-leading
5th home run -
a solo shot in the 6th - but it was too little too late as the
Pointers were
sitting on a 7-2 lead.
The UCLA-bound Schroeder was 2-for-3, which
vaulted him into the county
batting lead with a .679 mark (19-for-28).
Allen lined an RBI triple in the 7th inning to complete a 2-for-4 outing.
The defending-champion Patriots open the
Eastern League season on Thursday
(April 3) when they host Patrick Henry at 3 p.m. These clubs finished
1-2 in
the circuit, with Christian gaining a one-game edge.
(04-02-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
LAKESIDE - El Capitan senior JASON GUZMAN
had a plan. That is, he wanted to
try out an old tradition - a celebration of April Fools Day. The
practical
joke, as it turns out, was on the Vaqueros' veteran coach STEVE
VICKERY.
What a prankster, that Guzman.
"He showed up at school on crutches
with his foot all wrapped up," Vickery
said. "He was still hobbling around at lunch, making sure
I saw him several
times before that. I'll admit, I was concerned because he'd hurt
his foot the
game before.
"So I told him how I was going to change
the lineup for Tuesday's (April 1)
game, and then all the guys (Guzman's teammates) started laughing.
He really
got me with that one."
Guzman, the pretender, provided little comedy
relief for the visiting Cougars
of Steele Canyon in Tuesday's (April 1) Grossmont Conference Tournament
game.
He went 2-for-4, including an opposite field 3-run home run as
the Vaqueros
rolled 15-2.
The victory - El Capitan's 8th straight
following a season-opening loss to
Rancho Bernardo - featured two home runs and a triple by JORDAN
ANDERSON and
a 4-for-5 batting spree by leadoff man JUSTIN SNYDER.
Snyder included a double, triple, 3 runs
scored and 3 RBI in his totals as 11
Vaqueros contributed to a 20-hit attack.
El Capitan's USD-bound senior catcher JORDAN
ABRUZZO was 2-for-4 with a
double and 2 RBI.
Junior left-hander DUSTIN CHURCH checked
the Cougars on 6 hits over 5 innings
in his first start and second win. He also picked 3 Steele Canyon
runners off
base.
Back-to-back doubles by CHRIS RICE and CHRIS
ALVAREZ gave the Cougars (4-4) a
2-1 lead in the top of the 2nd inning. After El Capitan regained
control with
4 runs in the bottom of the 2nd, BRYAN KIDA slugged a solo homer
for the
Cougars in the 3rd.
MOUNT MIGUEL 2, WEST HILLS 1 - Matadors coach ERNIE REYES prefers the
stealth approach to that of beating his chest to note Mount Miguel's
impressive start this season.
"I don't want to call attention to ourselves," Reyes said. "Not yet, anyway."
Six wins in the first nine games against
a quality slate of opponents
warrants the Matadors some regard.
Mount Miguel, which has secured a berth
in next Tuesday's (April 8) Grossmont
Conference Tournament championship game, overcame a 1-0 deficit
to put down
the pesky Wolf Pack.
After West Hills put a marker on the board
in the 3rd inning without benefit
of a hit, Mount Miguel tied it in the lower half of the frame.
ADRIAN BISHOP
was hit by a pitch, moved to second JOEY STREET's walk and scored
on DANE
PONCIANO's single to left.
MIKE McLAUGHLIN's one-out double to left
set up what was to be the winning
run in the 5th inning, McLaughlin moved up 90 feet on Street's
ground out and
scored on Ponciano's infield single.
West Hills first baseman NICK RODIECK made
a diving stop on Ponciano's
game-winning grounder, but pitcher EDDIE PRYOR was tardy covering
first base.
It was the 3rd game-winning hit for Ponciano, who is batting at
a .519 clip.
"Ponciano is the catalyst of our club,"
Reyes said. "He hits the ball hard,
hits in the clutch and more importantly, he calls a great game
behind the
plate. This is the first year I've let him call pitches, and so
far I have no
complaints."
Junior right-hander EDDIE GONZALES rationed
the Wolf Pack to 3 hits and one
unearned run over the first six innings as he rolled his record
to 2-0 while
lowering his ERA to 0.42.
"He's throwing strikes and has won
two big games for us," Reyes said. "It's
hard not to keep him in our rotation."
Street blanked the Wolf Pack in the 7th to earn his second save.
One of the keys for Mount Miguel was holding
CLAY COULTER - San Diego
County's leading batter (.692) - hitless. Coulter, however, was
a defensive
menace behind the plate, as he cut down three Matadors attempting
to steal.
West Hills (4-6) hosts Helix in a Grossmont
Conference Tournament game on
Wednesday (April 2) at 3:30 p.m.
SANTANA 12, HELIX 5 - As far as batting at the top of the order goes,
Santana's NICK CARAVEO couldn't have a much better day than he
had in
Tuesday's (April 1) Grossmont Conference Tournament game against
the visiting
Highlanders.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound senior left fielder
was 4-for-4 with a double, 3
runs scored, 2 RBI and 3 steals. That batting binge boosted Caraveo's
average
79 points to .412. He's tied for the East County lead in runs
scored with 13.
Caraveo contributed a 2-run single to Santana's
4-run 3rd inning that enabled
the Sultans (6-4) to snap a 5-5 tie. His blow was more of an insurance
clout,
considering it was KENNY VILABOY's line-drive single to right
that scored
RYAN HOWARD (single) and SAM PHILLIPS (single) with the go-ahead
runs.
JEFF WOODS belted his second home run of
the year with a man aboard in the
1st inning for Santana, which halted a two-game skid.
JOSH ATWELL pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout
relief to earn his first varsity
win. He scattered 3 hits, walked and struck out 5.
The Highlanders (1-8) put up a fight in
the early innings, producing their
second highest scoring total of the campaign. Yet, they were clinging
to a
precarious 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 2nd.
ROBERT STEVENS smashed a double in each
of Helix's first two turns at bat. He
scored on BRIAN RICARD's sacrifice fly in the 1st and then doubled
in two
runs in the 2nd. JOE SCALISI, who was 3-for-4, also had an RBI
single in the
2nd for the Highlanders.
VALHALLA 10, EL CAJON VALLEY 7 - The Braves narrowly missed a major upset
Tuesday (April 1) as they kept the pressure on the visiting Norsemen
in a
Grossmont Conference Tournament game.
The game was deadlocked at 7-7 after the
Braves (3-7) scored 4 runs in the
bottom of the 4th inning. Valhalla's only error of the day came
into play
here as it help set the stage for RBI singles by OSCAR VENTURA
and RANDY
SMITH. It was ALBERT ARMENDARIZ's sacrifice fly that tied the
game.
Valhalla (5-3) regained the lead in the
5th inning. Junior designated hitter
CHRIS OLSEN drew a leadoff walk and JOHN CLARK ran for him. Clark
advanced 90
feet into scoring position one out later and coasted home on the
third of
JUSTIN SHEPARD's four singles.
It was a one-run ballgame until the 7th
when Valhalla shoved across a pair of
insurance runs. Again, Shepard was part of the rally with a one-out
single.
He eventually scored on GARRETT ALLYN's single. EDDIE MAPULA cashed
in Allyn
with a triple.
Much of the credit for the Valhalla victory
must go to senior reliever SAM
DOWNS who arrived on the hill with the bases loaded and nobody
out in the 4th
inning. The Norsemen were clinging to a one-run lead. Although
Downs gave up
a sacrifice fly, he struck out the other two hitters he faced.
He then set
the Braves down in order in the 5th and 6th innings and was rewarded
with a
victory for his trouble.
JOSH STEWART spun a hitless 7th to earn the save.
Mapula finished 3-for-5 with two extra-base
hits and 4 RBI for Valhalla,
which hammered out 14 hits to halt a 3-game losing streak.
Freshman NICK SPEARS was 2-for-3 with 3
runs scored and also struck out 4 in
1 2/3 innings of shutout relief for the Braves.
GROSSMONT 6, MONTE VISTA 5 - The Foothillers overcame a 3-0 deficit to edge
the visiting Monarchs in Tuesday's (April 1) Grossmont Conference
Tournament
action.
Half of Grossmont's runs scored on wild
pitches, including the first of 3
tallies in the 5th inning that tied the game. JUSTIN BAUM blasted
a 2-run
single to knot the score at 3-all in the 5th.
Playing without stalwart catcher CHRIS ANDERSON
(shoulder injury), Monte
Vista (3-5) took the lead two more times before the Hillers (6-3)
could claim
their 4th straight victory.
DALLAS HUBBARD hoisted a fly ball over Grossmont's
"Pennant Porch" in right
field to give the Monarchs a 4-3 edge in the 6th. The Foothillers
countered
with the tying marker in the bottom of the 6th when MATT PASSANISI
(walk)
scored on a wild pitch.
JOE BERRY gave Monte Vista the lead with
a solo home run in the top of the
7th, but Grossmont fired up one final comeback. JAMES BEEBE provided
the
spark with a single. Three walks and a wild pitch thereafter tied
the game
before RICK SILVA's "walk-off" single to right field
that scored Baum with
the game winner.
The victory kept Grossmont's chances for
a berth in the Grossmont
Conference's North-South Tournament championship game alive. The
Foothillers
need a victory over Granite Hills on Thursday (April 3) and a
loss by El
Capitan to Valhalla on the same day to earn the host role for
the annual
event for East County supremacy. Originally slated for Saturday
(April 5),
the game has tentatively been moved to Tuesday (April 8) at the
site of the
Grossmont North pool champion.
(04-01-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON -Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS
sees the resemblance every day. And
the more he watches KEVIN JAMES swing the bat, the more he is
convinced that
the Eagles' junior first baseman is kin to the San Diego Padres'
Ryan Klesko.
In reality, though, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound James is merely a
mirror image of
the major league celebrity.
"Kevin has a beautiful left-handed
swing, much like that of Klesko," Davis
said.
James drove in 6 runs with 3 singles and
double as No. 7-ranked Granite Hills
trounced visiting West Hills 19-7 in Saturday's (Mar. 29) Grossmont
Conference Tournament action.
James hoisted a sacrifice fly in the 1st
inning, laced a 2-run double in the
2nd frame, ripped a RBI single in the 3rd and drove in 2 more
in the 5th as
the Eagles (6-2) put the hurt on West Hills (4-5).
"Kevin struggled a bit last year,"
Davis said of the Francis Parker transfer.
"He's self-motivated. You don't have to say a word to him
about working hard."
Saturday's battering of five West Hills
pitchers allowed James to elevate his
season average to .577 (15-for-26).
After West Hills (4-5) snapped a 2-2 tie
via CLAY COULTER's RBI double and
MATT LUNA's RBI single in the top of the 2nd, Granite Hills sent
a dozen
batters to the plate and generated eight runs to take command
of the
proceedings
"One thing about this team is we can
hit," said Davis, whose troops own a
team, batting average of .348.
Three Granite Hills relievers - THOMAS KENNEDY,
GABE WARD and RYAN OWENS -
combined to blank the Wolf Pack on one hit over the final 3 1.3
innings.
Luna led the West Hills offense with a 2-run
double and a run-scoring single
in three at-bats. Coulter was 2-for-2, with a double, 3 runs and
one RBI. The
senior catcher/pitcher is batting at a .692 clip.
"We'll just chalk this game up to experience
and move on," Wolf Pack coach
JARROD CARMAN said. "We gave them 13 walks, and made 5 errors.
How can you
expect to beat a good team like Granite Hills (5-1) where you
are doing that."
GROSSMONT 7, VALHALLA 5 - When SEAN O'SULLIVAN blasted a grand slam in the
1st inning of Saturday's (Mar. 29) Grossmont Conference Tournament
game, most
would have believed that the Norsemen had victory in hand.
The Foothillers (5-3), however, refused
to roll over. After EVAN AMADOR
singled in one run, CHRIS TAKATA rifled an 0-2 pitch for a 2-run
double,
slicing Valhalla's edge to 4-3.
ZACH BARGER's RBI single expanded Valhalla's
advantage to 5-3 in the bottom
of the third.
JUSTIN BAUM supplied a key RBI in the 5th
and 6th innings to help the
Foothillers turn the game around.
ANDREW GREEN (2-1) rationed the Norsemen
(4-3) to one run and 4 hits over the
next 4 2/3 innings before BRANT RUSTICH threw 11 pitches over
the final 1 2/3
frames to earn his second save.
The big news in this game is Valhalla's
DREW GARCIA has been lost to his team
for one-to-three weeks with a broken foot.
MOUNT MIGUEL 4, SANTANA 3 - Senior catcher DANE PONCIANO's leadoff home run
in the bottom of the 6th inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Matadors
their
5th win in eight starts in Saturday's (Mar. 29) Grossmont Conference
contest.
Mount Miguel's sturdy 1-2 pitching punch
of JOEY STREET and MIKE McLAUGHLIN
combined to stymie the Sultans (5-4) on 4 hits. McLaughlin was
rewarded for
his two innings of hitless relief with his 3rd win in four decisions.
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the
3rd, the Matadors came to life as
ANTELMO GOMEZ and EDDIE GONZALES banged back-to-back singles and
ADRIAN
BISHOP was hit by a pitch to load the bases. McLaughlin's single
gave Mount
Miguel a 2-1 lead.
A solo home run by ADRIAN PEREZ stretched Mount Miguel's lead to 3-1.
The key play of the game, according to Santana
coach JERRY HENSON, came in
the 6th inning. After RYAN HOWARD's RBI double cut Mount Miguel's
lead to
3-2, the Sultans gambled and tried to sneak the tying run across.
JOSH
MAZZOLA, however, was cut down attempting to score the equalizer
on what
appeared to be a wild pitch.
