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SANTEE - There's a logjam in the Grossmont
North. Four teams are virtually
separated by one game. West Hills' come-from-behind 6-5 victory
over El
Capitan, and Grossmont's 5-3 knockout of Santana in Thursday (May
8) action
has caused a sort of domino effect. Suddenly, there seems to be
no favorite.
WEST HILLS 6, EL CAPITAN 5 - At the outset of the season, the Vaqueros
appeared to be a lock to win their seventh Grossmont North League
flag in
eight years. Now, there has emerged some question whether El Capitan
(17-4,
4-2) can live up to its early-season rave notices.
El Capitan displayed its power when JUSTIN
SNYDER, JORDAN ANDERSON and JORDAN
ABRUZZO banged back-to-back-to-back home runs to break a 2-2 tie
in the 5th
inning.
Game over?
Hardly.
The Wolf Pack regrouped and broke the huddle
with a vengeance. A throwing
error and an RBI single by CODY DENNIS enabled West Hills to close
the gap to
5-4 in the 6th inning.
That's when the drama began. The 'Pack loaded
the bases in the bottom of the
7th inning on a pair of walks sandwiched around a MATT LUNA single.
Then,
with two outs, EDDIE PRYOR, facing El Capitan ace JASON GUZMAN,
worked the
count full before ripping a line-drive single to right field scoring
the
tying and winning runs.
Pryor's pop plated BEN HOFFARD and Luna
to give West Hills a season-saving
victory over the highly regarded Vaqueros.
"Eddie came up huge for us," West
Hills coach JARROD CARMAN said. "He's had
an OK year for us, but not what he'd hoped for."
Forget about batting averages or RBI totals.
This was one of those hits Pryor
will remember for decades.
"It's a credit to our pitching and
defense that we were able to hold them
off," Carman said.
The Vaqueros certainly put West Hills to
the test in the top of the 7th. With
one out, VERN WENGELER walked. BRANDON RAUCH doubled. NIK GARCIA
hit a shot
at first baseman NICK RODIECK, who knocked the ball down and threw
to second
baseman KYLE VANDEWEGHE for the out while freezing the runners.
"Rodieck's play was a game-saver,"
Carman said. "If that ball gets by him,
the game is over."
After Guzman walked to load the bases, JOSH
WALSTON flew out to end the
inning.
It was the first time all season that El
Capitan has suffered back-to-back
losses.
"We're letting things slip through
our fingers," El Capitan coach STEVE
VICKERY said. "It's a matter of not doing the little things,
the intangibles
it takes to win ballgames.
"Give West Hills credit. They've given
us fits over the last three years.
They could have bellied up after we hit those three home runs
in a row. But
they didn't. They just kept coming after us."
And this time the Wolves caught the Vaqueros.
"We have the personnel to right our
ship," Vickery said. "It's just a matter
of getting back on course, doing the things we have been doing
most of the
season."
GROSSMONT 5, SANTANA 3 - ANDREW GREEN wanted to make a statement for all
those who doubted his ability. Consider his mission accomplished.
Grossmont's
senior right-hander shut down host Santana on Thursday (May 8)
in a must-win
situation for the visiting Foothillers.
Green took the bull by the horns, as he
blanked the Sultans through the
opening four frames and left with the Foothillers leading 4-1
in the 6th
inning. Relievers JUSTIN BAUM, PAUL HODGE and BRANT RUSTICH finished
the job,
with Rustich striking out the side in the final frame.
While Green welcomed the support, he acknowledges
he is the No. 2 starter on
a stand dominated by the 6-foot-6, 230-pound, UCLA-bound Rustich.
"The better I do the less pressure
there is on the whole team," said Green,
who has claimed four of Grossmont's 12 victories.
Green surrendered 8 hits, but only 2 runs
prior to his departure after 5-plus
innings.
"He hadn't gone deep into a game in
a while, been in a little bit of a
mini-slump," Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS said. "For
him to come back and
pitch like he did against a first place team is absolutely huge."
Green's achievements speak for themselves: a 4-4 record and a 4.17 ERA.
"He didn't get a lot of innings last
year, because we had BEN (COON) and
Brant, " Phillips said. "But Andrew has been patient
and he's been working on
his array of pitches. And his time has come this season. We're
at the point
where every inning is magnified."
CHRIS TAKATA slammed a solo home run in
the 2nd inning and a sacrifice fly in
the 6th inning to pace Grossmont (12-9, 4-3).
EVAN AMADOR clubbed an RBI double to make it 2-0 in the 4th.
A delayed double steal was less than ideal
as Santana sniffed out the
strategy. But ALBERT GENOVESE's ability to avoid the tag in a
run-down
enabled Hodge to steal home, giving Grossmont a 3-0 lead.
"I'd say we're back into it,"
Phillips decided, referring to the Grossmont
North pennant race. "What we've done well is manufacture
runs when we've
needed to."
JEFF WOODS was 2-for-4, but the Sultans
(14-9, 5-2) could not come up with a
key base hit although they held a 9-7 edge over Grossmont in that
department.
Santana stranded 9 base runners - six in scoring position.
VALHALLA 9, GRANITE HILLS 6 - By the time host Granite Hills figured out how
to score on Valhalla sophomore sensation SEAN O'SULLIVAN the Norsemen
were
enjoying a commanding 7-0 lead in Thursday's (May 8) showdown
of Grossmont
South League leaders.
O'Sullivan hung around long enough to secure
his 6th win in 7 decisions,
scattering 8 hits while allowing only 2 runs in 5 innings. He
struck out 5,
walked none and left with a 5-run lead.
"This team isn't just one guy,"
Valhalla coach STEVE PERDUE emphasized. "Sean
is definitely the one who carries us, but everybody contributes.
Look at
today's game. Seven guys scored, six guys got hits."
By winning, Valhalla is in control of the
Grossmont South. The Norsemen
(16-6, 8-1), who have won five straight and 10 of their last 12,
own a
two-game lead over nearest challengers Granite Hills (15-5, 6-3)
and Helix
(9-13, 6-3).
"There are a lot of positive things
happening at Valhalla, and we feel good
about it," Perdue said. "But we can't stop playing to
rest on our laurels.
Anything can happen in the next couple of weeks, and we have to
work at
making sure they go our way."
Are the Norsemen East County's "Next Big Thing?"
"I think we're as good as anybody out
here," Perdue said. "And Granite Hills
is right there with us."
What really matters in this battle of long-time
arch-rivals, is Valhalla owns
a 2-0 series advantage over the Eagles with one meeting remaining.
"To have an advantage over a quality
team like Granite Hills can only help
us," Perdue said.
GARRETT ALLYN's two-run single keyed what
turned into a 6-run 2nd inning as
the Norsemen capitalized on a couple of walks and a key error
to forge in
front.
Valhalla made it 7-0 in the 5th on EDDIE MAPULA's third home run of the year.
The Eagles finally broke through against
O'Sullivan in the bottom of the 5th
when RYAN MARQUIS singled and CASEY CRAIG clubbed a two-run home
run.
GARRETT EDGE picked up for O'Sullivan and
struck out 5 batters in the final
two innings, however, not before the Eagles zinged him for 4 runs
during a
two-out rally in the 6th. Marquis chipped in an RBI single, Craig
doubled
home a run and James plated a pair with a base hit to left field.
But Granite Hills' comeback stalled after that.
"You just can't get down 6-0 to a pitcher
as solid as O'Sullivan is," Granite
Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "He doesn't make mistakes,
give you any extra
outs. He's tough to beat in any situation, but next to impossible
to beat
when he has a six-run lead."
Granite Hills first baseman KEVIN JAMES
continued his torrid hitting with 3
hits and a pair of RBI off some pretty good pitchers. In his last
six starts,
the 6-foot-3, 190-pound James is batting at a .625 clip with 4
home runs and
19 RBI.
HELIX 4, MONTE VISTA 3 - Batterymates JESSE GARCIA and MATT POWELL recharged
the Highlanders' Grossmont South League title chances Thursday
(May 8), as
Helix (9-13, 6-3) edged host Monte Vista for the second time in
as many
meetings. The victory vaulted Helix into a second-place tie with
Granite
Hills - two games behind front-running Valhalla.
Garcia, a senior right-hander, scattered
6 hits and struck out 7 over six
innings as he rolled his record to 4-3. ROBERT STEVENS shut the
lights out on
any Monte Vista comeback plans by pitching a perfect 7th to notch
his third
save.
Powell, meanwhile, jolted Monte Vista starter
MIKE McDOLE for a two-run home
run to lift Helix's lead 3-0.
The Monarchs (9-13, 4-6) generated a bit
of juice of their own in the 4th
inning. MARK COGLEY singled, stole second and scored on JESSE
RODRIGUEZ's
base hit to right field.
Helix counter-punched in the 5th inning.
AARON BAILEY singled, stole second
and advanced to third on BRIAN RICARD's sacrifice bunt. Bailey
rode home on
NICK LEDESMA's sacrifice fly, giving Helix a 4-1 cushion.
After the Monarchs cut the deficit in half
in the 5th, Monte Vista closed to
within one on JEFF ALEXANDER's RBI single in the 6th.
MOUNT MIGUEL 9, STEELE CANYON 0 - The Matadors aren't going to celebrate
their second Grossmont League pennant in 23 years this spring,
but they are a
strong candidate for making the San Diego CIF Division II playoffs.
ANTELMO GOMEZ, making only his second start
of the season on Thursday (May
8), fired a complete game 5-hitter, striking out 10 and walking
only 2
against the visiting Cougars. Quite an outing, considering the
senior
right-hander had totaled only 8 innings in three previous appearances.
He's
sure to see more mound duty in the future, as he sports a sparkling
0.93 ERA.
Mount Miguel (12-9, 4-5) broke the game
open with 7 runs in the 3rd inning.
Two Steele Canyon errors gave the Matadors an early boost and
a 1-0 lead. The
Matadors' excellent team speed paid off when ADRIAN BISHOP rolled
a ground
ball to second baseman BRYAN KIDA, who fired to the plate in hopes
of nailing
TOMMY TOLEDO attempting to score from third. Toledo beat the throw,
the plate
umpire ruled, although those on the Steele Canyon side begged
to differ.