However, Ponciano pounced on the errant
pitch and flipped it to pitcher
McLaughlin, who made a swipe tag on Mazzola, was charging down
from third.
"I still don't think he got him, even
now," Henson said. "But the umpire said
he did. "
That looked OK to Mount Miguel coach ERNIE REYES.
These Matadors are starting to mold themselves into the shape of a contender.
BRANDON HALEY belted his 3rd home run fort
a Santana team that is supposedly
lacking in power.
EL CAJON VALLEY 10, STEELE CANYON 3 - Freshman NICK SPEARS pitched four
innings of one-hit, shutout ball and went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI Saturday
(Mar.
29) as the Braves (3-6) snapped a six-game losing streak by crushing
the
Cougars (4-3).
The Braves broke the game open with 5 runs
in the 4th inning to stretch their
advantage to 6-0. SHANE MYER's two-run single was the key hit,
and Spears
chipped in with a run-scoring single. Catcher RANDY SMITH also
came through
with an RBI single.
LUIS PEREZ was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI for the
Braves, while ALBERT ARMENDARIZ was
3-for-4 with one RBI for the Braves.
Steele Canyon dodged the shutout with 3
runs in the 7th. Three walks and JOE
VIDO's two-run single put the Cougars on the board. KYLE JOHNSON
added a
run-scoring single for the Cougars.
Although El Cajon Valley erupted for 14
hits (see boxscore), Braves coach
WAYNE WEIGHTMAN was most pleased by the Braves' 4-pitcher tandem
that held
the Cougars to 4 hits.
EL CAPITAN 12, HELIX 0 - For the second time in as many starts El Capitan's
BURKE DRAHEIM shut down the struggling Highlanders (1-7) in Saturday's
(Mar.
29) Grossmont Conference Tournament game in La Mesa.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Draheim rationed
the Highlanders to five singles and
a double as he walked none and struck out 7.
"He's one of those guys who mesmerizes
you - throws three pitches for strikes
- and puts you to sleep," El Capitan coach STEVE VICKERY
said. "He threw 93
pitches, but only in two 2 innings did he throw more than 14 pitches.
He
works fast and provides guys with what we call comfortable collars."
El Capitan (7-1) - which has won seven straight
- scored all the runs it
needed in the 3rd inning. JUSTIN SNYDER doubled and scored on
JORDAN
ABRUZZO's single. VERN WENGELER followed by banging a hanging
slider for a
two-run home run and a 3-0 lead.
Back-to-back doubles by JOSH WALSTON and SHAUN BLAKE made it 4-0 in the 4th.
It only got worse for the Highlanders from
there. RBI singles by NIK GARCIA
and JASON GUZMAN keyed a 3-run 5th as the Vaqueros turned the
game a rout.
Garcia's three-run double was the back-breaking blow in El Capitan's
6-run
sixth inning.
RYAN HULBERT hammered a pair of singles
and was the only Helix player to
garner more than one hit.
(03-29-03)
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - The Christian High Patriots would
like to let it be known that there
is more to this ball club than just 3 or 4 veteran standouts.
Guys like SEAN
RYAN, who clouted his first varsity home run and pitched 2 shutout
innings of
relief in Christian's 13-2 conquest of visiting Hoover in Friday's
(Mar. 28)
City Conference Tournament tilt.
Junior BRANDON ABELL chipped in with his
first varsity home run and
UCLA-bound senior BRIAN SCHROEDER slugged his East County-leading
4th
round-tripper as Christian improved to 6-1.
Despite going 3-for-5 for the second game
in a row and 9-for-14 over his last
three starts, Schroeder saw his season average dip to .680 (17
for 25).
Schroeder doubled and scored on DANIEL MAGNESS' sacrifice fly
in the bottom
of the 1st to chop Hoover's early 2-0 lead in half.
Ryan tied the game leading off the 2nd inning
when he laced Pete Camacho's
first pitch over the left field fence to tie the game 2-2. Two
batters later,
Schroeder scorched a liner of the left-center field fence to provide
the
Patriots with the lead for keeps.
Christian, which has scored 24 runs in its
last two outings, sent 12 men to
the plate and scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning. Schroeder's two-run
single was
the key blow.
The Patriots pasted 5 more markers on the
board in the 4th as Magness and
EDDIE LISTANDER followed Abell's leadoff homer with 2-run doubles.
JOEL ALLEN handled the Patriots' pitching
for the first 4 innings, checking
Hoover (2-6) on 2 hits while striking out 7 and notching his second
win.
CORY HUJING tossed in a shutout inning and
also produced the first hit of his
varsity career.
(03-28-03)
El Cajon Valley's Omar Mendez (No. 7) hits
a foul ball, as Helix reserve catcher Dante Powell, a senior,
awaits on Thursday (3-27-03).
EastCountySports.com staff report
SANTEE - Don't look now, but West Hills
is making a statement. That is, this
club expects to contend for the Grossmont North League championship.
Given
that coach JARROD CARMAN's Wolf Pack (4-4) have won three in a
row,
challenging for a league title and a San Diego CIF playoff berth
may not be
too far fetched.
Blazing hot CLAY COULTER was 2-for-3 with
a pair of doubles, a walk and one
RBI in the leadoff spot, maintaining his season average at .667
(16-for-24)
for the Wolf Pack, which mauled Monte Vista 11-2 in Thursday's
(Mar. 27)
Grossmont Conference Tournament action.
MATT LUNA led the Wolf Pack's supporting
cast, driving in 2 runs with two
doubles and a single in four at-bats. DUSTIN BEECHLER chimed in
with three
singles, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
After the visiting Monarchs (3-4) jumped
in front 2-0 on CHRIS ANDERSON's 3rd
home run of the year in the top of the 1st inning, West Hills
countered with
4 runs in the bottom of the opening frame. NATHAN WICK's three-run
double was
the key blow.
An RBI double by Coulter and Luna's run-scoring
single extended West Hills'
advantage to 6-2 after two frames.
"We had a great day all the way around,"
Carman said. "We had a slow start,
but we're getting better all the time. We are getting contributions
from the
entire team all the time. We got 8 hits out of our top 3 hitters,
and they
scored six times and knocked in another 5."
GRANITE HILLS 11, SANTANA 6 - Who is this KEVIN JAMES anyhow? The 6-foot-3,
195-pound Granite Hills junior first baseman went 3-for-4, smacked
a home
run, scored 3 runs and drove in a run as the 7th-ranked Eagles
(5-2)
rebounded from back-to-back losses to shut down host Santana in
Thursday's
(Mar. 27) Grossmont Conference Tournament action.
"This was a gut-check win for us,"
Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "We
just had to grind our way through against a team that's been hot."
The unheralded James elevated his season
average to .500 (11-for-22) as the
Eagles dismissed the Sultans (5-3).
"Kevin James has Division I written
all over him," Davis said. "He's really
swinging the bat well right now. He also has a 4.6 GPA, which
makes him even more
attractive to college scouts."
Hard-throwing junior right-hander ANTHONY
YBARRA picked up his first varsity
win for Granite Hills, laboring through 5 2/3 innings.
The Eagles used a 7-run 4th inning to take
an 8-0 lead, before the Sultans
came to life to club three home runs.
JOSH MAZZOLA mashed a 2-run home run and
RYAN HOWARD followed with a solo
shot to help Santana cut the Eagles' early lead in half. JEFF
WOODS added a
solo homer in the 6th inning - giving Santana 6 roundtrippers
for the season.
EL CAPITAN 11, MOUNT MIGUEL 7 - The Vaqueros of El Capitan certainly did not
look like a team worthy of Top 10 consideration in anybody's poll
as they
survived 9 errors in Thursday's (Mar. 27) Grossmont Conference
Tournament
victory over the visiting Matadors.
After falling behind 5-1 in the 3rd inning,
5th-ranked El Capitan (6-1) came
from behind twice to secure its sixth straight win.
JORDAN ANDERSON led El Capitan's comeback
charge, driving in 5 runs with a
triple and two singles. The senior first baseman keyed a 4-run
3rd inning
that enabled El Capitan to turn a 4-run deficit into a 5-5 tie.
His two-run
single was sandwiched between VERN WENGELER's RBI double and JASON
GUZMAN's
run-scoring single that tied the game.
Mount Miguel (4-3) regained the lead on
DANE PONCIANO's two-run double to
right field in the 4th inning.
El Capitan scrambled back to tie it 7-7
in the 5th frame. Wengeler singled
and scored on Anderson's triple. NIK GARCIA's sacrifice fly plated
Anderson
with the tying marker.
Two critical Mount Miguel errors opened
the window to 4 runs for El Capitan
in the bottom of the 6th inning. Anderson supplied the key blow
- a 2-run
single up the middle.
This was a game of freebies. Nine El Capitan
errors added up to 4 unearned
runs for Mount Miguel, while 5 Matadors' boots led to 6 unearned
runs for the
Vaqueros.
Helix's Drew Foy (16) is barely out at
first in top of 3rd on Thursday (3-27-03), as El Cajon Valley's Gerard Hopper (24) makes the stretch.
HELIX 14, EL CAJON VALLEY 3 - A 12-run 2nd inning in Thursday's (Mar. 27)
Grossmont Conference Tournament tilt enabled the Highlanders (1-6)
to crash
into the victory column for the first time this season.
The Highlanders sent 17 batters to the plate
in the robust second frame,
which featured a 2-run double by MATT POWELL and a 2-run single
by NATE
METROKA.
Metroka, who was dropped to the bottom of
the Helix batting order, made major
contributions for the Highlanders batting in the No. 9 spot. The
junior
center fielder was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI to spearhead Helix's 18-hit
attack
against the Braves (2-6).
ROBERT STEVENS snapped out of an 0-for-17
slump with a 2-for-4 effort in the
leadoff spot for the Highlanders.
Helix senior AARON BAILEY limited the Braves
to 3 hits and one run during his
4-inning stint to earn the pitching win.
GROSSMONT 14, STEELE CANYON 2 - BRANT RUSTICH drove in 4 runs with a home
run and a single Thursday (Mar. 27) as host Grossmont stuffed
visiting Steele
Canyon in a Grossmont Conference Tournament game.
The Foothillers (4-3) scored in five of
their six turns at-bat, capitalizing
on 13 Steele Canyon walks, 4 errors and 5 wild pitches.
TONY CUSUMANO smacked a 2-run triple and
CHRIS TAKATA slapped a 2-run double
as Grossmont scored 6 runs in the 6th inning to turn the game
into a blowout.
Rustich gave Grossmont a 2-0 lead with a
2-run home run in the 1st inning and
added a 2-run single to expanded the Foothillers advantage to
7-2 in the 4th.
Steele Canyon's CHRIS RICE was 2-for-4,
including his second home run of the
season.
(03-27-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - Christian High probably won't
play any better than it did in
Wednesday's (Mar. 26) City Conference Tournament opener at Mira
Mesa. Just
about everything the Patriots touched turned to gold. An 11-0
victory over
the Marauders - a team ranked in the Union-Tribune's preseason
Top 10 - was
impressive to say the least. The sterling performances of seniors
BRIAN
SCHROEDER, DANIEL MAGNESS, EDDIE LISTANDER and JOEL ALLEN were
inspirational
as Christian won for the 5th time in six starts.
Schroeder was overpowering on the mound,
as he blanked Mira Mesa (2-4) on 3
hits while striking out 12 and walking three.
"I felt like I had real good stuff
today," said Schroeder who pushed his
record to 3-0.
The challenges, however, were many for the
UCLA-bound Schroeder, who was
clocked between 88-and-92 miles per hour by the dozen or so scouts
who
dropped by to take a look at the 6-foot-3, 210-pound southpaw.
In games at
City schools, the backstop is right on top of home plate. Scouts
get so close
they can feel the heat.
Does Schroeder feel the pressure of having
a battery of radar guns aimed at
him?
"Not really," he said. "The
first time I saw all those guys back there it was
strange.
Now it's just another day at the ballpark. I block them out and
just throw."
Scaling the Mira Mesa 27-inch mound was a feat in itself.
"It was a little different," said
Schroeder, who raised his record to 3-0 and
strikeout count to 35 in 20 2/3 innings while holding his ERA
at 0.00.
"Getting on top of pitches was a little tough. It messes
up your stride a
little bit because it's a little flat in the front. So you have
to go over
and then down. That was the big thing I was feeling. My body was
going
forward when I was going down and my arm wasn't catching up. But
once I
figured that out, I was comfortable."
Schroeder, who needed 120 pitches to silence
the Marauders, retired the side
in order only once in his complete-game effort. He struck out
all four
batters he faced in the 3rd inning and totaled 9 whiffs in the
first 3 frames.
"My fastball was moving and my slider
was a big pitch, in that it got a lot
of groundballs for me," Schroeder said.
Despite striking out 12 times as a team
against three Mira Mesa pitchers, the
Patriots (5-1) pounded out 15 hits. First baseman Magness was
5-for-5 with a
home run, 5 RBI and 3 runs scored.
A career .400 hitter, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound
first baseman is 8-for-9 with 7
RBI in his last 2 games. At the moment, his season average is
.696 - 4 points
lower than that of Schroeder, who was 3-for-5 with 2 doubles,
2 runs and one
RBI.
Swinging the bat with authority may be Magness'
ticket to the next level. A
four-year starter, Magness has been advised to take a year or
two off from
pitching. He doesn't see that as a problem, considering he is
a golden glove
first baseman who loves to hit.
"Daniel is the best pure hitter I've
ever coached," Christian High skipper
MIKE MITCHELL said. "He's our best bunter, best hit-and-run
guy, has the best
eye and doesn't strike out. Plus he has real good power."
Magness, a left-hand hitter, lined three
opposite field singles, two of which
plated 3 RBI. He ripped a hanging curveball for a two-run home
run in the 4th
inning to give Christian a 6-0 bulge.