That opened the floodgates. JAVIER BROWN's
sacrifice fly made it 3-0 and MIKE
McLAUGHLIN's single pushed the score to 4-0. After JEREMY PEREDO
singled,
JOEY STREET blasted his first home run into the parking lot beyond
left field.
"If you throw out that one inning,
we played them pretty tough," Cougars'
coach PHIL MITTRY said.
DONALD ARTHUR and CHRIS ALVAREZ had two
hits apiece for Steele Canyon (6-16,
0-10).
(05-08-03)
Christian first baseman makes a putout on an
assist from second baseman during the Patriots' win on Wednesday.
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Christian High coach MIKE MITCHELL
readily admits that he does not
like City Conference crossover play. The thought of playing five
games
against the Western League added to his dislike of the inter-league
arrangement. Turns out, however, that the first three games against
the West
- all victories - have propelled the Patriots into a share of
the Eastern
League lead.
BRIAN SCHROEDER virtually smothered visiting
La Jolla on Wednesday (May 7),
as the Patriots pasted the Vikings 5-0. The multi-talented Schroeder
spun a
complete game 2-hitter, while striking out 10 and walking 3.
The senior right-hander needed only 112
pitches to log his 6th win and 5th
complete game of the season. Talk about a dominant performance
- Schroeder
did not allow a Viking runner to advance past second base.
Schroeder provided the offensive spark,
too. For the game, Schroeder was
3-for-4, hiking his season average to .568. He singled and scored
on JOEL
ALLEN's single up the middle in the 3rd inning, and then launched
his East
County-leading 10th home run to ignite a 4-run 5th inning.
DANIEL MAGNESS continued the 5th inning
uprising with his third single of the
game. Allen then reached base on an error and EDDIE LISTANDER
blooped a
single to right field, loading the bases with one out. A suicide
squeeze by
DONNY PARKER brought home Magness, and when the Vikings made the
throw to
first base to get Parker, Allen kept coming from second base.
"All of a sudden I saw Allen flying
by me headed for the plate," said
Mitchell, who was coaching third. "He was going full stride.
He crossed the
plate standing up. It was a really nice bunt by Parker, but that
kid (Allen)
can run."
TIM MARTIN capped scoring with an RBI single.
Christian faces another major test on Friday
(May 9) at No. 4-ranked Mission
Bay.
(05-07-03)
Steele Canyon's Chris Rice (20) is out at first
on a 6-4-3 double play, as Monte Vista's Jeff Alexander completes
the play in Monday's (5-5-03) Grossmont South League action.
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Don't look now, but the Grossmont
North League has a new leader.
The Santana Sultans, who just two weeks ago were a .500 team,
have suddenly
rolled to six straight victories to move one-half game ahead of
idle El
Capitan in the race for the North flag.
And to think that the host El Cajon Valley
Braves (6-14, 0-6) almost derailed
the Sultans' beeline to the top. The Braves, in fact, held a 5-3
lead before
Santana (14-8, 5-1) erupted for 9 runs in the 5th inning to claim
a 12-5
victory Tuesday (May 6).
JEFF WOODS was once again at the forefront
of the Santana charge, driving in
4 runs with his 5th home run, a triple and a single. It took five
Sultans'
pitchers to set down the Braves.
"I know their record doesn't show it,
but El Cajon Valley is a decent
ballclub," Santana coach JERRY HENSON said. "They don't
just lay down. They
keep coming after you."
The chase ended when the Sultans sent 13
men to the plate in the fateful 5th,
using a blend of 5 hits, 3 walks and two hit batsmen to turn the
game into
their favor.
BRYCE NELSON ignited the big inning with
a double to right-center field and
jogged to third on a wild pitch. After Woods was hit by a JESSE
ORTIZ pitch
and stole second, JOSH MAZZOLA singled to score both runners to
tie it at 5-5.
KENNY VILABOY walked with the bases loaded
to give Santana the lead. SAM
PHILLIPS rammed a two-run single to center and NICK CARAVEO doubled
in two
more. Woods capped the inning with 2-run single.
SHANE KAUFMAN turned in a key pitching stint
and wound up with his 4th win in
eight decisions. The junior right-hander bailed the Sultans out
of a jam in
the 4th inning and finished with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Santana bounced out in front as if this
was a business-as-usual outing.
Caraveo opened the game with a base hit and raced home on Woods'
triple. RYAN
HOWARD singled in Woods. Four batters into the game and the Sultans
were
cruising 2-0.
Woods made it 3-0 with a long home run to
left-center field in the 3rd
inning. But the once rosy picture became a bit thorny from there
for Santana.
El Cajon Valley broke for a run in the 3rd
inning as FREDERICO CARREON and
OMAR MENDEZ singled, and RANDY SMITH hoisted a sacrifice fly to
center field.
A pair of errors helped the Braves show
Santana starter CHEYENNE GILES to the
showers in the 4th. RBI singles by Carreon, Mendez, and SHANE
MYER along with
a bases-loaded walk to Smith allowed the Braves to turn a 3-1
deficit into a
5-3 lead.
It didn't last long, as the Sultans showed
why they are of championship
caliber.
MONTE VISTA 3, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 - Coach LARRY RINEHART admits that senior
pitcher ROBERT TIDWELL keeps his mouth shut and sticks to business
when he's
on the field.
"He's so mature in the way he addresses
a game," Rinehart said. "He's
starting to believe in himself and his teammates."
Tidwell tossed a complete-game 8-hitter,
walked none and struck out 8 as he
nailed down his third win in eight decisions in the Monarchs'
Grossmont South
League nod at Helix on Tuesday (May 6).
"The key thing was he didn't walk anybody,"
Rinehart said. "That, and our
defense made the routine plays."
Credit Monte Vista senior ALEX BARAJAS for
making a run-saving diving catch
in right field.
While Tidwell is a lead-by-example player
on the surface, inside the Monte
Vista dugout he presents a different image.
"Basically, Robert is a quiet guy,"
Rinehart said. "But he can deliver the
best one-liners sometimes. He gets us all laughing until he decides
it's time
to sing. The guy cannot sing. He makes my dog uneasy when he tries
to carry a
tune."
Of course, Tidwell's job is to orchestrate
team harmony, not belt out a
melody.
The Monarchs (9-12, 4-5) broke a 2-2 tie
in the 7th inning when they had the
Matadors (11-9, 3-5) thinking squeeze.
Monte Vista placed runners on the corners
when NICK DECARO walked and DALLAS
HUBBARD reached base on an error. With JOE BERRY at the plate,
Mount Miguel
reliever MIKE McLAUGHLIN fired a fastball up-and-in. The pitch
glanced off
the glove of catcher DANE PONCIANO allowing Decaro to score what
proved to be
the winning run.
While Mount Miguel coach ERNIE REYES was
sure the Monarchs were going to
attempt a suicide squeeze, Rinehart scoffed at the thought.
"We're not that elaborate," Rinehart
said. "We were just trying to get the
guy on first down to second base."
Perhaps, Rinehart wasn't going to divulge
his notions. Whatever his
intentions, the Monarchs' maneuvers worked.
Mount Miguel erased an early Monte Vista
lead in the 2nd inning as ADRIAN
BISHOP's RBI single tied it and ADRIAN PEREZ's RBI double staked
the Matadors
to a 2-1 lead.
Hubbard's RBI single tied matters at 2-apiece in the 5th.
"We still need 3 more wins to get into
the (San Diego CIF Division II)
playoffs," Rinehart said.
Bishop went 3-for-3 to pace Mount Miguel.
GROSSMONT 6, WEST HILLS 2 - Grossmont coach ROB PHILLIPS won't say he's
given up on winning the Grossmont North League title, but his
primary goal at
the moment is latching onto a top rung on the San Diego CIF Division
II
playoff ladder.
Thus, Phillips sent ace BRANT RUSTICH after
the visiting Wolf Pack in
Tuesday's (May 6) encounter at Joe Gizoni Field.
Turns out it was a smart move. The 6-foot-6
Rustich (5-1) needed only 79
pitches to log his second complete-game victory of the season.
He gave up
only 4 hits, while striking out 7.
"To me, that's the best game he's thrown
all year," Phillips said. "Low pitch
count and no walks. That's what it takes to be successful and
he met both
criterion.
"This was a big game for us, one that we needed."
Phillips' logic centered around the fact
that West Hills (8-12, 2-3) is a
SDCIF Division II playoff contender and league-leading Santana
- Thursday's
(May 8) foe in Santee - is Division III.
"When you start out 1-3 in league,
it changes your thinking," Phillips said.
"We'd still like to win the league title, but we think we
have more control
of going after a high seed in the playoffs."
JOE STAAB's two-run double staked Grossmont
(11-9, 3-3) and Rustich to a 2-0
lead in the 2nd inning. An error, walk and JUSTIN BAUM's 3-run
homer made it
5-0 in the 3rd inning.
West Hills finally broke through against
Rustich in the 5th. EDDIE PRYOR
singled, stole second and scored on NATHAN WICK's single to center.
Wick was
the only member of the Pack to work the count to 3 balls against
Rustich, who
responded by fanning the ensuing three West Hills on strikes.
JAMES BEEBE added a solo home run for Grossmont
in the 5th inning, while CLAY
COULTER clouted a solo shot for West Hills in the 6th.
It wasn't the best of days for the Wolf
Pack, which saw MATT LUNA's 12-game
hitting strike come to an end.
GRANITE HILLS 23, STEELE CANYON 1 - Junior first baseman KEVIN JAMES
continues to prove that he is one of the most-feared hitters in
East County.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Granite Hills slugger drove in 6 runs,
giving him 39
for the season as the Eagles feasted on first-year-varsity Steele
Canyon in
Tuesday's (May 6) Grossmont South League action.
James, who was 3-for-6 including his 6th
home run, is batting at a .600 clip
with 4 home runs and 17 RBI over his last 5 games.
"He's amazing," Eagles coach JAMES
DAVIS said. "He's just locked in. It's
that simple."
ANDY ROBERTS, who came into the game batting
a misleading .220, broke out of
a major slump with two home runs, a double and 5 RBI as the 10th-ranked
Eagles (15-4, 6-2) tuned up for Thursday's (May 8) showdown with
league-leading Valhalla.
"He was 0-for-April," Davis said,
noting that Roberts is 4-for-8 this month.
"It's like I told Andy, it's a new month and a fresh start.
He's swinging the
bat well right now. With him, it's a matter of confidence."
Granite Hills (15-4, 6-2) riddled four Steele
Canyon pitchers for 23 hits,
including five home runs. JOHN COIT (3-for-5, 4 RBI) and SEAN
PEPIN (2-for-6,
2 RBI) joined the Eagles' home run parade in the lopsided victory.
BRYER BIDEGAIN accounted for three of Steele Canyon's nine hits.
VALHALLA 9, HELIX 6 - The Norsemen had to call on relief from reliable
starter SEAN O'SULLIVAN to hold off the upset-minded Highlanders
in Tuesday's
(May 6) Grossmont South League contest in La Mesa.
Although O'Sullivan issued a lead-off walk
- his first in five weeks - to
NICK LEDESMA in the bottom of the 7th, and then served up a double
to BRIAN
RICARD, the Valhalla sophomore minimized the damage. He retired
the
Highlanders in order thereafter, allowing only a scoring fly ball
by MATT
POWELL as he earned his second save of the season.
Valhalla (15-6, 7-1) capitalized on shoddy
defensive play to take a 2-0 lead
in the 1st inning. ZACH BARGER's two-run double keyed a 4-run
3rd inning and
it appeared the Norsemen would win in a run-away.
It wasn't so, as two-out singles by JOE
SCALISI and RAY RIVERA set the stage
for AARON BAILEY's 3-run home run in the 4th inning.
Ricard kept the Highlanders' comeback in
gear as he ripped a solo home run in
the 5th inning, slicing Valhalla's edge to 6-5.
In the 7th, the Norsemen took a tighter
grip on the game. A 2-run single by
JASON TALIA and DREW GARCIA's suicide squeeze for an RBI provided
O'Sullivan
with a firm cushion.
Sophomore JOSH STEWART logged his 4th win
in 5 decisions despite surrendering
Bailey's three-run blast.
Hard-luck loser ROBERT STEVENS, who turned
in his second complete game,
deserved a better fate. Four of the Valhalla runs he allowed were
unearned.
(05-06-03)
Steele Canyon's Ben Libsack singles to lead
off Top of 3rd.
EastCountySports.com
SPRING VALLEY - Monte Vista's B.H. MINNICH
is one tough hombre. For seven
months, he played football and baseball thinking he had tendinitis
when -
unbeknownst to him - he had a broken wrist. The pain persisted,
and a later
diagnosis revealed Minnich had suffered a fracture. Surgery was
performed on
July 26, 2002 to repair the damage. Eight months of rehabilitation
followed.
And only now - 1 1/2 years after he sustained the original injury
- is the
senior right-hander able to take his regular turn on the mound
for the
Monarchs.
"I wasn't able to play winter ball,"
said Minnich, who did not make his first
pitching appearance until April 1 of this season. "I feel
great, but I'd say
I'm still only 80-to-90 percent there. I'm pitching with confidence.
It's
just a matter of building up my stamina."
The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder made his 5th start
on Monday (May 5) and came away
with his first win as the Monarchs whipped Steele Canyon 5-1.
Minnich limited the Cougars (6-14, 0-8)
to five singles and one unearned run
over 5 innings. He struck out 4, walked one and hit one.
"You know he's a tough kid to go through
all the things he had to do to get
back playing again," Monte Vista coach LARRY RINEHART said.
In terms of style points, Minnich gets the
maximum for his smooth delivery
and mixing his four pitches - a fastball, curve, change and slider.
"My 'out' pitch is really a sinker,"
Minnich said. "It's a fastball with a
lot of backspin. I get a lot of strikeouts with it."
The Monarchs supported their rebounding
pitcher with a barrage of four home
runs, including a 2-run shot by senior second baseman JOE BERRY
in the 1st
inning.
"Berry has come around to be our leader," Rinehart said.
After Berry followed a lead-off walk to
DALLAS HUBBARD by blasting his 4th
home run of the year over the left field fence, CHRIS ANDERSON
cleared the
right-center field wall two outs later with a solo shot - his
4th - off
Steele Canyon starter MAX OSTBERG for a 3-0 lead.
"Max did a good job after that first
inning," Cougars' coach PHIL MITTRY
said. "He got hurt when he hung a 1-2 breaking ball to Berry."
JEFF ALEXANDER tagged Ostberg for a solo
homer over the right field "Green
Monster" in the 5th inning to make it 4-1. JESSE RODRIGUEZ
hoisted a solo
shot off Steele Canyon reliever ANDREW ROBBINS in the 6th inning.
Rodriguez also spun two innings of 1-hit
relief to nail down his first save
for the Monarchs (8-12, 3-5).
Steele Canyon's only run came in the 5th
inning when BRYAN KIDA singled with
one out and advanced to second on a walk to DONALD ARTHUR. When
BRYER
BIDEGAIN grounded into a force out, Arthur was able to break up
the pending
double play sliding into second base. That caused an errant throw
to 1st base
allowing Kida to score.
(05-05-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - So far, the City Conference crossover
games between Eastern League
and Western League teams have proven beneficial to the Christian
High
Patriots. As in, two starts, two wins. A springboard back into
the Eastern
League pennant picture.
Multi-talented JOEL ALLEN pitched a complete
game 7-hitter Friday (May 2) as
the Patriots (13-7, 4-2) defeated visiting Clairemont 6-2. It
was Allen's
second complete game - both against Clairemont - and third win
in four
decisions this season.
Allen threw 125 pitches in an earlier loss
at Clairemont, but was much more
efficient in Friday's rematch, making just 99 deliveries. He walked
3 and
struck out 5.
Christian snapped a 2-2 tie with 4 runs
in the bottom of the 4th inning. JOEL
MATTHEWS ignited the rally with a one-out single to center. He
advanced to
second on SEAN RYAN's sacrifice bunt. The Chieftains then issued
an
intentional walk to BRIAN SCHROEDER, who came into the game batting
at a .557
clip.
DANIEL MAGNESS followed with a walk to load
the bases. Allen then singled to
right field, scoring Matthews and Schroeder for a 4-2 Christian
lead. Magness
and Allen scampered to third and second, respectively, on the
tardy throw to
the plate.
EDDIE LISTANDER then singled to left for two more runs.
"Listander and (BOBBY) STEELE came
up big for us today," Christian coach MIKE
MITCHELL said. "And Joel settled down after the first couple
of innings to
pitch well. They got only one hit off him in the last three innings."
On the disappointing side, Schroeder saw
his season-long 19-game hitting
streak come to an end. Officially, he was 0-for-1. He walked twice
and was
hit by a pitch."
The Patriots are facing perhaps their most
challenging three games of the
season next week when they host La Jolla on Wednesday (May 7),
travel to
Mission Bay on Friday (May 9) and meet USDHS on Saturday (May
10) at USD's
Cunningham Stadium.
(05-02-03)
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - JOSH MAZZOLA's primary focus Thursday
night (May 1) was on his
homework and the best way to complete it. After all, the Santana
junior is a
"Straight A" student with major college aspirations.
The Sultans' third
baseman proved he has a flare for the dramatic as he belted a
walk-off 2-run
home run in the bottom of the 10th inning that gave Santana a
5-3 win over
No. 2-ranked El Capitan Thursday (May 1).
"I'm not sure of the count - maybe
it was 1-0," said Mazzola, who has hoisted
6 balls over East County fences. "All I know is the pitch
I hit was a
fastball, a little up and in."
Mazzola's home run came with two outs and
NICK CARAVEO on base with a one-out
single to right-center.
When Mazzola's game-winning drive left the
ballpark to left center, an eerie
hush followed.
"Josh is the kind of kid who doesn't
care about his batting average or where
he bats in the order," Santana coach JERRY HENSON said. "He
just wants to
play ball and win."
While Mazzola's game-winning blow was the
talk of Santee, the fact that
Santana pitchers TOMMY WILEY and JOSH ATWELL scattered 9 hits
and allowed
just 2 earned runs was impressive.
"To hold El Capitan to 3 runs in 10
innings is a credit to our pitching
staff," Henson said. "The main thing is we didn't do
it by throwing a lot of
off-speed pitches. I'm sure they were looking for off-speed stuff,
but we
threw fastballs 85-to-90 percent of the time."
After blasting 34 home runs in 18 games,
the Vaqueros (17-3, 4-1) have failed
to clear the fences the past two games. They've been fortunate
to gain a
split.
"We're young, but I've got a lot of
confidence in this ballclub," Henson
said.
Youth and future are the platform for Henson's
stability, as the Santana's
junior varsity is tied for the Grossmont North League lead and
the freshmen
are on top of the circuit.
El Capitan's STEVE VICKERY, who watched
his club falter after rocking Santana
12-3 in a first round meeting, admitted that his club has been
struggling of
late.
"We've been dodging bullets for the
last couple of games," Vickery said. "We
talk about putting pressure on teams for seven innings, but we
really haven't
done that lately."
MOUNT MIGUEL 10, HELIX 1 - DANE PONCIANO's 3-run home run in the 1st inning
set the tone for the visiting Matadors' rampage over pennant-conscious
Helix
in Thursday's (May 1) Grossmont South League action.
Ponciano's blast - his third home run in
three games - hit Helix like a
bowling ball scattering pins. Mount Miguel's emotions inflated
and the
Highlanders responded like a flat tire in rush hour.
"We just died right there after one
inning," Helix coach COLE HOLLAND said.
"We talked to our kids about what was on the line in this
game, but they
still came out flat."
Ponciano, who began the season with 14 hits
in his first 27 at-bats, suddenly
lost the magic and garnered only one hit in 20 at-bats.
"Batting is all head work and for a
while there I wasn't doing anything," the
junior receiver admitted. "I'm coming back now. I can feel
it."
Listening to his coaches and keeping his
feet on the ground is what helped
Ponciano regain his batting prowess.