"He hits the ball where it's pitched," Mitchell said.
Christian senior EDDIE LISTANDER went 4-for-4
with a double and 2 RBI. Right
fielder JOEL ALLEN was 2-for-4 with a triple and 3 runs scored.
The Patriots, who had never beaten Mira
Mesa, took a 3-0 lead in the 1st
inning as Magness and DONNY PARKER supplied RBI singles and the
Marauders
contributed a run-scoring error.
That was more than enough cushion for Schroeder,
who is arguably the best
pitcher in town.
(03-26-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
LAKESIDE - El Capitan senior JASON GUZMAN
might have called for relief, given
the manner in which he was being cuffed around by the heavy-hitting
Granite
Hills Eagles in the early going of Tuesday's (Mar. 25) Grossmont
Conference
Tournament opener at Granite Hills. It was a metal bat haven,
taking well
over an hour to complete the first 2 1/2 innings. Unlike his counterpart,
however, Guzman eventually restored order as the visiting Vaqueros
used a
7-run 3rd inning to notch a 10-4 victory.
Guzman gave up 4 runs and 4 hits in the
first 1 2/3 innings to the county's
7th-ranked Eagles (4-2).
"The first two innings it looked like
we would be here until midnight," El
Capitan coach STEVE VICKERY said.
Guzman accepted at least partial blame for the lengthy start.
"I was leaving my pitches up, just
not focusing like I should have," offered
Guzman. "They came in strong, but I came back at them with
everything I've
got."
Both as a pitcher and a batter.
Guzman slugged a 2-run home run to tie the
game 3-3 in the 2nd inning. But
the Eagles regained the lead in the bottom of the inning as SEAN
PEPIN
singled and scored on JOHN COIT's triple.
"At the beginning, I struggled a little
more and didn't feel like I had
much," Guzman admitted. "Then the adrenaline rush came
to me and I fell into
a groove."
Guzman (2-1) fired a 1-hit shutout over
the final 5 1/3 innings for the
5th-ranked Vaqueros (5-1) who posted their fifth straight win.
"He finally settled down and began
spotting his pitches," Granite Hills coach
JAMES DAVIS said. "He kept the ball down, and went up when
he had to. He
wasn't overpowering, but he was giving us fits."
"We teach our pitchers to throw 30-to-40
percent changeups," El Capitan coach
STEVE VICKERY said. "That's a great (Granite Hills) team
over there. It's
kind of like the old Granite Hills clubs. Guzman was just so mentally
tough,
as tough as they come. He had 99 pitches going into the last inning,
and we
would have had a fight in the dugout if I had tried to take him
out (of the
game). It showed me something. He wanted that last inning."
Guzman said his objective for this game was to turn in a complete game.
"My goal was on pitching - to shut
them down and go the distance," Guzman
said. "I was able to do what I came to do."
He had plenty of help.
Trailing 4-3 entering the top of the 3rd
inning, the Vaqueros received a
lead-off double by VERN WENGELER. JORDAN ANDERSON singled to put
runners at
the corners, then NIK GARCIA's base hit plated Wengeler with the
tying run.
Guzman's opposite-field double gave El Capitan a 5-4 edge it wouldn't
lose.
"You've just got to hit it where it's
pitched," Guzman said of his second
game-winning RBI. "It was away, so I went with it. You can't
pull a pitch
like that over the fence."
The fact that Guzman has knowledge as a
pitcher has helped him with his
hitting.
"It helps a lot because you think ahead
of what they're going to pitch to
you," the El Capitan senior said.
JOSH WALSTON followed Guzman's blow with
an RBI double to make it 5-3. A
Granite Hills error added another run and JUSTIN SNYDER (2-for-4)
and
USD-bound JORDAN ABRUZZO each singled in a run in the wild 3rd
frame.
For Granite Hills, the standout was probably
relief pitcher DONNY ANDERSON,
who blanked the Vaqueros on 2 hits over the final 5 innings while
striking
out 4.
WEST HILLS 6, VALHALLA 4 - When speaking of contenders in the Grossmont
North League pennant race, don't forget to include the Wolf Pack
of West
Hills. The Pack proved in Tuesday's (Mar. 25) Grossmont Conference
Tournament
opener at Valhalla that it will indeed challenge the traditional
favorites
for the pole position.
Led by senior catcher CLAY COULTER, who
was 3-for-3 with a home run and 2
RBI, the Wolf Pack (3-4) posted its second straight win as a trio
of pitchers
combined to shut down the talented Norsemen (4-2).
Coulter, who drilled the 3rd pitch of the
game over the left-center field
fence for his second home run, elevated his average to .667 (14-for-21).
"That guy is the epitome of how the
game is supposed to be played," Valhalla
coach STEVE PERDUE said of Coulter. "There is no doubt in
my mind that he was
the best player on the field today. He's a throwback to the olden
days when
hustling was expected."
Coulter is also a top-notch pitcher, but
his value behind the plate prohibits
him from taking many turns on the mound. That, and the fact West
Hills'
backup receiver is injured at the moment, leaves Wolf Pack coach
JARROD
CARMAN little choice but to leave his senior receiver behind the
dish.
"Basically, having Coulter back there
eliminates the running game," Carman
said. "He blocks the ball in the dirt and he's a leader for
us. We moved him
to the leadoff spot so he would get an extra at-bat per game."
EDDIE PRYOR turned in another strong pitching
effort for West Hills,
scattering 5 hits and allowing only SEAN O'SULLIVAN's 2-run home
run during a
5-inning stint.
Valhalla capitalized on a critical 6th inning
error to push across a pair of
runs without benefit of a hit against West Hills reliever DUSTIN
BEECHLER.
But Beechler weathered the storm and checked the Norsemen on one
hit over the
final 2 frames to earn the save.
"Dustin is fearless," Carman said.
"He has really given us a lift on the
hill."
Valhalla relievers JOSH STEWART and GARRETT
EDGE skunked West Hills on 4 hits
over the final 3 2/3 innings. They combined for 4 strikeouts and
walked none.
SANTANA 12, MONTE VISTA 1 - Coach JERRY HENSON's Sultans probably won't be
invited to any fireworks shows this year. That's because tape-measure
home
runs are not the focal point of their attack, which is reflected
in a
slugging percentage of just over .400. These guys are singles
hitters who
have the speed to take the extra base. They also have
pitching-prowess-sans-fanfare. In other words, they get the job
done in
stealth-like fashion.
"Henson's teams like to create confusion,
put the pressure on you by playing
a steady game of small ball," Monte Vista coach LARRY RINEHART
said.
Given that Santana's .327 team batting average
breaks down to 52 singles, 12
doubles, no triples and 3 home runs, that would prove to be true.
Coupled
with a staff ERA of 2.80, it's not so difficult to understand
why the Sultans
are steaming along with 5 wins in 7 starts.
RYAN HOWARD singled home JEFF WOODS to break
a scoreless deadlock in the
second inning. A bases-loaded walk to SHANE KAUFMAN later in the
inning made
it 2-0.
Two-run singles by Woods and NICK CARAVEO
keyed an 8-run 7th inning for the
Sultans, who ballooned a 4-0 advantage to 12-0.
Howard led Santana's 15-hit attack with
4 singles, while Woods was 3-for-5
with a double - the only extra-base hit in the game - and two
RBI. Santana
leadoff man Caraveo drove in 3 runs, while JOSH MAZZOLA extended
his East
County-best hitting streak to 7 games.
That was more than enough for TOMMY WILEY,
who pitched a complete-game
2-hitter. The junior right-hander faced the minimum of 18 batters
through 6
innings, allowing only a second-inning single to JOE BERRY. The
first of two
Santana double plays erased Berry.
Monte Vista's only other hit was DALLAS
HUBBARD's RBI single with one out in
the 7th.
GROSSMONT 3, HELIX 0 - When BRANT RUSTICH is on the mound, the Foothillers
are hard to beat. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander proved
that again in
Tuesday's (Mar. 25) Grossmont Conference Tournament opener at
Helix.
"Rustich dictated tempo the whole game,"
Helix coach COLE HOLLAND said of the
Foothillers' ace, who struck out 9 and walked none.
The Highlanders (0-6) were limited to singles by BRIAN RICARD and RAY RIVERA.
To further add to the Highlanders' anguish
was a first-inning error set the
stage for an RBI single by Rustich. Two walks and TONY CUSUMANO's
base hit
made it 2-0 in the 6th inning.
EVAN AMADOR drove in the final run of the
game with a single in the 7th
inning.
"We haven't found anybody who can consistently
drive in runs," Grossmont
coach ROB PHILLIPS lamented.
It was another tough loss for Helix's senior
right-hander ROBERT STEVENS
(0-2, 2.50 ERA), who gave up 3 hits and one earned run in 5 1/3
innings. He
struck out 7, and reliever JESSE GARCIA fanned 3 more in 1 2/3
frames of
relief.
"Helix is a lot better team than their
record indicates," Phillips said.
"Those two pitchers they threw at us are two of the better
pitchers we'll see
all season."
MOUNT MIGUEL 10, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 - Mount Miguel (4-2) is off to its best
start in three years after stumbling out of the gate 1-7 last
season and 1-9
in 2000.
EDDIE GONZALES and MICHAEL FRELKE combined
on a 5-hit shutout as the Matadors
opened the Grossmont Conference Tournament with a lopsided win
over the
visiting Braves (2-5). Gonzales worked the first six innings,
striking out 5
and lowering his ERA to 0.72.
JOEY STREET went 3-for-4 with a triple,
2 runs and one RBI, while DANE
PONCIANO drove in 2 runs with a double and a triple in 4 at-bats.
The duo hit
their triples back-to-back in the 5th inning as Mount Miguel increased
its
lead to 8-0. Ponciano supplied the final blow - a 2-run double
in the 6th.
FREDERICO CARREON accounted for 2 of El
Cajon Valley's 5 hits.
(03-25-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The various ratings in the state
indicate that there are better
high school baseball teams in town than Rancho Buena Vista. The
Longhorns
might beg to differ, considering that they are a solid 6-0 after
slapping
Santana 6-1 in Saturday's (Mar. 22) finals of the Aztec-Foothiller
Classic at
Grossmont High.
Check the record. Mission Bay (5-1) and
Rancho Bernardo (5-1) - ranked No. 1
and No. 2, respectively at the beginning of the week - have since
fallen from
the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Longhorns lunged in front of the surprising
Sultans 2-0 in the first
inning as Mitch Einertson tripled, Tim Murphy walked, and Dylan
Parzyk
doubled.
Einertson touched them all with a solo shot
over the right-center field fence
to make it 3-0 in the 3rd inning.
Santana avoided the shutout on BRANDON HALEY's
second home run of the year in
the 4th inning. That shot was only the third round-tripper for
the Sultans
(4-2) in six games.
Nevertheless, Santana was well within striking
range of the powerful
Longhorns, trailing only 3-1 after six frames.
RBV broke the game open with 3 runs in the
7th inning. Pinch hitter Eric
Kahlen belted a two-run double to cap the decisive frame.
"We stayed right with them for six
innings," Santana coach JERRY HENSON said.
"But we made too many errors and it cost us. (Finishing)
second place sucks.
But it sure beats third or fourth place. To be able to hang with
these guys
says a lot about our kids."
RBV junior right-hander Rusty Holzhauer
needed only 70 pitches to silence the
Sultans.
"Our hitters made contact," Henson
said. "We've only had one guy strike out
in the last two games. We just couldn't get the big hit when we
needed it."
A base-running gamble backfired on Santana in the 6th.
"We had two guys on and I sent (JEFF)
WOODS home from second on a base hit to
right," Henson recalled. "He was out by 12 steps (on
a throw from Murphy). If
we score on that play, it's a whole different ball game."
JOSH MAZZOLA accounted for two of Santana's six hits.
MOUNT MIGUEL 8, LA JOLLA 3 - Those who must deal with the Matadors this
season will surely want to avoid facing junior southpaw MIKE McLAUGHLIN.
When
he toes the rubber, he means business.
McLaughlin gave the host La Jolla Vikings
a taste of his talents in
Saturday's (Mar. 22) Falcon-Pirate Tournament consolation game,
striking out
9 in 4 shutout innings of relief to earn his second win in three
decisions.
He allowed only 2 hits, and kept the Vikings from digging in by
plunking a
pair of batters with fastballs.
JOEY STREET was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored
for Mount Miguel (3-2), which
snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Matadors blew an early 2-0 lead when
they handed La Jolla (1-4) three
unearned runs in the 3rd inning. But the Vikings proved that charity
starts
at home in the top of the 4th as they contributed 4 walks and
two errors to a
four-run inning for Mount Miguel.
Street led off the 4th with a base hit,
and scored when JEREMY PEREDO doubled
into the left field corner to tie the game 3-3. ANTELMO GOMEZ
singled in
Peredo to give Mount Miguel the lead for keeps.
(03-22-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - For the West Hills Wolf Pack
it was a refreshing change. Coach
JARROD CARMAN's ball club erupted for a season-high 13 hits -
six of the
extra-base variety - to belt visiting Brawley 12-4 and snap a
four-game
losing streak Friday (Mar. 21) in Santee.
DUSTIN BEECHLER broke out of a 1-for-10
slump to set a West Hills record with
a pair of triples and scored 3 runs as part of a 3-for-4 effort
in the
leadoff spot for the Wolf Pack (2-4). He also pitched two innings
of hitless
relief.
EDDIE PRYOR powered his way out of a 1-for-9
spiral with two hits, including
a two-run home run, while CLAY COULTER clouted a pair of doubles
to raise his
batting average to .611 (11-for-18). It was Coulter's 5th multiple-hit
game
in six starts.