"I was moving around in the box too
much when I was in that slump," Ponciano
said.
Arguably, his 1st inning home run on an
inside fastball was his biggest hit
to date.
"Winning this game is like a stepping
stone for us, the way I see it,"
Ponciano said. "We're trying to get back on track."
That early blow was more than enough for
Mount Miguel ace MIKE McLAUGHLIN,
who was coming off a nagging rib cage injury. The junior southpaw
baffled the
Highlanders with a blend of curveballs, sliders and fastballs
en route to his
6th win in nine decisions. The Highlanders could muster but 3
hits against
McLaughlin, who struck out 10 during his six-inning stint.
While pitching remains his forte, McLaughlin
has also shown he can swing the
bat. He was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI at the Highlanders' expense, hoisting
his
season average to .500 (32-for-64).
Matadors coach ERNIE REYES said he "played
a hunch" when he penciled in
McLaughlin as Mount Miguel's starter against the Highlanders.
"Mike's game is mostly mental - he
doesn't let a lot of things affect him,"
Reyes said. "When Mike blocks things out and focuses on throwing
strikes and
maintaining his game, he's just as solid as anybody around."
The victory gave Mount Miguel (11-8, 3-4)
a 2-1 edge in its season series
with arch-rival Helix (8-12, 5-2).
"I think our upbeat tempo from the
start set the tone, and we were dialed in
from there throughout the game," Reyes said.
Helix stalwart JESSE GARCIA suffered his
worst outing of the season,
surrendering 7 runs and 7 hits in three-plus innings.
"We were fortunate in that Jesse's
ball was up a little bit today," Reyes
said. "And we were able to make some good contact, put the
ball in play and
got on them early."
It was a bitter defeat for the Highlanders, who had won 4 in a row and 6 of 7.
GRANITE HILLS 8, MONTE VISTA 7 - The visiting Monarchs were closing in on a
probable playoff-clinching upset of the 10th-ranked Eagles in
Thursday's (May
1) Grossmont South League contest, but failed to hold a 6-1 lead.
It doesn't get any more painful than this.
Monte Vista chewed up the Eagles'
undefeated starter MICHAEL SUCH for 6 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits
in 2 1/3
innings, and had ace left-hander MIKE McDOLE on the mound to protect
a 6-1
lead.
Conditions were perfect for Monte Vista, it would seem.
But the hit-happy Eagles (14-4, 5-2) refused to fold.
"Our relief pitchers kept us in the
game," Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS
said, pointing out the 4 1/3 innings of stout relief provided
by junior
THOMAS KENNEDY. "I thought Kennedy did a great job of keeping
us in the game.
He gave us a chance to chip away at (Monte Vista's) lead."
An RBI single by KEVIN JAMES in the 1st
inning followed by two-run singles
from DONNY ANDERSON and MARSHALL WYGANT in the 3rd frame pumped
new energy
into the Granite Hills lineup.
ANDY ROBERTS' RBI double in the 4th and
James' run-scoring single in the 6th
pulled Granite Hills even at 7-7.
The hammer fell on Monte Vista in the bottom
of the 7th. SEAN PEPIN walked,
stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored the game-winning
run
on sophomore RYAN MARQUIS' single to right field.
Kennedy was brilliant in relief for Granite
Hills, allowing just 4 hits and
one run in 4 1/3 innings. MATT SPENCER got the final out for the
Eagles and
was rewarded with his first win.
GROSSMONT 14, EL CAJON VALLEY 5 - Obviously smarting from a rare four-game
losing streak, tradition-rich Grossmont (10-9, 2-3) vented its
frustration on
the visiting Braves in Thursday's (May 1) Grossmont North League
action.
Sixteen Foothillers batted in the 1st inning
and 11 of them scored. BRANT
RUSTICH, DANNY PIECZYNSKI and JUSTIN BAUM each chipped in with
a 2-run
double, and EVAN AMADOR drove in a pair of runs with a single.
And those
blows were only the highlights in the lengthy 1st inning.
Overall, Amador was 3-for-4 to pace Grossmont's 15-hit attack.
Three of Grossmont's contributors were promoted
from the junior varsity for
this game. Sophomore TRISTAN PHILLIPS made his varsity debut starting
at
third base. He was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Pieczynski, making
his first
varsity start behind the plate, was 1-for-3 with his big 1st inning
blow.
MITCHELL COLLINS, a junior who came off the bench to play third
base,
collected a single in his first varsity at-bat.
Four pitchers handled the Grossmont pitching
chores, with junior PAUL HODGE
picking up the win.
El Cajon Valley's RANDY SMITH and ALBERT
ARMENDARIZ took advantage of
Grossmont's "home run haven" to clear the fences for
the first time this
season.
VALHALLA 15, STEELE CANYON 2 - Even when he's not pitching, SEAN O'SULLIVAN
can be menacing to the opposition. The sophomore third baseman
drove in 5
runs with two doubles and a single Thursday (May 1) as Valhalla
(14-6, 6-1)
belted the visiting Cougars to claim sole possession of first
place in the
Grossmont South League.
O'Sullivan, who has hit safely in 19 of
20 games, drilled a 2-run single and
then scored on ZACH BARGER's two-base hit, staking senior right-hander
GARRETT EDGE to a 3-0 lead after one inning.
It only got worse for Steele Canyon (6-13,
0-7), a senior-less squad in its
first varsity season. After a two-base throwing error handed the
Norsemen two
runs and O'Sullivan ripped a 2-run double, CHRIS OLSEN capped
the 5-run 2nd
inning with an RBI single.
Talk about steady - O'Sullivan is now batting
at a .444 clip (28-for-63) with
a team-high 27 RBI.
Meanwhile, Edge (2-2), BEAU WESSEL and GARRETT
ALLYN combined to spin a
5-hitter at the Cougars. Edge worked the first 4 innings to earn
the win.
Steele Canyon avoided the shutout with two
runs in the 4th. BRYER BIDEGAIN
walked and advanced to 3rd on CHRIS RICE's double. Both runners
scored on
CHRIS ALVAREZ's double.
Sophomore right-hander KYLE JOHNSON fired
two shutout innings of relief for
the Cougars.
(05-01-03)
Christian High's Brian Schroeder runs out a
base hit during the Patriots' win over Point Loma on Wednesday
(4-30-03).
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - If there is a more complete player
in San Diego County than
Christian High's BRIAN SCHROEDER he hasn't shown his face yet.
The Patriots'
do-it-all senior was 5-for-5 with 5 runs, his 9th home run, 8th
double and 2
RBI as Christian outlasted Point Loma 17-11 in Wednesday's (April
30)
East-West crossover game. And that was only half of Schroeder's
story.
Consider this. Schroeder, known more for
his pitching prowess, raised his
batting average to a county-best .557 (39 for 70), run total to
29 and RBI
count to 24. The impressive string of statistics also shows that
the
UCLA-bound Schroeder has hit safely in all 19 of the Patriots
games this
season.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-hander struck
out a season-high 13 Pointers in
Christian's latest conquest. It marked the 6th time in seven starts
that
Schroeder has reached double-digit strike out figures. For the
record, the
southpaw has fanned 86 batters in 50 1/3 innings this season.
Schroeder labored through 5 innings, allowing
7 hits and 4 earned runs, to
earn his 5th win this season and 28th overall.
But this victory - the first of five crossover
encounters with the Western
League (that count toward the league championship) - left Christian
(12-7,
3-2) in second place just one game behind front-running Patrick
Henry.
JOEL ALLEN chipped in with 4 singles and
4 RBI for the Patriots (12-7, 3-2),
who moved to within one game of Eastern League-leading Patrick
Henry (11-7,
4-1).
Christian sent 13 batters to the plate during
a 9-run 4th inning that turned
a 7-6 game into a rout.
Christian first baseman DANIEL MAGNESS,
who has accepted a baseball
scholarship to Dallas Baptist University, raked in 5 RBI with
a pair of
doubles.
Albeit a rare name in terms of baseball
prominence, Dallas Baptist - a
Division II power - is moving up to the Division I level next
season. That is
one of the factors that lured Magness away from Baylor and USD.
During Dallas Baptist's tenure with the
NAIA, the Patriots qualified for 10
NAIA College World Series, appeared in 15 NAIA Regional Tournaments
and were
ranked in the Top 10 for 16 consecutive years. These Patriots
finished as
national championship runners up on two separate occasions.
(04-30-03)
Grossmont shortstop James Beebe (10), one
of the better leadoff hitters in East County with a .356 batting
average, will lead the Foothillers against No. 3-ranked Montgomery
on Tuesday (4-29-03) at Joe Gizoni Field. (Photo by Travis
Downs)
EastCountySports.com
SANTEE - TOMMY WILEY was penciled in as
Santana's closer in Tuesday's (April
29) Grossmont North League encounter against crosstown rival West
Hills.
Although the versatile junior 5-foot-6 never reached the mound,
he still
provided the "save" for the Sultans with a diving catch
for the final out of
the Sultans 4-3 victory.
"My intention was to bring in Wiley
to start the 7th (on the mound)," Santana
coach JERRY HENSON admitted.
Henson changed his mind after checking the
pitch count for starter SHANE
KAUFMAN, who was sitting on a precarious one-run lead as he entered
the 7th.
Kaufman retired the first two West Hills
batters he faced in the final frame
without difficulty.
DUSTIN BEECHLER, the Wolf Pack's hottest
hitter (13-for-19 over the last five
games), refused to be the last out as he kept West Hills' hopes
alive with
his third hit of the game. MATT LUNA followed with a base hit
to put the
tying and winning runs on base.
"I was ready to go get him," Henson
said of Kaufman. For some reason, the
Sultans' veteran skipper remained seated in the Santana dugout.
That is until ERIK BRISTOL blistered a line
drive toward the right field
corner. Fortunately for the Sultans, Wiley was up to the challenge
as he
robbed the Wolf Pack's designated hitter of a potential game-winning
hit.
"If that ball gets past Wiley, it's two runs and they go ahead," Henson said.
Kaufman turned in a complete-game effort,
scattering 9 hits as he posted his
third win in seven decisions.