The Pack's hit parade continued with junior
MARCUS SCHAER, who drove in three
runs and scored twice with three singles in four at-bats. He is
5-for-10
since transferring over from El Capitan.
"We got a lot of production today,
something we hadn't been getting," Carman
said. "We've been struggling to put hits together. It was
good to see some of
our struggling veterans like Beechler and Pryor get on track."
Ironically, it was a two-run double by winning
pitcher NICK RODIECK in the
1st inning that broke a 1-1 tie and gave West Hills (2-4) the
lead for keeps.
On the mound, Rodieck gave up 6 hits but only one earned run over
four
innings to chart his first varsity win. The lanky junior right-hander
struck
out 5 Brawley batters.
"We might have turned a corner today,"
Carman said. "But we have to do a
better job defensively, especially in the outfield. I think we've
made 8 or 9
errors in the outfield. And that doesn't count the fly balls that
have
dropped in that should have been caught."
CHULA VISTA 5, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 - The visiting Braves (2-4) got a little
too much Lance Hawes in Friday's (Mar. 21) Christian Patriots
Invitational in
Chula Vista.
The Spartans' senior ace held the Braves
hitless until ALBERT ARMENDARIZ's
one-out single in the 5th inning. OSCAR VENTURA's leadoff single
in the 6th
was El Cajon Valley's only other base hit.
"Hawes was tough, kept the ball down,"
El Cajon Valley coach WAYNE WEIGHTMAN
said. "He stayed ahead of our hitters all seven innings."
Hawes also logged a strikeout in six of
the seven frames as Chula Vista
posted its first win in six tries. He started out by fanning the
first two
batters of the game.
El Cajon Valley's pitching was stable, too.
Only two of Chula Vista's five
runs were earned. Starter SHANE MYER lasted only one inning, surrendering
2
runs (one earned) before departing with a sore arm.
Reliever LUIS PEREZ permitted just one earned
run and struck out 5 in 4
innings work. NICK SPEARS pitched the final frame and was tagged
with one
unearned run.
VALLEY CENTER 7, MOUNT MIGUEL 4 - Four errors undermined a stout pitching
performance by senior right-hander JOEY STREET and junior reliever
EDDIE
GONZALES as the Matadors fell to visiting Valley Center in Friday's
(Mar. 21)
Falcon-Pirate Classic contest.
MIKE McLAUGHLIN was 3-for-4 and scored a run for Mount Miguel (2-2).
The Jaguars teed off on Mount Miguel pitching
for a pair of two-run doubles -
the first by Chris Leake in the 2nd inning and the second by Ben
Porter in
the 4th. Those blows gave Valley Center a 4-2 advantage.
The Matadors picked up their first run on
an error in the 2nd inning, then
knotted the contest at 2-2 on JAVIER BROWN's RBI double in the
3rd. DANE
PONCIANO tripled and scored on JEREMY PEREDO's groundout for Mount
Miguel's
final tally in the 6th.
Mount Miguel travels to La Jolla on Saturday
(Mar. 22) for a 10:30 am
Falcon-Pirate Classic rain make-up game.
(03-21-03)
Steele Canyon's Jason Wittkop (32) connected
for a single and a double, driving in one run and scoring another
in the Cougars' 7-5 victory at Southwest HS on Thursday (03-20-03)
in the Bully's East Tournament. (Courtesy photo)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - As one of the largest gatherings
of East County baseball fans
surrounded the Granite Hills baseball diamond on Thursday (Mar.
20), the
Eagles had Mission Bay - the No. 1 ranked team in the state and
No. 2 rated
team in the country - on the brink of defeat. But an unusual base-running
error
and some late long ball activity by the visiting Buccaneers produced
a 4-3
victory for Mission Bay in the battle of unbeaten teams.
"That was one of the best high school
games I've ever been associated with
and lost," Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "I
hate to lose, and the
fact that we had them makes it even harder to take. But our kids
were one
strike away from beating the No. 1 team in the state."
Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of
the 6th inning, the Eagles generated
the go-ahead formula to forge in front. Trouble is, they should
have had more.
Mission Bay pitcher Jared Suwyn (2-0) plunked
Granite Hills leadoff man WADE
FRANCIS with a pitch to put the tying run on base. JOHN COIT followed
with a
towering fly ball to deep right field. Buccaneers right fielder
Adam
Ricciardulli faded back until he reached the chain-link barrier.
Meanwhile,
Francis was holding his ground between first and second base.
"I thought (Ricciardulli) was going to catch it," Davis said.
Coit's drive had enough lift to clear the
Mission Bay defender for a home run
and an apparent 3-2 Granite Hills lead. One problem. In his exuberance,
Coit
passed Francis on the base paths - a costly mistake. Coit was
credited with
his second home run, but Francis was called out. That turn of
events left the
game tied, but only for a couple of moments.
ANDY ROBERTS followed with a solo home run
to left-center to give Granite
Hills a 3-2 edge.
"The place went nuts," Davis said.
"The emotional pitch at that time was
unbelievable."
Eagles' reliever MATT SPENCER retired the
first two Bucs he faced in the top
of the 7th and went to a full count on Brock Ungricht before walking
him.
Then the side-arming Spencer swiftly jumped in front of Suwyn
0-2. He missed
with his third pitch. Ball one.
Spencer's 1-2 pitch was a little too fat
as Suwyn belted a two-run home run
to left-center field, giving Mission Bay a 4-3 lead.
"It was right down the middle," Davis lamented.
Granite Hills (4-1) did not roll over after
Suwyn's blast. The Eagles made
the Bucs' senior right-hander quiver in the bottom of the 7th
as SEAN PEPIN
ripped a two-out double. Suwyn put the lights out after Pepin's
blow,
retiring the final Granite Hills batter on strikes.
Despite the frustrating defeat, Davis was
pleased by the pitching of ANTHONY
YBARRA, who survived three first-inning walks to toil 5 innings.
Ybarra
allowed only 3 hits, while striking out 9 Bucs.
"He held his own against a good group
of high school hitters," Davis said.
"Spencer did a good job, too, but was the victim of the classic
two-out walk."
SANTANA 8, VISTA 3 - One of the overlooked teams by those who compile
preseason rankings are these Sultans of Santana. Sure, this is
a squad
without any big-name stars, a team that offers little in the way
of power
hitters.
One thing coach JERRY HENSON's crew knows
about is how to win. The Sultans
have pitching depth, a bevy of contact hitters, plenty of speed
and a defense
without holes.
Santana parlayed 13 singles and 4 stolen
bases into a key victory over Vista,
one that reserved the Sultans (4-1) a berth against No. 4-ranked
Rancho Buena
Vista (5-0) in Saturday's (Mar. 22) finals of the Aztec-Foothiller
Classic at
Grossmont High at 10:30 a.m.
"We don't have a bunch of superstars,"
Henson said. "What we have is a group
of kids who want to win any way they can. When people play us
deep, we drop
the ball in front of them. If they try to cheat up close, we'll
hit it over
their head."
Sound strategy to be sure.
JEFF WOODS led the Santana charge against
Vista with a 4-for-4 effort
including 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
After falling behind 2-0, Santana scored
4 runs in the 3rd inning to take the
lead. Woods' two-run single tied matters 2-2. RYAN HOWARD drew
a bases-loaded
walk to give the Sultans the edge. TOMMY WILEY's infield out plated
another
run.
NICK CARAVEO was 2-for-2 with 3 runs scored,
an RBI and a stolen base. More
than that, the senior pitched three innings of 2-hit relief to
earn his first
save.
CHEYENNE GILES limited the visiting Panthers
to 2 earned runs in four innings
as he picked up the pitching win.
-
EL CAPITAN 5, HILLTOP 0 - Vaqueros coach STEVE VICKERY
labeled TRAVIS LOPEZ's
3-hit shutout victory over the host Hilltop Lancers on Thursday
(Mar. 20) as
"the best game he's thrown for us in the last 2 ? years."
That's some praise - well deserved as it
turns out. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound
senior right-hander had been off the mark in recent outings.
"Travis went all the way through winter
league and through our first
scrimmage without retiring three batters in a row," Vickery
said. "Today, he
faced 22 batters in seven innings."
Lopez's run of success included setting
down 9 batters in a row after walking
the second batter of the game at Hilltop. He retired the side
in order in the
6th and 7th innings, recording 3 of his 4 strikeouts in the process.
Leadoff man JUSTIN SNYDER carried El Capitan's
offensive torch. "Boomer", as
his teammates and coaches call him, was 3-for-4 with a pair of
doubles, 2 RBI
and a run scored. VERN WENGELER was 2-for-3 with one RBI.
El Capitan (4-1) took a 1-0 lead on Wengeler's
RBI single in the 1st inning.
RBI doubles by SHAUN BLAKE and Snyder made it 3-0 in the 5th.
Snyder and
BRANDON RAUCH ripped run-scoring doubles to break the game open
in the 7th.
MONTE VISTA 4, CASTLE PARK 2 - Those who penciled out their preseason
predictions for the Grossmont South League pennant race probably
didn't put a
lot of stock in the Monarchs' chances. Perhaps, they should reconsider.
This
is a team with an abundance of pitching depth. 'Nuf said, there.
Add the fact
that the Monarchs have bounced back from an 0-2 start to three
straight wins,
and coach LARRY RINEHART's crew makes a pretty strong case in
terms of being
a contender.
JON PACHECO, JEFF ALEXANDER and GERRY GUZMAN
shared the Monte Vista pitching
chores in Thursday's (Mar. 20) Aztec-Foothiller Classic contest
at Castle
Park.
Alexander blanked the Trojans on 2 hits
over three frames of relief to garner
his first varsity win. Guzman pitched a scoreless 7th to gain
his East
County-leading second save.
After falling behind 2-0 in the 1st inning,
Monte Vista strung together
consecutive singles by ROBERT TIDWELL, CHRIS ANDERSON, NICK DECARO
and DALLAS
HUBBARD to tie the game in the 3rd.
Tidwell provided the spark in Monte Vista's
winning rally with a leadoff
double in the 5th. From there, the Castle Park pitchers took control
- rather
a lack of it - to serve up three walks and a hit batter, giving
the Monarchs
the winning edge. For the record, it was a bases-loaded walk to
JESSE
RODRIGUEZ that forced in the winning run.
STEELE CANYON 7, SOUTHWEST 5 - Steele Canyon (4-1) narrowly missed qualifying
for the championship game of the Bully's East Tournament. Not
bad for a
first-year varsity and new coach PHIL MITTRY.
"It came down to fewest runs allowed
and we gave up a few too many," Mittry
said after the Cougars lost the tie-breaker to The Bishop's School
(4-1),
which advances to the title game at Morse on Friday (Mar. 21).
"We'd like to
play another game in this tournament, but I'm pleased to be where
we are - at
4-1."
DONALD ARTHUR and DAVID LEWIS combined to
pitch a 5-hitter in the Cougars'
victory at Southwest on Thursday (Mar. 20). Only 3 of the runs
were earned.
Arthur worked the first five frames, picking up the win and 5
strikeouts.
Lewis notched his first save.
Trailing 4-3, Steele Canyon broke through
for 4 runs in the 6th inning. DEVON
DUBY started the rally with a base hit, but was forced out on
ANDREW BOGAN's
groundball. Bogan moved up 90 feet when freshman JOE INZONE collected
his
first varsity hit with a cue shot off the second base bag. JASON
WITTKOP
slammed an RBI double to right-center field, driving in Bogan
with the tying
run.
BRYAN KIDA singled to left-center field,
driving in two runs to stake Steele
Canyon to a 6-4 edge. Kida came around to score later in the inning
on CHRIS
RICE's base hit.
USDHS 7, HELIX 1 - The
Highlanders' RYAN HULBERT raised his season average to
.583 as he collected 3 hits in 4 at-bats, but Helix had little
else to cheer
about in Thursday's (Mar. 20) Hilltop-Tournament finale in La
Mesa.
JESUS GARCIA protected a 1-0 Helix lead
through four innings, checking the
Dons on one hit. He would run out of gas, however. After USDHS
tied it 1-1 in
the 5th , the Dons took the lead thanks to a 2-out Helix error
in the 6th
inning.
Three hit batters and pair of walks helped
the Dons break the game open with
5 runs in the 7th inning. All five of the free passes were cashed
in for
runs, as USDHS contributed only one hit in the big inning.
Helix (0-5) took the early lead in the 3rd
inning. JOE SCALISI singled,
advanced to third on Hulbert's double and scored on MATT POWELL's
ground
ball. Scalisi finished 2-for-4.
(03-20-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
ENCINITAS - Christian High coach MIKE MITCHELL
knew going into the season
that this had the makings to be the Patriots' finest team in school
history -
that is, if senior southpaw DANIEL MAGNESS was available to take
his regular
pitching turn on the mound.
Seems Magness, a four-year starter, is saddled
with a mysterious shoulder
malady that has sapped his velocity.
"He's been to a lot of doctors and
they can't seem to put their finger on any
specific problem," said Mitchell after the Patriots submerged
San Dieguito
Academy 9-4 in a Patriots Invitational encounter Wednesday (Mar.
19).
"Daniel has had a strained rotator
cuff in the past," Mitchell said. "He's
been able to pitch some since then, but he isn't the same pitcher
he's been
in the past. We don't know how much or how often he can pitch
for us this
season."
Such is a dilemma that could keep the Patriots
(4-1) out of San Diego
County's Top 10. When UCLA-bound senior BRIAN SCHROEDER is on
the mound,
Christian is as good as there is in town.
"We're a top 5 team when Brian is pitching," Mitchell said.
With a healthy Magness, the Patriots would
have a 1-2 pitching tandem that
arguably would be the best in the county. The uncertainty of the
6-foot-4
left-hander's availability to pitch, however, clearly dilutes
the team's
strength.
Magness, however, can swing the bat. A career
.400 hitter, the 6-foot-3,
220-pound first baseman was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI
in Christian's
latest conquest. In fact, it was his two-bag blow that drove in
Schroeder
(single, stolen base) to break a 3-3 tie at San Dieguito.
"Daniel is the best hitter I've ever coached," Mitchell said.
Schroeder is no slouch with the bat, either,
as he went 3-for-4. He clouted
his third home run with SEAN RYAN (walk, stolen base) on in the
top of the
3rd inning to give Christian a 3-0 edge.
EDDIE LISTANDER had provided the Patriots
with the early 1-0 lead with a
solo home run in the 2nd inning.
Christian starting pitcher JOEL MATTHEWS
helped his cause with a two-run
single in the 5th that extended the Patriots pillow to 6-3. Matthews
worked 5
1/3 innings to pick up his first varsity decision.
JOEL ALLEN pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout
relief to finish the job for
Christian.
LA COSTA CANYON 6, MOUNT MIGUEL 1 - Things started off in a positive manner
for the visiting Matadors (2-1) in Wednesday's (Mar. 19) Falcon-Pirate
Classic contest in Carlsbad.
ADRIAN BISHOP opened the game with a single,
stole second and scored on MIKE
McLAUGHLIN's single to center field. Mount Miguel's offense stalled
at that
point as La Costa Canyon (3-0), the No. 3-ranked team in the county,
rode the
six-hit pitching of Carl Konoske to the victory.
"Our base-running left a lot to be
desired," Mount Miguel coach ERNIE REYES
said. "We had four guys thrown out on the bases, two of them
at the plate.
You can't get away with stuff like that against a team like La
Costa Canyon."
McLaughlin was nicked for 5 hits and 3 earned
runs in 4 innings, while
striking out 5 and walked 4. Reliever JOEY STREET did a decent
job in relief,
holding the Mavericks to 2 hits and one earned run in two innings.
"If that is the third-best team in
the county, I think we have a team that
can compete with anybody out there," Reyes said.
Despite suffering the pitching loss, McLaughlin
was 2-for-3 with a stolen
base.
HOOVER 8, STEELE CANYON 3 - The bubble finally burst on the first-year
Cougars, who committed 10 errors to hand host Hoover 5 unearned
runs in
Wednesday's (Mar. 19) Bully's East Tournament loss at Ted Williams
Field.
"Everything unraveled for us today,"
Steele Canyon coach PHIL MITTRY said
after the Cougars suffered their first setback after opening the
season with
three wins in a row.
The Cougars did take an early lead when
CHRIS RICE singled, stole second,
advanced to third on an error and scored on ANDREW BOGAN's groundout
in the
2nd inning. Hoover countered with 6 runs in the bottom of the
2nd to all but
finish the Cougars.
Steele Canyon attempted a comeback in the
3rd inning when BRYAN KIDA singled
and DONALD ARTHUR hammered a long home run into the houses across
the street
beyond the right field fence.
"Our kids were looking at the scores
in the San Diego Union-Tribune, and they
talked about who was beating who," Mittry said. "And
they marveled at how
many errors some of the teams were making. I think they got a
dose of reality
and a taste of how that feels today."
KEARNY 11, EL CAJON VALLEY 3 - NICK SPEARS went 2-for-3 with a double and
one RBI, and RANDY SMITH also collected two hits as the Braves
dropped
Wednesday's (Mar. 19) Patriots' Invitational contest to the visiting
Komets.
Kearny (3-2) scored 6 runs in the 4th inning
to build a 9-0 lead and never
looked back.
The Braves did all of their scoring in the
bottom of the 4th. With one out,
Sears and Smith knocked back-to-back singles. JOSH BOWEN followed
with an RBI
single, and BEN NEWTON and FREDERICO CARREON did the same one
out later.
Other than that, the Braves (2-3) mustered
just 3 hits.
(03-19-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SANTEE - Some said they were a year away.
And perhaps the Santana Sultans
will be the East County kingpin in 2004. But the youthful Sultans
are an
anxious, aggressive lot unwilling to wait for the future. A 7-6
victory over
crosstown rival West Hills in Tuesday's (Mar. 18) Aztec-Foothiller
Classic,
leaves the Sultans one victory away from the tournament's championship
game.
"If we can beat Vista (in Santee on
Thursday at 3 p.m.), we'll be playing in
the championship on Saturday (Mar. 22)," Santana coach JERRY
HENSON said.
"Our JV is undefeated, too, and they can play for the tournament
championship
by beating Vista. That (Thursday) could be a big day for us."
The Sultans (3-1) did all of their scoring
at West Hills in the 2nd inning.
But what seemed to be a commanding 7-1 lead at the time, became
a bit
precarious in the end.
Trailing 7-5 going into the bottom of the
7th, West Hills (1-4) was down to
its last out when CLAY COULTER (3-for-3) clubbed a two-out double
off Santana
reliever JOSH ATWELL.
El Capitan transfer MARCUS SCHAER followed
with a single to score Coulter,
making it a one-run game with the tying run on base. EDDIE PRYOR
reached on
an error and eventually stole second to put winning run in scoring
position.
Atwell, 5-foot-8 junior right-hander, maintained
his composure and recorded a
game-ending strikeout to earn the save.
"I think we're starting to get some
attention," Henson said, noting that his
Sultans were "included in the 'others' section of the San
Diego
Union-Tribune's baseball rankings."
Two-run singles by NICK CARAVEO and JOSH
MAZZOLA were the key blows in
Santana's 'Magnificent Seven' run in the 2nd inning. SAM PHILLIPS,
winning
pitcher SHANE KAUFMAN, and RYAN HOWARD also picked up RBI on bases-loaded
walks.
It was the 4th straight loss for a West
Hills squad that hasn't shown signs
of hoisting the white flag just yet.
Junior MATT LUNA was 2-for-4 with a home
run and 3 runs for the Wolf Pack,
while Pryor spun 5 innings of shutout relief. The senior southpaw
allowed
only 3 hits, walked a pair and fanned 6.
EL CAPITAN 9, USDHS 7 - On a team loaded with big-name hitters, it had
to be
gratifying for junior VERN WENGELER to step to the forefront with
the bat and
pitcher TRAVIS LOPEZ to provide an exciting conclusion for the
Vaqueros in
Tuesday's (Mar. 18) Hilltop Tournament victory.
The right-hand hitting Wengeler walloped
an opposite field grand slam to cap
a 6-run 4th inning, propelling 5th-ranked El Capitan (3-1) into
an 8-0 lead.
Game over, right?
Hardly. Even though El Capitan starter JASON
GUZMAN dominated the Dons in his
6-inning stint, two Vaquero errors allowed the Dons to score 3
runs (only one
earned). Nevertheless, Guzman (1-1), who gave up only 5 hits,
while striking
out 6 and walking none, left with a 9-3 advantage.
USDHS (1-2) refused to go quietly. The Dons
took their frustration out on El
Capitan reliever JAKE TAYLOR, raking him over the coals for 4
runs in the
final frame. It looked as though Taylor might escape as he recorded
two outs
in succession after hitting the Dons' leadoff man and then surrendering
a
base hit. That third out was not forthcoming during Taylor's watch,
as the
Dons got a 2-run double from Dave Kachorek to finish the junior
left-hander's
day.
Ryan Cronin greeted Lopez with a 2-run single
and put the tying runs on base
with two outs. Lopez then doused the Dons' rally by picking a
runner off
third base to end the game and earn the save.
"The guy at third strayed too far off
and Travis nailed him," El Capitan
coach STEVE VICKERY said.
JORDAN ABRUZZO (3-for-4) gave El Capitan
the early edge with a solo home run
to dead center field in the 1st inning. Wengeler kept the inning
alive with a
single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on JORDAN
ANDERSON's
base hit. An errant throw from the center fielder on Anderson's
shot
permitted Wengeler to score.
Bases-loaded walks to JUSTIN SNYDER and
BRANDON RAUCH made it 4-0 in the 4th
inning before Wengeler launched his grand slam.
GRANITE HILLS 8, CHULA VISTA 1 - Although the 9th-ranked Eagles needed 6
innings to find their offense, pitcher MARSHALL WYGANT was up
to the task of
keeping host Chula Vista in check during Tuesday's (Mar. 18) Hilltop
Tournament contest.
Wygant rationed the Spartans to one run
and 3 hits, while striking out 8 over
six frames to notch his second win in as many starts.
As a staff, the Eagles boast a team ERA
of 2.62. Throw out the 9 earned runs
they allowed at Poway, and the team ERA is 0.67.
"He threw strikes," Granite Hills
coach JAMES DAVIS said of Wygant, who has a
1.17 ERA in 12 innings work. "I'm happy and shocked at how
well our pitching
staff has done."
Davis was equally as concerned with the
Eagles failure to breakthrough
against the winless Spartans until receiving some help in the
6th inning. His
club trailing 1-0 since the 3rd inning, Wygant started the 6th
with a single,
but was immediately picked off.
WADE FRANCIS rekindled the spark with a
one-out walk. JOHN COIT then reached
base on an error and the suddenly the Eagles (4-0) were in business.
CASEY
CRAIG ripped a double down the right field to score Francis and
tie the game.
ANDY ROBERTS was intentionally walked to load the bases, but KEVIN
JAMES
delivered a scoring fly ball to plate Coit with what proved to
be the winning
run. When the Chula Vista center fielder failed to catch James'
drive, Craig
sprinted home for a 3-1 Granite Hills lead. A fourth run scored
on NICK
MONETTE's fielder's choice.
Granite Hills, which has a .371 team batting
average, broke the game open in
the 7th inning. Once again it was leadoff man Francis who ignited
things with
a walk. He scooted to second on a passed ball and scored on Coit's
double
into the right-center field gap. Craig followed with a triple
into the same
spot before Roberts doubled to left-center. James completed the
4-run
outburst with a line shot up the middle to bring in Roberts.
How hot are these Eagles? Craig is batting
.636 (7-for-11), while James
checks in at .615 (8-for-13) with 7 RBI.
Not to be overlooked was closer MATT SPENCER,
who struck out the side in the
7th inning.
MONTE VISTA 8, GROSSMONT 4 - Watch out for coach LARRY RINEHART's Monarchs
(2-2). These guys are just getting started on what may be a run
for the
Grossmont South League pennant and more.
Senior left-hander MIKE McDOLE was the centerpiece
in Monte Vista's latest
conquest, albeit it was not a thing of beauty. McDole served up
three walks
and three strikeouts in the final frame, but escaped unscathed.
BRANT RUSTICH gave Grossmont the lead in
the 1st inning with an RBI single
and MATT PASSANISI's sacrifice fly made it 2-0. After that blow,
the
Foothillers (2-3) were forced into the "catch-up" role.
The Monarchs countered with 3 runs on only
one hit in the bottom of the 1st
inning. In the 2nd, NICK DECARO belted an RBI double and ROBERT
TIDWELL
capped the productive frame with a 2-run single for a 6-2 lead.
Monte Vista's ALEX BARAJAS, a blue-chip
receiver in football, reached base in
all four of his at-bats with three singles and a pair of stolen
bases. He
scored twice as did catcher CHRIS ANDERSON. Decaro found the plate
three
times.
JAMES BEEBE and ALBERT GENOVESE had 2 hits apiece for Grossmont (2-3).
RANCHO BUENA VISTA 5, VALHALLA 0 - In a battle of Top 10 teams, the visiting
Norsemen came up on the short end of Tuesday's (Mar. 18) Aztec-Foothiller
Classic contest in Vista.
Do-it-all junior Mitch Einertson (2-0) silenced
the 8th-ranked Norsemen (4-1)
on 3 hits, while striking out 10 in a route-going performance
for the
4th-ranked Longhorns (5-0).
Einertson took a no-hitter into the 7th
inning before the Norsemen loaded the
bases on one-out singles by SEAN O'SULLIVAN, ZACH BARGER and CHRIS
OLSEN. But
the Longhorns' standout escaped with a strikeout and a groundout.
Valhalla starter BEAU WESSEL was roughed
up for 4 runs and 5 hits in the
first 3 innings. Sophomore JOSH STEWART put the brakes on the
RBV offense,
limiting the 'Horns to one hit and one run over the final three
frames.
SERRA 16, EL CAJON VALLEY 5 - Too many errors (7), walks (11) and hit batsmen
(2) coupled with 7 Serra hits - 4 of them doubles - led to a disastrous
Tuesday (Mar. 18) afternoon for the visiting Braves in the Christian
Patriots
Invitational encounter.
The Conquistadors built a 10-0 lead after
4 innings and coasted in with the
victory.
On the bright side, OMAR MENDEZ was 3-for-3
with a double and a stolen base
for the Braves (2-2). Catcher RANDY SMITH clubbed an RBI double
and scored
twice in 3 at-bats.
Serra pitchers Charles Nolte and Alvaro Benavides combined for 13 strikeouts.
SAN MARCOS 15, HELIX 3 - When BRIAN RICARD and RYAN HULBERT hit back-to-back
home runs in the 3rd inning Tuesday (Mar. 18) to lift the Highlanders
into a
3-2 lead it appeared that Helix was headed for its first Hilltop
Tournament
victory in four starts.
Didn't happen. A blown double-play ball
turned into a double error and 3 runs
for the Knights (3-1) in the bottom of the 3rd inning. It got
worse from
there for the Highlanders.
Ricard was 2-for-3 with a double to go along
with his long ball. Hulbert and
NATE METROKA were also 2-for-3.