It was a day for celebrations at Santana.
In addition to the key victory over
West Hills (8-11, 2-2), the Sultans (12-8, 3-1) recognized the
16th birthday
of sophomore shortstop JEFF WOODS and the 36th wedding anniversary
of coach
Henson and wife CATHERINE.
Woods' started the party with a two-run
home run - his 4th of the season - to
take a 3-2 lead in the 3rd inning.
"It was a first-pitch fastball over
the outside corner and up a little bit,"
Woods said of the (Pack's) NICK RODIECK serve he deposited over
the left
field fence. "He started me out with a curveball in my first
at-bat, so I
expected him to mix it up the second time."
Woods initiated what proved to be the winning
rally with a leadoff single in
the 5th. His efforts could easily have gone for naught, but West
Hills
misplayed JOSH MAZZOLA's double-play ball for an error, leaving
two runners
on and nobody out.
RYAN HOWARD made the Pack pay when he sliced
a double down the right field
line for his East County-leading 5th game-winning RBI as Woods
sprinted
across the plate. It was Howard's second double in the game.
Now, Santana sets its sights on Thursday's
(May 1) meeting with
league-leading El Capitan in Santee at 4 p.m. The Vaqueros won
the first
meeting 12-3 in Lakeside.
EL CAPITAN 11, EL CAJON VALLEY 2 - The underdog Braves had the Grossmont
North League-leading Vaqueros concerned after four innings of
Tuesday's
(April 29) contest at El Cajon Valley High's spacious baseball
facility.
That's because the score was even at 1-1.
It was about then that El Capitan (17-2,
4-0) showed why it is the No.
2-ranked team in San Diego County. The Vaqueros erupted for 9
runs during the
5th and 6th innings to thwart any upset plans El Cajon Valley
(6-12, 0-4)
might have been entertaining.
VERN WENGELER's 2-run single was the key
stroke in the Vaqueros' 4-run 5th
inning that staked El Capitan to a 5-1 advantage.
JORDAN ANDERSON's third double of the day
cashed in 2 runs and capped a
five-run 6th as El Capitan put the game out of reach, 10-2.
Left-hander JAKE TAYLOR, who had pitched
only 2 varsity innings prior to
Tuesday's start, rationed the Braves to 5 hits and 2 runs over
4-plus
innings, while striking out 4 as he picked up the win.
"We asked Jake to give us three quality
innings and he gave us four," El
Capitan coach
STEVE VICKERY said. "For a guy who has pitched as little
as he has, Taylor
threw a lot of strikes. It was just a fine effort on his part."
GRANITE HILLS 13, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 - East County RBI-leader KEVIN JAMES teed
off on Mount Miguel pitching for 2 hits and 4 RBI in 3 at-bats
Tuesday (April
28) as host Granite Hills (13-4, 4-2) mauled the Matadors in a
Grossmont
South League engagement.
After JEREMY PEREDO gave the Matadors an
early 1-0 lead with an RBI double,
Granite Hills countered with 4 in the 3rd inning and 6 in the
4th to start
Mount Miguel (10-8, 2-4) thinking about the return home.
James, the Eagles' junior first baseman,
rifled a three-run home run and
finished 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. James has driven
in 31 runs.
Eagles' sophomore DONNY ANDERSON scattered
7 hits and allowed one earned run
in 5 innings to collect his 3rd pitching win in 4 decisions. He
also provided
the clinching blow with a grand slam in the 4th inning.
"Donny did a great job," Granite
Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "He is a young
kid - like a newborn deer - just getting his legs and coming into
his own.
He's an unassuming kid not looking for glamour who knows how to
get the job
done."
HELIX 8, STEELE CANYON 0 -Once left for the also-ran pile, the Highlanders,
who have won four in a row and 6 of 7, are suddenly in a race
for the
Grossmont South League pennant.
This recent surge toward respectability
- after a 1-9 start - finds Helix
tied with Valhalla for the league lead.
AARON BAILEY, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound senior,
made a strong bid to fill Helix's
need for a third starting pitcher, twirling 5 shutout innings
against the
visiting Cougars. Junior RYAN "The Spider" RELUCIO,
finished the job with two
hitless innings of relief.
"We need a third starter and Aaron
is showing us that he may be that guy,"
Helix coach COLE HOLLAND says. "He was around the plate all
day."
Helix sounded its attentions in the opening
frame as RYAN HULBERT and MATT
POWELL banged back-to-back home runs.
Hulbert and Powell were front and center
again in the 3rd as Helix put the
game away with a 5-run uprising. ROBERT STEVENS stroked an RBI
single and
then junior RAY RIVERA ripped a grand slam to all but seal the
deal.
Hulbert and Powell produced two hits apiece for Helix.
"When Hulbert is on, he's real streaky
and there is nobody better," Holland
said.
It was another long day for Steele Canyon
(6-12, 0-6). Things started out
positively enough as Cougars starter DONALD ARTHUR struck out
the first two
Highlanders he faced.
"Then he got two balls up and it resulted
in back-to-back homers," Steele
Canyon coach PHIL MITTRY said. "You can't pitch up at Helix."
Pitching wasn't the Cougars' only problem.
"We're still having trouble getting guys in," Mittry said.
Down 2-0 in the 2nd inning, Steele Canyon
was in position to challenge as
CHRIS RICE singled, JASON WITTKOP walked and both runnners advanced
on a balk
with one out. The scoring bid faltered at that point and matters
got worse
for the Cougars thereafter.
VALHALLA 14, MONTE VISTA 1 - TOMMY McCLAIN enjoyed a career day, EDDIE
MAPULA smacked a 3-run home run and JOSH STEWART flirted with
a no-hitter
Tuesday (April 26) as the visiting Norsemen smothered Monte Vista
to maintain
their share of the Grossmont South League lead.
McClain, who came in batting .222 (4-for-18)
in a part-time role, went
3-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI in a rare start.
Mapula's blast - his second home run of
the season - elevated Valhalla's
advantage to 12-0 in the 5th inning.
Not to be overlooked was the 3-for-4, 3-RBI
batting effort by SEAN
O'SULLIVAN, who raised his season average to .441. He has hit
safely in 18 of
19 starts.
Meanwhile, Stewart (3-1), a lanky sophomore
right-hander, was setting down
Monarchs in rapid-fire fashion until DALLAS HUBBARD spoiled the
no-hit bid
with an infield single with one out in the 6th inning.
Stewart left after six shutout innings.
RYAN EASLEY, making just his second
pitching appearance of the year, closed things out in the 7th
inning.
B. H. MINNICH tagged Easley for his first
home run of the season to allow
Monte Vista (7-11, 2-4) to avoid the shutout.
The Monarchs undermined whatever chance
they had in the game by committing a
season-high 10 errors. Half of Valhalla's runs were unearned.
MONTGOMERY 13, GROSSMONT 8 - The Foothillers had No. 3-ranked Montgomery
(17-4) on the ropes early, taking a 3-1 lead in the 3rd inning
of Tuesday's
(April 26) non-league encounter at Joe Gizoni Field.
The Aztecs eventually clawed back to force
the game into overtime and then
the roof caved in. A nine-run 8th inning broke a 4-4 tie enabling
Montgomery
to pocket the victory.
Credit the Foothillers (9-9) for making
a game of it even though ace
right-hander BRANT RUSTICH pitched only the first two innings
and struck out
4.
A single by RICK SILVA and a double by JOE
STAAB gave Grossmont a 4-2 cushion
after four innings. Staab enjoyed his finest varsity outing, rattling
off 3
hits - two of them doubles - in 4 at-bats.
Rustich made an impact at the plate, too,
going 2-for-5 with his 6th home run
and two RBI. PAUL HODGE chipped in with his first varsity home
run - a 2-run
shot in the 8th inning - for Grossmont.
JOEL McGRANAHAN, making his varsity debut
for the Hillers, limited the Aztecs
to one run and 5 hits over three innings.
The Aztecs' game-winning onslaught started
with back-to-back-to-back home
runs by Kevin Fox, Manuel Hernandez and Donald Melton. Twelve
Aztecs marched
to the plate in that inning as Montgomery - a team known more
for its
pitching - totaled 20 hits for the day.
Fox finished 5-for-6, driving in 5 runs
with a pair of home runs and 3
doubles.
(04-29-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Valhalla sophomore right-hander
SEAN O'SULLIVAN doesn't have a
complex about having to be perfect. He leaves such talk to others.
Thus, when
his streak of perfect pitching ended at 14 2/3 innings - on an
error no less
- in the 2nd inning of Saturday's (April 26) showdown with Grossmont
South
League favorite Granite Hills, it hardly resulted in a tantrum.
"I never really thought about it, but
people I talked to kept bringing it
up," O'Sullivan said. "I just go out there and do my
job."
It's hard to ignore the fact that O'Sullivan
retired 44 batters in succession
until an error on a ground ball hit by ANDY ROBERTS halted the
streak of
perfection in the 2nd inning on Saturday.
O'Sullivan's run is third-longest in San
Diego CIF history. Only Scott
Coleman (Orange Glen) 16 innings (48 batters) in 1990 and El Capitan's
JEFF
BYRD (15 innings, 45 batters) have put together a longer skein
of perfection.
Byrd, of course, went on to earn a starting role with the expansion
Toronto
Blue Jays in 1977.
"I knew coming in that Granite Hills
is a good hitting team, so I wasn't
worried about how far my streak would go," added O'Sullivan,
who is mature
beyond his years. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't even aware
when they broke
it until after I got back into the dugout."
Despite allowing an unearned run as the
result of the streak-breaking error,
O'Sullivan continued on to register his East County-best 5th complete
game.
He rationed the Eagles - who came in batting .344 as team - to
3 hits in 24
officials at-bats.
"I didn't have my 'A' stuff,"
the 6-foot-1, 190-pound O'Sullivan said.
"Basically, I have to give all the credit to my catcher (CHRIS
OLSEN). He
called a great game, helped me mix my pitches really well. We
were on the
same page. I rarely shook him off."