Hard-luck right-hander ROBERT STEVENS struck
out 4 batters in three innings,
but was tagged with the loss. Nine of the San Marcos runs were
unearned as
the result of 5 Helix errors.
(03-18-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
LAKESIDE - At the outset of the season,
Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS was
concerned about his pitching or a lack thereof. So far, his unheralded
hurlers have turned in two sterling performances in three starts.
It was MIKE SUCH's turn to shine on a rainy
Saturday (Mar. 15), as the junior
left-hander spun six shutout innings, scattering 4 hits as Granite
Hills
hammered Escondido 10-0 in a Hilltop Tournament rout at El Capitan.
ANTHONY
YBARRA pitched a perfect 7th, striking out 2
Davis knew his club was going to score runs
- the Eagles have produced 29
tallies en route to a 3-0 start in the Hilltop Tournament.
Granite Hills scored in five of its six
at-bats against Escondido (1-2). In
the 1st inning, WADE FRANCIS walked, stole second and scored on
CASEY CRAIG's
single up the middle.
The Eagles broke the game open in the 2nd
inning as SEAN PEPIN singled in a
run and JOHN COIT drove in three with a base hit.
Back-to-back doubles by KEVIN JAMES and NICK MONETTE made it 6-0 in the 3rd.
The onslaught continued in the 4th as Craig
drove in a run with a single and
ANDY ROBERTS cashed in two more with a base hit. Suddenly, a blowout
was in
order. Granite Hills, however, would score only one more time
on Roberts'
run-scoring single in the 6th.
VALHALLA 4, GROSSMONT 2 - The Norsemen are knocking on the door for a Top
10
ranking, having strung together four consecutive wins to open
the season.
Sweetest of their early conquests came on Saturday (Mar. 15) in
the rain, as
SEAN O'SULLIVAN shut down visiting Grossmont (2-2) in an Aztec-Foothiller
Classic contest.
"Runs come and go, but our defense
is going to carry us all season," said
O'Sullivan, who pitched his second complete game in as many starts,
scattering 6 hits and striking out 8 Foothillers in the process.
Despite muddy conditions in the infield
and wet grass in the outfield,
Valhalla's defense played error-free ball for the second time
in four games.
The Norsemen, in fact, have committed only 2 errors in 28 innings.
"Our defense, at least to this point,
has been the strength of our ballclub,"
Valhalla coach STEVE PERDUE said. "I credit my assistant
coach (and former
Yankees minor leaguer) DAVE GARCIA Jr. for making us a better
defensive club."
In addition to his superb pitching, O'Sullivan
also drove in Valhalla's first
two runs with a groundout in the first inning and a crisp base
hit in the
3rd. The Norsemen added a third run in the 3rd on ZACH BARGER's
groundout.
DREW GARCIA's RBI single in the 6th made it 4-0.
Grossmont (2-2) came roaring back against
a tiring O'Sullivan in the 7th
inning. Pinch hitter KELLEN ROSSITTO took one for the team (hit
by a pitch)
to get the Hillers started. CHRIS TAKATA followed with a single,
and pinch
hitter JOE STAAB walked to load the bases with one out.
TONY CUSUMANO broke up O'Sullivan's shutout
bid with an RBI single. JAMES
BEEBE followed suit, and suddenly what appeared to be a sure thing
for
Valhalla was up for grabs.
Perdue stayed with his ace, O'Sullivan,
who reportedly threw only 78 pitches
by the time he had finished.
"I felt like I was tiring," O'Sullivan
said. "But this was a big game,
against our rivals. I wasn't going to let up."
O'Sullivan fooled Grossmont's ALBERT GENOVESE,
who was unable to check his
swing on a 2-2 breaking ball away for strike three and out No.
2.
Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS took exception
to the umpire's call, striding
toward home plate, uttering harsh words with every step. After
a face-to-face
meeting with the man in blue, Phillips returned to the third base
coaching
box still angry about the third-strike call on Genovese.
It didn't matter, as BRANT RUSTICH was unable
to beat out as slow grounder to
shortstop despite a head-first slide.
"I don't know how you can make a call
like that in a situation like that,"
Phillips said. "And the guy behind the plate didn't ask for
help from the
base ump. That's not right."
Phillips was, however, pleased that his
Foothillers - limited to three
scratch hits through 6 innings - managed to stage a comeback in
the final
frame against one of East County's finest pitchers.
"All you can ask for in a big game
like this is a chance to win," he said.
"Give O'Sullivan credit. He's a great competitor who refused
to give in."
After starting the season 2-0, Grossmont
has skidded to two straight losses.
But as Phillips pointed out, "We've faced three great athletes
(Eastlake's
Francisco Mora, Rancho Buena Vista's Mitch Einterson and O'Sullivan).
We're
lucky we won one of those games."
Rustich (1-1) pitched well enough to win,
allowing only 4 hits and 2 earned
runs in 5 innings while striking out 6.
Valhalla speedster JASON HINTON hurt the
Hillers with three infield hits and
2 runs in 4 at-bats.
EL CAPITAN 3, HELIX 2 - The rainy weather made playing conditions less
than
ideal for this battle of Grossmont Conference rivals in Saturday's
(Mar. 15)
Hilltop Tournament game at El Capitan. Whether it was bad weather
or good
pitching, neither team excelled offensively. Each side totaled
3 hits and
committed 2 errors.
El Capitan juniors BURKE DRAHEIM and DUSTIN
CHURCH surrendered just one
earned run to the visiting Highlanders (0-3), while senior JESUS
GARCIA
turned in Helix's first complete-game pitching effort.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning,
El Capitan (2-1) increased its
advantage to 3-0 in the 3rd on an RBI single by JORDAN ABRUZZO
and VERN
WENGELER's sacrifice fly.
The Highlanders clawed back in the 5th as
RYAN HULBERT singled, advanced to
second on an error, moved to third on a groundout and scored on
AARON
BAILEY's sacrifice fly.
The Vaqueros handed the Highlanders a second
run via a pair of errors in the
6th, but held on after that.
Garcia struck out 7 and walked 6 in a losing effort.
RAMONA 3, CHRISTIAN 2 (8 innings) - The 10th-ranked Patriots (3-1) gave one
away to the visiting Bulldogs (2-2) on Saturday (Mar. 15) at Christian.
Senior right-hander BRIAN SCHROEDER had
the situation well in hand, as he
struck out 12 and did not allow an earned run in seven innings
pelted by
rain. It should have been a complete-game victory for the UCLA-bound
Schroeder, who coaxed Randy Robertson into tapping a soft fly
ball to right
field for what should have been the game-ending out. Instead,
the Christian
right fielder slipped on the wet grass, the ball ricocheted off
his glove and
both Ramona base-runners scored. Just like that, the Bulldogs
led 2-1.
Christian didn't roll over that easily,
however. DANIEL MAGNESS drilled a
game-tying home run in the bottom of the 7th, and the Patriots
continued in a
fashion that led one to believe that they would win in regulation.
A single
by Schroeder followed by walks to DONNY PARKER and JOEL MATTHEWS
loaded the
bases with 2 outs. The Patriots missed the scoring chance when
a Christian
hitter took a 3-2 pitch for strike three. End of inning,
An infield error caused by the wet turf
put what proved to be the winning run
on base in the 8th inning as Magness picked up in relief on the
mound.
Christian's defense failed again as a fly ball off the bat of
Chase Beatty
was misplayed into a double and an RBI, allowing Ramona to take
a 3-2 edge.
An infield roller and dropped tag at the plate handed the Bulldogs
an
insurance run.
The Patriots made one final charge in the
bottom of the 8th. BOBBY STEELE
slammed a pinch hit double off the left-center field fence. But
Christian's
offense went flat after that, resulting in the team's first loss.
SEAN RYAN had three hits in a losing cause
for Christian, while Schroeder and
Magness had 2 hits apiece.
PATRICK HENRY 5, WEST HILLS 0 - Patrick Henry's Mark Triolo, a 6-foot-5
sophomore left-hander, teamed up with Jocko Lejambre to fire a
two-hitter at
the Wolf Pack (1-3), which suffered its third straight Aztec-Foothiller
Tournament loss Saturday (Mar. 15) at Montgomery.
West Hills' offense consisted of a double
by ANDREW NICHOLS and a single by
DUSTIN BEECHLER.
"We had a runner at third base with
two outs in each of the first three
innings, but couldn't capitalize," West Hills coach JARROD
CARMAN said.
Henry did all of its scoring in the 4th
inning, tagging West Hills starter
NICK RODIECK for 3 runs and 5 hits. The junior right-hander struck
out 6 in 3
1/3 innings. He received little help from reliever MATT LUNA,
who gave up
three hits without recording an out. Finally, RUSSELL BRAZWELL
restored
order, silencing the Patriots on 2 hits over the last 2 2/3 innings.
MONTE VISTA-CASTLE PARK - The Monarchs (1-2) were within two outs of nailing
down a second straight victory in Saturday's (Mar. 15) Aztec-Foothiller
Classic contest, but succumbed to Mother Nature. The rain got
so intense and
the playing conditions so slippery that the umpires called the
game with one
out in the top of 5th inning. The Monarchs were leading 4-0 at
the time. The
status of this game is up in the air.
(03-15-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Coach ERNIE REYES and his Mount
Miguel Matadors will probably be
overlooked by most of their East County rivals again this spring.
Such
practice has been a tradition, since Mount Miguel's only Grossmont
League
championship came in 1980. In essence, nobody pays attention to
or regards
this club as a contender for a league championship. That may stop
this
season. Granted, it is still early, but these guys appear to be
geared to
make a title run in the Grossmont South League.
Catcher DANE PONCIANO went 3-for-4 with
4 RBI, including a three-run homer
and senior JOEY STREET turned in a complete game effort on the
mound as the
Matadors stuffed Bonita Vista 9-4 in Friday's (Mar. 14) Falcon-Pirate
Classic
encounter. It was Mount Miguel's second win in as many starts.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the
1st inning, the Matadors
responded with consecutive singles by ADRIAN BISHOP, MIKE McLAUGHLIN
and
JAVIER BROWN and a 3-run homer to left-center by Ponciano to take
the lead.
ANTELMO GOMEZ and ADRIAN PEREZ followed with RBI doubles to vault
Mount
Miguel into a 6-2 lead after one inning.
Bishop, McLaughlin, Gomez and JEREMY PEREDO
all had two hits, as Mount Miguel
rolled up 13 against two Bonita Vista pitchers.
STEELE CANYON 5, LINCOLN 1 - One thing for sure, the Cougars (3-0) can
point to the fact that they finished their first varsity season
undefeated at
home. The nomads of Steele Canyon - who do not have an on-campus
baseball
diamond as yet - used the Jamul Senior Field to entertain Lincoln
on Friday
(Mar. 14).
Sophomore CHRIS RICE ripped a solo home
run to key a 3-run second inning.
JASON WITTKOP singled in a second run and BRYAN KIDA's RBI groundout
gave
Steele Canyon an advantage it wouldn't lose.
Sophomore KYLE JOHNSON limited the visiting
Hornets to 4 hits, while striking
out 10 in 6 innings. DAVID LEWIS pitched a scoreless 7th to help
keep the
Cougars undefeated.
ANDREW BOGAN collected 2 hits and scored
twice for the Cougars, while Wittkop
logged 2 RBI.
(03-14-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Led by hard-nosed senior JASON
GUZMAN, the El Capitan Vaqueros are
determined to prove they are East County's finest baseball team.
The 6-foot,
195-pound senior enjoyed a banner day with the bat in El Capitan's
13-6 romp
over host San Marcos in Thursday's (Mar. 13) Hilltop Tournament
contest in
North County.
Stationed at third base after a tough opening
loss on the hill to Rancho
Bernardo, Guzman went 2-for-3 with a grand slam as the Vaqueros
balanced
their season slate at 1-1.
"People used to come out to our games
early so they could watch KYLE PHILLIPS
and CHRIS WALSTON take batting practice," El Capitan coach
STEVE VICKERY
said. "(The two pro ball draftees) hit some shots for sure,
but our fans
should take a look at this Guzman. He can hit the ball even farther."
The left-hand hitting Guzman - "The
Next Big Thing" - broke the game open at
San Marcos in the 5th inning with an opposite field grand slam.
It was a
drive as high as it was long, clearing a 20-foot fence that had
20-foot
netting on top of the wood frame.
"That was a home run in anybody's ballpark,"
Vickery said of Guzman's
bases-loaded smash.
"Jason had a loop in his swing that
hurt him last year. But he worked hard in
the off-season to eliminate that. His has a good eye and a quick
bat. He
should have a great year."
Not to be overlooked was NIK GARCIA's batting
spree of 3 hits in 4 at-bats.
Included in his totals was a two-run home run in the 2nd inning.
BRANDON
RAUCH rifled a two-run homer to cap a 5-run 7th inning.
Every El Capitan starter contributed to a 15-hit attack.
"The big thing," Vickery said,
"is we went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring
position."
MORE HILLTOP INVITATIONAL ACTION:
GRANITE HILLS 10, POWAY 9 - As advertised, the Eagles are thin on pitching.
As promised, these Birds can also hit.
KEVIN JAMES was the man of the hour for
the Eagles (2-0) as his RBI triple in
the bottom of the 8th inning broke a 9-9 deadlock and gave Granite
Hills the
win.
"Kevin hit the ball well," Granite
Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "But when
the (Poway) outfielder tried to make a diving catch when he has
absolutely no
chance, the ball rolls to the fence and ANDY (ROBERTS) scores
without a play."
James is now 6-for-8 with 4 RBI.
Granite Hills sent 11 batters to the plate
in the 1st inning, scoring six
times - bolstered by JEREMY CLARK's 2-run double - to take a 6-1
lead. As
satisfying as that advantage appeared to be, the first three of
the Eagles 4
pitchers could not make it stand up.