O'Sullivan, who struck out 11 and walked
none, spun a gripping 3-hitter while
securing his 5th win and lowering his ERA to 1.03. Most amazing
of
O'Sullivan's statistics is his strikeouts-to-walks ratio - 57-to-4
- compiled
over 47 2/3 innings.
"You can't get away with all fastballs
against a great hitting team like
Granite Hills," O'Sullivan admitted.
Not that O'Sullivan has to rely on one pitch.
His arsenal is full of
selections.
"He dominated one of the top hitting
teams in San Diego County," Valhalla
coach STEVE PERDUE said. "For Sean to be able to do that
says a lot. Their
lineup is flat scary."
O'Sullivan was spinning a 1-hitter after
six innings. But the score was
knotted at 1-1.
No. 7 Granite Hills (12-4, 3-2), which was
in O'Sullivan's grip (KEVIN JAMES'
2nd inning single was the Eagles' only hit) came alive in the
7th inning.
CASEY CRAIG doubled and stole third even though it appeared the
Norsemen had
him picked off. Craig cruised home on James' fly ball to center
that was
dropped.
Suddenly, it appeared the wheels were coming
off for Valhalla (12-6, 4-1),
yet O'Sullivan remained cool despite SEAN PEPIN's RBI single that
provided
Granite Hills with a 3-1 cushion heading into the bottom of the
7th.
That's when things really got weird. ANTHONY
YBARRA, the Granite Hills junior
right-hander who held the Norsemen to JASON TALIA's RBI single
in the 4th,
began to struggle in the bottom of the 7th.
Ybarra hit GARRETT ALLYN with a pitch, but
got out No. 1 when JUSTIN SHEPARD
tapped into a force play. Valhalla proceeded to load the bases
on singles by
JASON HINTON and EDDIE MAPULA.
That's when MATT SPENCER replaced Ybarra
on the mound. Spencer made only four
deliveries - two of them hit batters, which led to RBI and a tied
game.
Granite Hills inserted a second reliever
- DONNY ANDERSON. The sophomore
right-hander turned a come-backer into a force at the plate for
out No. 2.
Then he threw four consecutive balls to DREW GARCIA to force in
O'Sullivan
with the winning run.
"We gave it away," Granite Hills
coach JAMES DAVIS said. "Ybarra did a great
job and then our bullpen let us down."
Now, one-third of the way through the league
season, the Norsemen find
themselves tied with Helix for the Grossmont South lead. The Eagles
are one
page back in third.
EL CAPITAN 10, WEST HILLS 6 - When VERN WENGELER joined the El Capitan
varsity this spring, he knew he would have to change positions,
considering
JORDAN ABRUZZO had a lock on the catching chores.
Instead of whining about his predicament
as an up-and-coming catcher,
Wengeler pursued an alternate position. A full-time catcher for
the Vaqueros'
JV as a sophomore, he scoped his attention on third base.
"I just wanted to find a place to play,"
said Wengeler, who belted a pair of
3-run home runs in Saturday's (April 26) battle between Grossmont
North
League front-runners. His first fence-clearing dive came during
a five-run
first inning. The other came in the 6th inning that helped No.2-ranked
El
Capitan (16-2, 4-0) secure its 4th straight victory.
Wengeler, who was recovering from strep
throat, twice followed singles by
JUSTIN SNYDER and walks to Abruzzo with home runs, as long-ball
conscious El
Capitan raised its team home run total to 34 (in 18 games).
Six El Capitan errors helped West Hills
(8-10, 2-1) rally from a 6-1 deficit
to knot the count 6-6 in the 6th inning. EDDIE PRYOR's opposite-field
2-run
single was the key blow in the top of the 4th as the Wolf Pack
- aided by 4
El Capitan errors - scrambled back to tie the count at 6-6.
The lone West Hills error of the game came
in the bottom of the 7th, which
set the stage for Wengeler's second 3-run homer of the afternoon.
Wengeler, belted a fastball for his first
3-run launch off West Hills starter
MATT LUNA, who struck out the side in the 1st inning that included
NIK
GARCIA's two-run homer.
Garcia also banged a double, which helped
him extend his season-long hitting
streak to 18 games.
MOUNT MIGUEL 16, STEELE CANYON 1 - At Mount Miguel, it was a "Great Dane"
for
baseball Saturday (April 26). For Matadors catcher DANE PONCIANO
it was a
chance to break out of a 1-for-20 batting slump. The junior receiver
belted a
3-run home run in the 4th inning and swatted a solo shot in the
6th as Mount
Miguel (10-7, 2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with the
Grossmont
South League win.
Ponciano also scored 3 runs and shed his
catching gear to pitch a shutout
7th, which included a pair of strikeouts.
MIKE McLAUGHLIN pitched an overpowering
5 innings, limiting the Cougars
(6-11, 0-5) to 1 hit while striking out 10 and walking none. The
victory was
the junior left-hander's 5th, tying him for the East County lead.
Equally as
impressive was McLaughlin's bat work, which included 3 hits and
2 RBI in five
trips. McLaughlin has hit safely in15 of 17 games this season.
Junior DANIEL ORTIZ, making his first start
for Mount Miguel, was 3-for-4
with one RBI and 3 runs scored. JAVIER BROWN also produced 3 hits
for the
Matadors.
Steele Canyon could muster but one hit.
There was nothing cheap about BRYER
BIDEGAIN's triple off McLaughlin in the 4th inning.
Mount Miguel's injury-battered pitching
staff received some more bad news
when coach ERNIE REYES learned that junior right-hander EDDIE
GONZALES - who
is 3-0 with East County's second-lowest ERA (0.89) - has been
lost for the
season. Gonzales has a partially torn ligament in his pitching
elbow. Doctors
have prescribed "rest" as the first order of treatment.
If that doesn't work,
then surgery will be needed to make Gonzales available for his
senior season.
SANTANA 7, GROSSMONT 4 - Junior third baseman JOSH MAZZOLA has never had
trouble swinging the bat. That's why Santana coach JERRY HENSON
isn't
surprised that Mazzola is batting at a .500 clip (16-for-32, 13
RBI) over the
last 10 games. It was a pair of Mazzola home runs and 4 RBI in
Saturday's
(April 26) Grossmont North League victory at Grossmont that marked
the
Sultans (11-8, 2-1) contenders and the Foothillers also-rans.
The 6-foot-1,170-pound Mazzola ripped a
2-run homer to right-center in the
1st inning and hoisted an even longer 2-run shot over the left
field fence
that landed near second base on Grossmont's junior varsity field
in the 3rd.
The two circuit clouts propelled Santana into a 5-0 lead.
"Mazzola got the Big Stick Award for
our JV team last year when he batted
.571," Henson said. "He creates the leverage you need
to hit the ball out of
the ballpark."
The early burst provided enough impetus
for starter JOSH ATWELL, who limited
the Foothillers to 3 hits and no earned runs over 5 innings to
run his record
to 3-0.
Grossmont (9-8, 1-3) did not go down without
a fight. An error, balk, passed
ball and ALBERT GENOVESE sacrifice fly put the Hillers on the
board in the
bottom of the 3rd inning. BRANT RUSTICH broke up Atwell's no-hit
bid with his
5th home run of the season to right-center field.
The Hillers made a last stand in the 7th
inning as JAMES BEEBE singled to
center, Genovese walked and Rustich singled to load the bases.
CHRIS TAKATA
banged a base hit to left field, slicing Santana's lead to 7-3.
That blow
finished reliever CHEYENNE GILES and TOMMY WILEY took over for
the Sultans.
Wiley, who arrived with the bases loaded
and nobody out, quelled the uprising
with two strikeouts and a groundout to earn the save.
HELIX 6, MONTE VISTA 3 - The Highlanders maintained their share of the
Grossmont South League lead Saturday (April 26) as senior ROBERT
STEVENS put
down a bona fide 7th inning threat with three pitches.
After the Monarchs loaded the bases with
two outs against JESSE GARCIA, up
stepped Monte Vista cleanup hitter CHRIS ANDERSON. It was at that
point that
Highlanders' skipper COLE HOLLAND summoned Stevens to the mound.
Stevens needed the minimum number of pitches
to record a game-ending
strikeout, earning his second save.
It was the 5th win in the last 6 games for
the surging Highlanders (7-11,
4-1), who survived 3 errors that handed the Monarchs (7-10, 2-3)
three
unearned runs.
Monte Vista jumped on top on JOE BERRY's
RBI double in the 1st inning. B.H.
MINNICH made that lead stand up until NATE METROKA launched the
equalizer in
the form of his second home run with one out in the 3rd. Later
in the inning,
after BRIAN RICARD walked and RYAN HULBERT singled, MATT POWELL
singled to
give Helix a 2-1 edge.
A dropped fly ball enabled Helix to increase
its lead to 3-1 in the 4th.
Then, the fireworks started in the 5th. Ricard got aboard on a
drag bunt and
Hulbert hammered a towering home run over the light standard in
left field
for a 5-1 advantage.
"That's the farthest ball I've ever
seen hit here (at Helix) - playing or
coaching," said Holland, a Helix alum.
The Highlanders' advantage ballooned to
6-1 on DREW FOY's RBI single in the
5th.
A run-scoring single by Chris Anderson and
JESSE RODRIGUEZ's sacrifice fly
cut the Helix bulge in half in the 6th.
OSCAR VILLASEÑOR (2-1) pitched 2
shutout innings and struck out 4 to earn the
win.
CHRISTIAN 7, KEARNY 5 - Nothing comes easy in the Eastern League these
days,
as the defending-champion Patriots (11-7, 2-2) discovered Saturday
(April
26). All five teams have winning records and pitching that ranks
with the
best in town.
If there is a weak link in the circuit's
pitching alignment it would be at
Kearny. Nevertheless, the Komets (9-8, 1-3) are no easy mark.
Freshman JOEL MATTHEWS turned in one of
his finest pitching performances for
Christian, rationing the Komets to 3 earned runs over 6 1/3 innings
while
striking out 9. BRIAN SCHROEDER came on to finish the job, getting
the final
2 outs to preserve Matthews' 4th win in 5 decisions.
Senior catcher EDDIE LISTANDER led the offensive
charge for the Patriots,
driving in 3 runs with a pair of doubles.