Credit the Eagles for applying the offensive
pressure, as they are averaging
a dozen hits per game.
Granite Hills went on to overcome a 9-7
deficit in the bottom of the 7th
inning. After SEAN PEPIN chipped in with an RBI single and WADE
FRANCIS tied
matters with a sacrifice fly.
RANCHO BERNARDO 6, HELIX 0 - The Broncos' John Peabody, who had a horrendous
opening day at El Capitan - three strikeouts and being picked
off after a
late-inning walk - fired a 4-hit shutout at the visiting Highlanders
(0-2)
in Thursday's (Mar. 13) Hilltop Tournament game.
For the Highlanders (0-2), who are light
on experienced pitching, it was
another long day. While three Helix pitchers were giving up 6
runs and 6
hits, the Highlanders struggled at the plate.
Nobody in Helix's lineup had more than one hit.
Aztec/Foothiller Classic
MONTE VISTA 2, EASTLAKE 0 - One
of the best kept secrets in East County
baseball is Monte Vista catcher CHRIS ANDERSON. The 5-foot-11,
210-pound
junior receiver played the feature role Thursday (Mar. 13) as
the Monarchs
presented first-year coach LARRY RINEHART with his first victory.
Anderson gave Monte Vista a 1-0 lead in
the first inning with his second home
run in three games. But his biggest play of the day came in the
7th inning
when he recorded the final out by throwing out an Eastlake runner
attempting
to steal third base.
"It was strike 'em out, throw 'em out,"
Rinehart said. "Anderson is really
coming into his own. He attended the 'Young Guns Camp' in Las
Vegas last
summer and was rated the top catcher there. They've invited him
back to the
'Top Guns Camp' this summer. I think this kid is going to surprise
some
people in our league this year."
Every starter in the Monte Vista lineup
had one hit - including NICK DECARO's
triple in the 4th inning.
ROBERT TIDWELL blanked the Titans on 2 hits
over 6.1 innings, before GERRY
GUZMAN (thanks to Anderson) got the final 2 outs for the save.
SANTANA 7, MONTGOMERY 6 (8) - SAM PHILLIPS sliced a 1-2 pitch into the
right field corner, scoring KENNY VILABOY with the winning run
in the bottom
of the 8th inning of Thursday's Aztec-Foothiller Classic contest
Thursday
(Mar. 13) at Santana.
An RBI single by sophomore JEFF WOODS gave
Santana a 1-0 lead in the 3rd
inning. Sophomore BRANDON HALEY followed with a two-run home run.
After Santana blew the early advantage,
junior JOSH MAZZOLA whacked a solo
home run to put the Sultans back on top 4-2 in the 4th. A balk
scored NICK
CARAVEO (2-for-4) from third to make it 5-3 in the 5th.
The Sultans surrendered the lead in the
7th inning, but Santana fought back
to tie it 6-6 on singles by Caraveo and Woods and a sacrifice
fly by Haley.
Woods blanked the Aztecs on three hits over
the final two frames to pick up
the win. CHEYENNE GILES pitched 2 2/3 innings of shut-out relief
earlier in
the game to keep the Sultans in contention. Both pitchers struck
out 3.
VALHALLA 10, CASTLE PARK 3 - Valhalla sophomore JOSH STEWART made an
impressive varsity debut Thursday (Mar. 13), claiming the victory
while
holding the host Trojans to 4 hits and 2 earned runs in a 5-inning
outing.
The Norsemen (3-0) were teetering on the
brink of defeat, trailing 3-2 before
erupting for 6 runs in the 5th inning.
Junior catcher CHRIS OLSEN was 3-for-4 with
3 RBI, hoisting his early season
average to .636 (7-for-11). He stroked an RBI single in the 2nd
inning, an
RBI double in the 5th, and an RBI single in the 7th against Castle
Park.
JASON TALIA keyed the big 5th inning with
a two-run single, which gave
Valhalla a 7-3 advantage. The senior first baseman is 6-for-11
with 5 RBI
after the first three games.
JASON HINTON (2-for-5, double 2 runs, steal),
GARRETT ALLYN (2-for--5,
double, RBI), ZACH BARGER (2-for-3, steal, 3 runs) and DREW GARCIA
(3-for-4,
RBI) were also major contributors to an 18-hit attack. Not to
be overlooked
is the fact that Garcia is off to a blazing start with 6 hits
in 8 at-bats.
RANCHO BUENA VISTA 8, GROSSMONT 5 - Mitch Einertson took a liking to the
friendly confines of Joe Gizoni Field at Grossmont High Thursday
(Mar. 13)
afternoon. Both as a hitter and as a pitcher for that matter.
The junior
right-hander drove in three runs with a home run and a double
and rationed
Foothillers to 2 runs and 6 hits over 5 innings to gain the pitching
nod.
As if Einertson's assault wasn't painful
enough, the Foothillers (2-1) served
up three doubles to Tim Murphy, who scored twice and drove in
one for the
Longhorns (3-0).
Rancho Buena Vista raked four Grossmont
pitchers - all of whom were making
their varsity debut - for 14 hits.
The Foothillers' JUSTIN BAUM blasted a solo
home run in the 6th and ALBERT
GENOVESE, making a rare start, launched a 2-run shot in the same
frame, as
Grossmont closed the deficit to 8-5.
Genovese, Baum and BRANT RUSTICH had two hits apiece for Grossmont.
VISTA 9, WEST HILLS 2 - The Wolf Pack (1-2) hardly had a chance in
Thursday's (Mar. 13) Aztec-Foothiller contest at Vista. The Panthers
pounced
on West Hills starter EDDIE PRYOR for 6 runs and 7 hits in the
opening frame
and never looked back after that.
Relievers NATHAN WICK and G.J. GLUTZ restored
order, holding the Panthers
(1-2) to 4 hits and 3 runs over the final 5 2/3 innings.
CLAY COULTER collected 2 hits for the third
straight game, raising his season
average to .667 (6-for-9) with three extra-base hits. Wick contributed
an RBI
triple in the 5th, driving in KYLE VANDEWEGHE, who had doubled.
(03-13-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - If there is one thing that East
County baseball teams have in
common it's a lack of depth in starting pitchers. Mount Miguel's
alignment
fits the pattern - one reliable starter and an abyss beyond that.
Matadors'
ace MIKE McLAUGHLIN blanked the Golden Eagles on 2 hits over 5
innings in
Wednesday's (Mar. 12) Falcon-Pirate Classic opener won by Mount
Miguel 4-0 at
San Pasqual.
McLaughlin struck out 7 before JOEY STREET
pitched in with two scoreless
innings of relief to earn the save. Street added three whiffs
to the Mount
Miguel total.
ADRIAN PEREZ singled in JOEY FAULKNER to
give Mount Miguel a 1-0 lead in the
5th inning. ADRIAN BISHOP drove in a second run in the same frame
with a
groundout.
DANE PONCIANO's single cashed in JAVIER
BROWN, who opened the 6th inning with
a double, to make it 3-0. The Matadors added a 4th run when the
San Pasqual
defense went to sleep allowing Street to score from second on
an infield
grounder.
STEELE CANYON 9, MAR VISTA 8 (8 innings)
- The Cougars won their second
Bully's East Tournament game in as many starts Wednesday (Mar.
12) as BRYAN
KIDA, CHRIS ALVAREZ, and DONALD ARTHUR stroked RBI singles to
break a 6-6 tie
in the 8th inning.
Alvarez was 4-for-5 for Steele Canyon, while
Arthur was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI,
including a two-run home run. BRYER BIDEGAIN belted a solo homer
in the 4th.
Kida was 3-for-5 as the Cougars collected 16 hits off two Mar Vista pitchers.
ANDREW ROBBINS pitched 4 innings of relief to pick up the win.
CHRISTIAN 8, EL CAJON VALLEY 5 - BRIAN SCHROEDER was 3-for-3 with two runs
scored, one RBI and one shutout inning in relief resulting in
his second
pitching win of the season Wednesday (Mar. 12) as the 10th-ranked
Patriots
rolled their record to 3-0.
Christian constructed an 8-0 lead after
4 ? innings and then held on for the
win amidst wholesale substitutions.
DONNY PARKER pounded a 2-run double in the
1st inning for the Patriots, while
DANIEL MAGNESS smacked a 2-run single in the second to help Christian
claim a
5-0 lead after two innings.
Magness later struck out the side in the
7th inning after allowing pair of
hits to earn his 10th career save.
An RBI single by BRANDON ABELL and 2-run
single by SEAN RYAN extended
Christian's advantage to 8-0 in the 5th.
MARCUS NOBLE was 3-for-4 with an RBI for
El Cajon Valley (2-1).
(03-12-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Foothillers may
have found their No. 2 starter in
senior ANDREW GREEN, while developing at least a part-time closer
in senior
kingpin BRANDON RUSTICH. Talk about a balancing act, Green limited
the host
Titans to three hits, one run and one walk while striking out
5 as Grossmont
edged Eastlake 2-1 in Tuesday's (Mar. 11) Aztec-Foothiller Classic.
"Green didn't get an opportunity to
pitch much last year because we had so
many seniors," Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS said. "He
did a good job of
keeping a veteran lineup of hitters off-balance. He has a great
changeup and
hit his spots well."
Rustich, who pitched 4 innings of no-hit
ball in as a starter in the season
opener against Castle Park, blanked the Titans on one hit over
the final 2
innings.
Eastlake's Francisco Mora kept the Hillers'
on a short rope, allowing just
five singles and a double to EVAN AMADOR in 4 2/3 innings. Thanks
to an error
and singles by Amador and CHRIS TAKATA in the second inning, Grossmont
was
able to take a 1-0 lead.
Grossmont (2-0) pushed across what proved
to be the winning run in the 4th
inning as Amador doubled and scored on MATT PASSANISI's single.
The Hillers
then left the bases loaded in the 5th.
"We had opportunities to blow the game
open, but just didn't hit like we did
in that first game (a 20-hit assault on Castle Park)," Phillips
said. "But
we're not going to see a whole lot of pitchers as good as Mora,
either."
VALHALLA 5, MONTE VISTA 1 - The Norsemen are much like the Foothillers in
that they have one established pitcher and are looking to develop
second and
third starters.
Senior right-hander BEAU WESSEL looked sharp
in his first outing against the
visiting Monarchs in Tuesday's (Mar. 11) Aztec-Foothiller Classic
encounter.
He permitted just 4 hits, walked one and fanned 3 over five innings.
"Yes, we are still attempting to solidify
our pitching staff," Valhalla coach
STEVE PERDUE said. "We know what we have in (SEAN) O'SULLIVAN.
And Beau is
one of the hardest working guys on our team. He along with GARRETT
ALLYN and
JASON TALIA give us senior leadership for the first time in four
years."
GARRETT EDGE is making a bid to be Valhalla's
closer, enhancing his chances
greatly with 2 shutout innings of relief to earn the save against
Monte Vista.
"Edge could be the sleeper of the whole deal," Perdue said.
EDDIE MAPULA made two defensive gems in
center field and Allyn snapped off a
key fielding play at second base for Valhalla (2-0).
The Norsemen scored 4 runs in the first inning. JASON HINTON ignited
the
rally with a single and advanced to second on an error. After
Allyn walked,
O'Sullivan and Talia followed with consecutive RBI singles. A
third run
scored on a fielder's choice and SAM DOWNS capped the inning with
an RBI
single.
Talia tacked on fifth run with a single in the second inning.
Monte Vista (0-2) avoided the shutout when
ROBERT TIDWELL hammered a home run
in the 4th inning. NICK DECARO accounted for two of the Monarchs'
four hits.
For the Monarchs it was a double defeat.
"Somebody broke into our equipment
locker and stole a golf cart, gasoline and
a some machine parts," Monte Vista coach LARRY RINEHART said.
"It was
probably about $1,500 worth of stuff."
MARIAN CATHOLIC 5, SANTANA 4 - In a battle between two teams with great
expectations, host Santana jumped in front 3-0 in Tuesday's (Mar.
11)
Aztec-Foothiller contest but wilted in the stretch as the Crusaders
balanced
their record at 1-1.
JOSH MAZZOLA's RBI double and BRANDON HALEY's
run-scoring single helped give
Santana its 3-run edge in the 1st inning.
After the visiting Crusaders climbed back
in front 4-3 in the 5th inning, the
Sultans tied it 4 on a double by NICK CARAVEO and a RBI single
by JEFF WOODS
in the bottom of the inning.
The Crusaders broke the tie in the 6th inning.
"We are a very young team," Santana
coach JERRY HENSON said. "We only have
two full-time seniors."
MONTGOMERY 6, WEST HILLS 3 - Despite CLAY COULTER's 2-for-3 effort,
including a 2-run double in the 5th inning of Tuesday's (Mar.
11)
Aztec-Foothiller Classic contest, host West Hills (1-1) came up
short against
perennial power Montgomery.
ERIK BRISTOL and EDDIE PRYOR also had a
pair of hits for the Wolf Pack, with
Bristol driving in West Hills' first run.
Hilltop Tournament
GRANITE HILLS 9, ST. AUGUSTINE 1 -
Junior right-hander MARSHALL WYGANT shut
down the Saints on 3 hits over 6 innings as the visiting Eagles
won big in
Tuesday's (Mar. 11) Hilltop Tournament opener at Hickman Field.
Wygant also drove in a pair of runs with a first-inning single.
JOHN COIT sent an early message that these
Eagles will be piling up some runs
this season as he drilled a solo home run to dead-center to begin
what was to
be a 6-run first inning. Coit picked up a second RBI on a bases-loaded
walk
in the 3rd.
First baseman KEVIN JAMES was 3-for-4, including
a 2-run single in the 2nd
inning.
SEAN PEPIN was 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.
MATT SPENCER pitched hitless 7th for the Eagles.
OTHER HILLTOP TOURNAMENT ACTION:
RANCHO BERNARDO 4, EL CAPITAN 1 - In a battle of two of the county's
top-ranked teams in Lakeside, No. 3 El Capitan received a brilliant
pitching
performance from JASON GUZMAN in a season-opening loss. The hard-throwing
right-hander struck out 9 and walked only one over 6 innings.
Guzman, who allowed 8 hits and 3 earned
runs, also drove in El Capitan's only
run with a double on the left field embankment in the 4th inning.
"It was a great first outing for Guzman,"
El Capitan coach STEVE VICKERY
said, noting that his ace struck out Rancho Bernardo lead-off
man John
Peabody three times.
The Vaqueros left the bases loaded in the 3rd, 4th and 6th innings.
David Morehead and John Drennen clubbed
solo home runs to pace the No.
2-ranked Broncos.
HILLTOP 11, HELIX 4 - After a strong start by senior ROBERT STEVENS,
the
Highlanders' bullpen failed to hold a 4-2 lead as host Helix opened
the
Hilltop Tournament with a disappointing defeat.
Stevens limited the Lancers to 2 hits and
no earned runs over five innings,
while striking out 6. His 5 walks hurt as did a porous Helix defense,
which
committed six errors.
Five of Hilltop's runs were unearned.
The Highlanders broke a 2-2 tie on RYAN
HULBERT's two-run double in the 5th
inning.
Helix had taken a 2-1 lead in the 2nd as NATE METROKA doubled
in a run and
DREW FOY singled in another.
(03-11-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Steele Canyon's rookie head coach
PHIL MITTRY admitted being
nervous as he prepared his Cougars for their first varsity game
Monday (Mar.
10) at Francis Parker High. He called his wife, Maureen in her
classroom, and
received a rousing round of vocal support from her second graders
as they
cheered "Good Luck!" in unison into the phone. Turns
out, Mittry's fears were
mostly first-game jitters as the Cougars clubbed the Lancers 11-6
in a
Bully's East Tournament contest.
"This is an encouraging beginning," said Mittry.
First pitch. First hit. First run. First
win. It was a memorable debut for
Mittry and his troops.
The Cougars wasted no time getting started
as they received a leadoff bloop
single to left by JASON WITTKOP, who also pitched four strong
innings to
collect the win.
"I wanted a line drive, and I got a
little Texas Leaguer - but it works,"
said Wittkop, a junior who went 2-for-4 and also scored the school's
first
run in a three-run first inning. "It works for the team as
my job is to get
on base for the others to drive me in."
Second baseman BRYER BIDEGAIN was at the
heart of the Cougars' offense,
having a hand in eight of his team's 11 runs. Bidegain went 3-for-4
with
five RBI, including a three-run triple in the sixth to break the
game open
11-4.
"We just want to be consistent -- it's
the goal for each player on this
team," said Bidegain, who is also a competitive handball
tournament player.
"It's our goal to go 5-0 (in this tournament) and be respected,
and show the
bigger schools we mean business."
Bidegain capped the first-inning outburst
with an RBI single after CHRIS RICE
ripped a two-run double.
Meanwhile, Wittrop struck out seven in his four frames of pitching.
Shortstop BRIAN KIDA reached base in all
five of his plate appearances,
including three walks and scoring three times for Steele Canyon.
Christian Patriot Tournament
CHRISTIAN 17, LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 6 -
The Patriots tested their pitching
depth in search for a No. 3 starter in Monday's (Mar. 10) outing
against the
visiting Torreys.
JOEL ALLEN did a decent job in middle relief
to earn the win, despite
surrendering two runs in three innings. He struck out 5, but walked
3. DONNY
PARKER pitched two shutout innings to complete the job.
BRIAN SCHROEDER drove in 5 runs with a pair
of home runs for the Patriots
(2-0), who are ranked No. 10 in the county. JOEL MATTHEWS hoisted
a two-run
homer in the first frame.
The Patriots won this one via the big inning.
Christian snapped a 4-4 tie
with 6 runs in the third inning. BRANDON ABELL's RBI single cashed
in what
proved to be the winning run and SEAN RYAN's squeeze was good
enough for a
single and an RBI. After DANIEL MAGNESS drove in a run with a
double,
Schroeder broke the game open with a three-run blast over the
right field
fence.
Christian removed all doubt with 7 runs
in the 5th. Key hits included 2-run
singles by BOBBY STEELE and Allen, a 2-run double by TIM MARTIN
and a
run-scoring double by Magness.
EL CAJON VALLEY 11, MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 3
- For the second game in as many
starts, El Cajon Valley senior OMAR MENDEZ scored three runs as
the Braves
ran their record to 2-0 at the expense of the visiting Redhawks
Monday
afternoon (Mar. 10).
Mendez is 4-for-7 with a double, a triple, 6 runs scored and one RBI.
Freshman NICK SPEARS was 2-for-3 with a
double and one RBI against Mountain
Empire, while ALBERT AREMENDARIZ drove in two runs and scored
twice with a
pair of singles in three at-bats for El Cajon Valley.
The Braves took a 5-0 lead in the 1st inning
and never looked back as three
pitchers shared the work on the hill.
(03-10-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Valhalla sophomore SEAN O'SULLIVAN
looked to be in prime form
Saturday (Mar. 8) when the Norsemen opened the season with a resounding
8-2
victory over perennial powerhouse Eastlake in an Aztec-Foothiller
Classic
game in Chula Vista. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-hander needed
only 95
pitches to silence the usually heavy-hitting Titans, scattering
4 hits, while
striking out 9 and walking none. Only one of the two Eastlake
runs was earned.
O'Sullivan also produced at the plate with a double and a single in 4 at-bats.
The Norsemen actually came from behind with
2 runs in the 2nd inning after
Eastlake took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the 1st. ZACH BARGER
(3-for-4) singled and CHRIS OLSEN doubled. Barger scored the tying
run on a
wild pitch before Olsen rode home on DREW GARCIA's single, giving
Valhalla
the lead for keeps.
Garcia also supplied the key hit - a 2-run
double - in the 4th inning as the
Norsemen extended their advantage to 6-1.
Olsen and JASON TALIA contributed 2 hits apiece to Valhalla's total of 13.
More Aztec-Foothiller Classic:
GROSSMONT 16, CASTLE PARK 1 - BRANT RUSTICH had plenty of support as the
Foothillers trampled the visiting Trojans in Saturday's (Mar.
8) season
opener for both teams. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Rustich no-hit
Castle Park
over 4 frames before turning the pitching chores over to relievers
- ANDREW
GREEN, TONY MEDINA and KEVIN CAMPOS - each of whom hurled one
inning.
The Foothillers strung together 5 consecutive
hits to take a 4-0 lead in the
second inning. MATT PASSANISI and EVAN AMADOR each had an RBI
double in the
uprising. Amador launched a three-run home run and JUSTIN BAUM
(3-for-5, 3
RBI) blasted a solo shot as Grossmont broke the game open with
seven runs inn
the third.
Eleven players contributed to Grossmont's
20-hit onslaught. Passanisi had two
doubles.
WEST HILLS 5, MARIAN CATHOLIC 4 - The Wolf Pack scored an impressive victory
over a veteran band of Crusaders - a team many believe is worthy
of a Top 10
ranking - in Saturday's (Mar. 8) season opener at Marian. CLAY
COULTER
followed a one-out double by DUSTIN BEECHLER with a home run over
the left
field fence to put the Pack on the board in the first inning.
Back-to-back doubles by Coulter and MATT
LUNA gave West Hills a 3-1 lead in
the third. But the Crusaders tied it in the bottom of the inning.
The Wolf Pack broke the 3-3 deadlock with a two-out rally in the
4th inning
as KYLE VANDEWEGHE, CODY DENNIS and EDDIE PRYOR parlayed consecutive
singles
into the go-ahead run.
Luna logged the pitching win, limiting Marian
to one run and three hits in
four innings of relief.
SANTANA 6, PATRICK HENRY 3 - The Sultans spotted the visiting Patriots three
unearned runs in the 1st inning of Saturday's (Mar. 8) opener,
but came back
to win in dramatic fashion.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th inning,
the Sultans turned the game
around when RYAN HOWARD's hammered a 3-run double. Howard then
scored on JOSH
MAZZOLA's base hit.
SHANE KAUFMAN permitted the Patriots only
4 hits while striking out 4 and
walking one in a five-inning stint to earn the win. JOSH ATWELL
toiled the
final 2 frames, allowing only 2 hits.
RANCHO BUENA VISTA 11, MONTE VISTA 4
- It was a tough debut for the
Monarchs' new head coach LARRY RINEHART Saturday (Mar. 8) against
the
high-octane Longhorns, who led 9-1 after 3 innings.
CHRIS ANDERSON gave Monte Vista a fast start
when he drilled a solo home run
in the 1st inning, but RBV countered with 4 in the bottom of the
inning.
Six errors didn't help matters for Monte Vista.
Christian Patriot Tournament
CHRISTIAN 8, SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 2 -
More than 20 scouts were on hand to see
the Patriots' BRIAN SCHROEDER's first start of the season on Saturday
(Mar.
8) and the hard-throwing senior right-hander didn't disappoint.
Working on a
95-pitch count, Schroeder struck out 11, allowed 4 hits and one
unearned run
in 5 2/3 innings.
JOEL ALLEN, who went 3-for-4 with two home
runs and 3 RBI, finished up for
Schroeder.
JOEL MATTHEWS and EDDIE LISTANDER were each
2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI
for Christian, which led 6-0 after two innings.
EL CAJON VALLEY 4, LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY
0 - JESSE ORTIZ, LUIS PEREZ and
NICK
SPEARS combined for the 3-hit shutout on Saturday (Mar. 8) as
the Braves
opened with a victory. Spears struck out four in 2 2/3 innings
of relief.
OMAR MENDEZ sparked the offense, stroking
a pair of singles and scoring 3
runs. MARCUS NOBLE was 2-for-4 in the lead-off spot and RANDY
SMITH slugged
an RBI double for El Cajon Valley.
(03-08-03)
A SNEAK PEEK AT THE SEASON AHEAD
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Look for coach STEVE VICKERY's
El Capitan Vaqueros and MIKE
MITCHELL's Christian High Patriots to dominate the East County
baseball scene
this season, which begins on Saturday (Mar. 8).
The Vaqueros won 25 games last year and
advanced to the San Diego CIF
Division II semifinals for the 7th time in 11 years. They should
go farther
this time around as six starters plus the top four pitchers return
from a
year ago.
Some polls rank El Capitan as high as No.
3 in the county - behind only
nationally-ranked powerhouses Mission Bay and Rancho Bernardo.
Sturdy senior catcher JORDAN ABRUZZO (.431,
7 HRs, 45 RBI) is the cornerstone
for El Capitan. Power-hitting left fielder BRANDON RAUCH (.391,
13 HRs, 11
doubles, 37 RBI), who has a San Diego State scholarship in hand,
is also a
bat that Vickery is counting on. JUSTIN "Boomer" SNYDER
(.442, 45 runs) is
East County's top leadoff man.
Returning pitchers TRAVIS LOPEZ, JASON GUZMAN,
NICK REAGAN and KYLE WELLS
combined for 21 wins for the Grossmont North League champions
last spring.
Defending Eastern League-champion Christian
may be unfairly overlooked in the
big picture, but the Patriots have perhaps the best 1-2 pitching
punch in the
county in four-year varsity veterans BRIAN SCHROEDER and DANIEL
MAGNESS. A
year ago, the two combined for 19 wins, a 1.64 ERA and 207 strikeouts
in
136.1 innings. Both can swing the bat as well, Magness hit .438
with 5 home
runs and 36 RBI. Schroeder lends long-ball punch with base-stealing
speed.
DIAMOND DOGS
Some 26 scouts were on hand to watch Grossmont
High's 6-foot-6, 230-pound
right-hander BRANT RUSTICH toil in the Foothillers' final preseason
scrimmage
earlier this week. He did not disappoint, yet the question remains
- Will the
UCLA-bound Rustich focus on pitching or coil up and perfect his
long-ball
swing? "He's open to both," Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS
said. "Some scouts
like him as a pitcher, others as a first baseman or outfielder
because of his
bat."
Other individual standouts include Valhalla
sophomore pitcher SEAN
O'SULLIVAN, West Hills catcher-pitcher CLAY COULTER, Helix pitcher-shortstop
ROBERT STEVENS, Granite Hills center fielder CASEY CRAIG and catcher
JOHN
COIT.
FIRST PITCH
Seven East County teams open the season
on Saturday (Mar. 8). In the
Aztec-Foothiller Classic, Grossmont hosts Castle Park at 10:30
a.m., Valhalla
takes on Eastlake at Grossmont at 2 p.m., Santana entertains Patrick
Henry at
10:30 followed by West Hills-Marian Catholic on the Sultans' field
at 2 p.m.
Monte Vista, under first-year head coach
LARRY RINEHART - former assistant
coach at Helix - travels to Vista to face rugged Rancho Buena
Vista at 2 p.m.
In the Christian Patriot Tournament, El
Cajon Valley ventures to La Jolla
Country Day, and Christian hosts Santa Fe Christian. Both games
begin at 11
a.m.
(03-06-03)
2002 BASEBALL DRAFT
SAN DIEGO SHOWCASE 2002
2002 ALL-SDCIF DIVISIONAL BASEBALL
TEAMS
All-San Diego CIF/Breitbard Hall
of Champions Baseball Team
2002 EastCountySports.com
ALL-EAST COUNTY BASEBALL TEAM
San Diego CIF Playoffs