But it was a two-out walk to SEAN RYAN and
Schroeder's RBI double that gave
Christian a 5-4 edge with two outs in the 6th inning.
"Schroeder's ball hit a foot from the
top of the fence, and that's a big ball
park at Kearny," Christian coach MIKE MITCHELL said. "There
are no cheap home
runs at Kearny."
Following Schroeder's rocket - which helped
extend his season-long hitting
streak to 18 games - the Komets intentionally walked DANIEL MAGNESS
and
unintentionally walked JOEL ALLEN to load the bases. Listander
ripped a
one-hopper over the left field fence for a ground-rule double
and 2 RBI. That
blow proved to be a key stroke.
Another key play was engineered between
Mitchell and his long-time assistant
coach TROY NORLING. The Patriots executed this bit-o-magic in
the 1st inning
with Magness at third base and Allen at first.
"Troy and I have been together for
12 years," Mitchell said. "We practice
this particular play at the beginning of each year - one time
- and
(Saturday) was the first time we've ever used it."
Mitchell, who was operating in the third-base
coaching box, signaled Norling,
who was coaching first, to set the play in motion. It's sort of
stealth
language the two have developed without using actual words.
A double steal, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound
Magness broke for the plate and
fleet-footed Allen headed for second. The dual motion caused a
balk by the
Kearny pitcher.
"Troy and I are really on the same
page," Mitchell said. "We hold whole
conversations across the field without saying a word. This is
a part of the
job I really enjoy. Sometimes we tell jokes that way, and we'll
be cracking
up. And the kids just say, 'There they go again.'"
(04-26-03)
West Hills shortstop Dustin Beechler (7) went
2-for-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBI
in Thursday's (4-24-03) victory over Grossmont, 11-6. (Photo
by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Baseball doesn't get much better
than this. Even those who say the
game is too slow would have begged for a front row seat in Thursday's
(April
24) non-league barn-burner between No.2-ranked El Capitan and
upset-minded
Christian. Batted balls were departing Christian High's home ballpark
more
frequently than anything out of Lindbergh Field these days.
Even the umpires lost count. An apparent
1st -inning home run by Christian's
BRIAN SCHROEDER was ruled a double, although those in attendance
agreed the
ball cleared the fences by 40 feet. Schroeder was forced to settle
for a
double that time, but this game belonged to the hitters and El
Capitan, which
escaped with a 10-9 victory.
Officially, El Capitan (15-2) hit 5 home
runs and Christian clubbed 4. The
Vaqueros have 31 round-trippers in 17 games.
"El Capitan is the best hitting team
we've ever played," said Christian High
coach MIKE MITCHELL, who has been at the Patriots' helm the past
eight years.
"Our pitching isn't that bad, but they just kept coming with
good hitter
after good hitter. I'm telling you there is no break in their
lineup - no
weak spots. They must be 14-to-15 (hitters) deep. It's amazing."
So how did the Patriots (10-7) manage to
force the issue into a 7th inning
decision?
"Christian pushed us to the limit and
went down swinging," El Capitan coach
STEVE VICKERY said. "It was a great spectator game, but we
were lucky to get
out of there alive,"
After the umpires "robbed" Schroeder
of a 1st-inning home run, the Vaqueros
took command in the 2nd . After JORDAN ANDERSON walked, NIK GARCIA
extended
his East County-high hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI double
for a 1-0
lead. That's when JASON GUZMAN launched the home run parade with
his 8th
circuit clout of the season to make it 3-0.
After EDDIE LISTANDER hit a solo homer for
Christian in the bottom of the
2nd, BRANDON RAUCH rifled a line drive off the top of the center
fence to
give the Vaqueros a 4-1 cushion in the 3rd inning.
But the Patriots kept answering.
In the bottom of the 3rd, SEAN RYAN doubled
and DANIEL MAGNESS ripped a BURKE
DRAHEIM changeup out of sight to pull the Patriots to within 4-3
after three.
"I'll tell you what, that Magness and
Schroeder are great hitters - as good
as there are in town," Vickery said.
By the same token, El Capitan has as much power as any team in town.
Vaqueros' senior catcher JORDAN ABRUZZO
belted two home runs for the second
game in a row, giving him 5 for the season. Fortunately for Christian,
his
round-trippers were solo shots leading off the 5th and 6th innings.
JORDAN ANDERSON joined El Capitan's home
run carousel with a two-out solo
shot in the 5th inning.
Seemingly buried 9-3 entering the 6th inning,
the Patriots rallied to tie the
game with 6 runs. JOSH ABELL smashed an RBI double in that frame,
but it was
SEAN RYAN's grand slam that made El Capitan uneasy.
Nevertheless, the Vaqueros were clinging
to a 9-8 lead after Ryan's blow
before Schroeder rifled a game-tying home run off reliever TRAVIS
LOPEZ.
The Patriots went as far as to put the winning
run at second base in the
wacky 6th before Lopez got the final out.
With Ryan pitching for Christian in the
7th inning, the Vaqueros turned to
the short game to produce the winning marker. JUSTIN SNYDER singled,
stole
second, advanced to third on two walks before Anderson drove a
3-2 pitch deep
enough into the outfield to allow Snyder to carry the tie-breaker
home.
"The wind was blowing out," Vickery
agreed. "But there were a lot balls hit
hard. I know I never felt comfortable with a lead no matter what
the score."
WEST HILLS 11, GROSSMONT 6 - There is something unique about this pack of
wolves at West Hills. They're always hungry. Even when it appears
that
famine is near, coach JARROD CARMAN's Wolf Pack has learned how
to pursue and
conquer. The visiting Grossmont Foothillers were the hunted in
Thursday's
(April 24) Grossmont North League face-off. Despite falling behind
5-0, West
Hills rebounded for an 11-6 victory.
Over the years, the Foothillers have considered
West Hills a stepping stone
to a championship perch. This ornery band of wolves, however,
have put its
paws down. No more will they be considered easy prey.
Grossmont had added West Hills to its victory
column 9 times in 11 meetings
going back to the 2000 season. It looked as though that trend
would continue
in the 1st inning as BRANDON RUSTICH followed CHRIS TAKATA's single
with his
4th home run of the season. For good measure, sophomore KELLEN
ROSSITTO
hoisted a deep drive to right-center that cleared the fence after
caroming
off the glove of center fielder CODY DENNIS.
A two-out rally capped by an RBI single
by Rossitto and a run-scoring double
by PAUL HODGE, gave Grossmont (9-7, 1-2) what appeared to be a
comfortable
pillow.
Not so.
West Hills (8-9, 2-0), tied for the Grossmont
North lead with El Capitan,
pinned its ears back and embarked on the comeback trail.
After MATT LUNA and DUSTIN BEECHLER delivered
RBI singles to make it 5-2 in
the 3rd inning, the Wolf Pack went on a rampage with 8 runs in
the 4th frame
to take a 10-5 advantage. Twelve bat-toting Pack members came
to the plate.
Beechler and DREW NICHOLS delivered the largest daggers, each
providing a
2-run single.
"What pleased me most about this game
was we got 7 RBI on two-out hits,"
Carman said. "That's clutch hitting."
The ring-leader of West Hills' latest offensive
surge is Beechler, who is
7-for-12 with 9 RBI in his last three starts. Dennis also came
up big with
three singles and 2 RBI, as did KYLE VANDEWEGHE, who was 3-for-3
with a
double and one RBI.
"We had a lot of guys produce in this game," Carman noted.
CLAY COULTER, a catcher by trade, turned
in his second-longest outing of the
season on the mound, checking the Hillers on 2 hits and one (unearned)
run
while striking out 5 over the final 4 innings.
HELIX 5, VALHALLA 2 - Ask senior ROBERT STEVENS what has gotten into
the
Highlanders of late. After all, this was a team that opened the
season with
losses in nine of their first 10 games - a ballclub representing
a
tradition-rich program that was 2-10 less than two weeks ago.
"We weren't hitting at all in our first
15 games or so," Stevens said. "Just
striking out because too many guys were trying to hit home runs."
So when did the turnaround occur for these
Highlanders, who are suddenly in a
three-way tie for first place in the Grossmont South League race?
"It wasn't any particular game, rather
it was at a practice," recalled
Stevens, who struck out 11 and batted in the winning run in Thursday's
(April
24) victory at Valhalla.
"It was a 4-hour practice," he said, noting some grueling
challenges that
coach COLE HOLLAND put his team through.
Nobody's complaining now. The Highlanders
are hot. They've regained their
championship-style swagger and are coming down with pennant fever.
"We've got it rolling now," said
Stevens, who scattered 6 hits and rationed
host Valhalla (11-6, 3-1) to one earned run. "I felt like
this was my best
overall game of the year. I was getting ahead in the count with
my changeup
and coming in with my fastball."
Stevens short-circuited Valhalla's hottest
hitter - EDDIE MAPULA - striking
out the Norsemen's senior center fielder in all three of his at-bats.
Prior
to that disaster, Mapula had been on an 8-game bender, producing
13 hits, 16
RBI and 10 runs in 28 at-bats.
"Robert was pretty much dominant,"
Holland said. "He was able to throw
first-pitch strikes (as proven by his not walking a single batter).
He is
back in the groove, no doubt about it."
Helix (6-11, 3-1) broke a scoreless tie
with 2 runs in the 4th inning.
Stevens was in the middle of that uprising as he singled in the
first run and
scored the second on DREW FOY's sacrifice fly.
NATE METROKA doubled and scored on NICK
LEDESMA's single to make it 3-0 for
the Highlanders after five innings.
RBI singles by Ledesma and BRIAN RICARD
ballooned the Highlanders' advantage
to 5-0 in the 6th.
The Norsemen, who had won 7 of their previous
9 games, received RBI from
CHRIS OLSEN (2-for-3) and JASON TALIA in the bottom of the 6th
to avoid their
second shutout loss of the season. ZACH BARGER also had 2 hits,
making him
5-for-8 in his last three starts and 11-for-24 over his last eight
games.
MONTE VISTA 8, MOUNT MIGUEL 1 - Don't count the Monte Vista Monarchs out of
the Grossmont South League race. The fact that senior southpaw
MIKE McDOLE
has apparently found a groove - as he showed in Thursday's (April
24)
Grossmont South League win over cross-town rival Mount Miguel
- only
strengthens what could be East County's deepest pitching staff.
McDole, projected as one of the top East
County pitchers at the outset,
finally lived up to his billing. He limited the Matadors (9-7,
1-3) to 3
hits, one run and struck out 5 over five innings as won for the
first time in
three decisions.
"I think I upset him enough to make
him want to show me that I was wrong,"
Monte Vista coach LARRY RINEHART said. "I told him to give
us five good
innings, and he threw well for us today. I don't think he knows
how good he
can be."
Relievers GERRY GUZMAN and BRIAN REMLINGER
pitched one shutout each as the
Monarchs (7-9 overall) balanced their league ledger at 2-2.
Rinehart credits pitching coach MIKE RUPP
for helping bring the Monarchs'
staff together.
"Mike relates to the kids so well,"
Rinehart said of Rupp, who pitched in the
Boston Red Sox' minor league chain.
DALLAS HUBBARD led a mediocre Monte Vista
offensive effort with a pair of
singles and two RBI.
Mount Miguel coach ERNIE REYES did not know
who would be his starting pitcher
until a few minutes before game time. That's because senior right-hander
JOEY
STREET, who was penciled into that role, didn't arrive at Monte
Vista at the
designated time.
"Ernie was talking on his cell phone
when he came to the plate to exchange
lineup cards," Rinehart said.
That's when Reyes got the news that Street
was at the hospital getting 10
stitches put in his (non-pitching) arm. Seems Street had locked
his car keys
in his house and when he attempted to enter through a window,
the glass broke
and he was injured. Talk about a "pane!"
Street is one of East County's busiest pitchers,
having compiled a 2-3
record, 2.60 ERA and 3 saves in 37.2 innings.
"Losing Joey really derailed our train,"
said Reyes, who wasn't sure how long
Street will be sidelined, "but we need to get back on the
track."
Mount Miguel grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 2nd
inning on JEREMY PEREDO's RBI
single. But defensive lapses (6 errors) and walks (8) led to the
Matadors'
demise.
GRANITE HILLS 18, STEELE CANYON 4 - Fresh off being shut out by Helix two
days earlier, the Eagles took flight in Thursday's (April 24)
Grossmont South
League encounter with Steele Canyon.
It was all about runs - and running - for
the 7th-ranked Eagles (12-3, 3-1),
who tied the Grossmont Conference record with 15 stolen bases
at the young
Cougars' expense.
WADE FRANCIS led the base-running bonanza
with 5 steals. SEAN PEPIN pilfered
4 bags, JOHN COIT swiped 3 and CASEY CRAIG stole 2. NICK MONETTE
completed
the merry-go-round with one steal.
"When we got up by 7 runs we called
it off," said Granite Hills coach JAMES
DAVIS, who put up the stop sign for Eagles' base-runners after
5 innings.
Ironically, it was the Eagles who set the
conference record with 15 thefts
against Monte Vista in 1983.
In reality, the Eagles and their heavy lumber
decided this game. KEVIN JAMES
crashed out of a mild slump to drive in 4 runs with his 3rd and
4th homers of
the season.
CASEY CRAIG cracked a two-run homer to key
Granite Hills' 7-run sixth inning
that turned the game into a rout. Coit chipped in with a 2-run
double and
James hit the second of his two homers in that frame to complete
the knockout.
BRYAN KIDA accounted for half of Steele
Canyon's 6 hits with a 3-for-4 effort
in the leadoff spot. That included an RBI double in the 3rd inning.
Freshman
WILL MURRAY had an RBI single for the Cougars (6-10, 0-4) who
scored three
times in the 4th to trail only 6-4.
SANTANA 3, EL CAJON VALLEY 0 - Senior TIM COOK had pitched only 7 innings
before Thursday's (April 24) rare Grossmont North League start.
But he had a
feeling and relayed those feelings to Santana coach JERRY HENSON.
"I passed him in the hall (Thursday)
morning," Henson said. "He said to me,
'Coach I feel a shutout today."
Henson answered him with a thumbs up. The
coach handed the ball to the
6-foot-3, 220-pound right-hander later in the afternoon.
Cook responded with a nifty 5-hit shutout,
turning his second varsity start
into his first complete game and a victory.
RYAN HOWARD gave Santana the early lead
with an RBI single off hard-luck
loser GERARD HOPPER in the 1st inning. It turned out to be Howard's
4th
game-winning RBI - tops in East County.
Santana (10-8, 1-1) extended its advantage
to 2-0 in the 4th. BRANDON HALEY
doubled and later scored on RAY CHRISTIE's sacrifice bunt. The
Sultans' final
tally came on a walk, a wild pitch and two balks.
Hopper rationed Santana to 3 hits over 4
innings, but was hurt by 5 walks and
the two balks. JESSE ORTIZ pitched 2 shutout innings in relief
for the Braves
(6-11, 0-3).
(04-24-03)
A Morse player attempts a bunt against Christian
pitcher Brian Schroeder during Wednesday's (4-23-03) Eastern League
game. The catcher is Eddie Listander.
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Christian High was expecting
to see Morse fire-baller Bruce
Billings in Wednesday's (April 23) Eastern League showdown in
the Tigers'
den. Instead, they got Jose Ramos. Outside of one pitch, Ramos
(5-0) was
smothering as the Patriots dropped a 7-2 decision, falling two
games behind
first-place Patrick Henry in the league pennant race.
That one pitch was a two-run home run by
DANIEL MAGNESS - a gargantuan shot
that literally left the school grounds, clearing some 20-foot
trees before
finding its final resting place.
The consensus was Magness' 3rd home run
of the season, which came with BRIAN
SCHROEDER on base with a single, traveled more than 420 feet.
It gave
Christian a 2-0 edge in the 1st inning.
But that blast was about all the defending
league-champion Patriots (10-6,
1-2) had to cheer about.
"I don't know why it is, but it seems
like every time we hit a home run in
the 1st inning we decide we're not going to score anymore,"
Christian coach
MIKE MITCHELL grumbled. "It's ridiculous."
Mitchell said he could think of "at
least three times" where the Patriots
have opened a game with the long ball and wound up losing.
Morse did not see vintage Schroeder, who
suffered through a rough outing,
allowing 5 earned runs and 6 hits in 4-plus innings. He also walked
three and
hit a batter, but did push his county-high strikeout total to
73 (over 44 2/3
innings).
"Physically, I feel fine," said
Schroeder, who admitted that he was
struggling with the high Morse pitching mound. "It was a
tough situation to
throw in."
The fact that all of the Morse starting
pitchers are right-handed might have
made the landing zone a little on the slick side for southpaws
such as
Schroeder.
"I didn't know where my strike zone
was, and didn't know where I was going to
land because there was no landing spot. I was just falling off.
You can get
used to it if you throw on it every day."
Schroeder did not have that luxury, as the
hungry Tigers (10-5, 1-1) tasted
their first conquest of Christian in three years.
"As a team, we're not playing up to
our potential and it's tough," Schroeder
sighed.
Adam Jones ripped a long drive over the
Christian left fielder's head and the
ball rolled into the parking lot, permitting the SDSU-bound Morse
shortstop
to circle the bases for a 2-run home run that tied the game in
the bottom of
the 1st.
The Tigers scored in 3 of the next five innings to win going-away.
Albeit disappointed, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound
Schroeder believes the Patriots
can still be a major factor in the league race and the San Diego
CIF Division
IV playoffs.
"When we put it all together we're
a pretty good baseball team," he said.
(04-23-03)
Helix senior Jesse Garcia (1) pitched a 4-hit shutout
as the Highlanders stunned No. 7-ranked Granite Hills 5-0 in Tuesday's
(4-22-03) Grossmont South League game. (Photo by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com
LA MESA - Just when it appeared that the
Helix Highlanders would be saddled with an also-ran role, up stepped
a senior transfer named JESSE GARCIA.
Hardly a heralded hurler in any circles coming into the season,
the 6-foot, 175-pound Garcia has revitalized the sluggish Highlanders
with new-found optimism. More than that, the newcomer out of Chula
Vista High, has taken on a leadership role that could make Helix
a factor in the Grossmont South League pennant race.
Ranked No. 7 in the county with a 7-game winning streak and a .335 team batting average, the visiting Eagles (11-3, 2-1) were basically no challenge for Garcia, who spun his second straight shutout Tuesday (April 22) in a 5-0 Helix victory.
According to Helix coach COLE HOLLAND, this Garcia (3-2, 2.03 ERA) "is for real."
"He throws 3 pitches for strikes," the Highlanders' skipper said. "On top of that, he has a bulldog mentality. This Granite Hills team has been on fire, and to come in and shut them out the way he did is awesome."
Garcia, who fashioned a 4-hitter at the Eagles' expense, fanned 7 and walked 3 as he recorded his 4th complete game and garnered his third straight win.
"For some reason we didn't come into
this game with our usual edge," Granite
Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. "But give Garcia credit. He
threw his curveball
for strikes and gave us fits all afternoon."
Not that Garcia was given a bundle of support.
He needed to be almost
perfect, as Granite Hills sophomore DONNY ANDERSON hurled 4 shutout
innings
before the Highlanders finally cracked the scoring barrier with
4 tallies in
the bottom of the 5th.
Two walks and an RBI single by NATE METROKA
staked Helix to a 1-0 lead. NICK
LEDESMA followed with a base hit and then BRIAN RICARD ripped
a two-run
single to give the Highlanders (5-11, 2-1) a 3-0 spread. An infield
fielding
boo-boo enabled the Scotties to make it 4-0.
A walk and an error allowed Helix to tack
on a 5th run in the 6th inning,
not that it mattered, because Garcia had the situation well in
hand.
"It was nice to finally beat them,"
expressed Holland, who had seen the
Highlanders lose 6 of the previous 7 starts against Granite Hills.
"We told
the kids to keep battling, but it all starts with Garcia, who
has given up
only 2 earned runs in his last 21 innings."
Nobody in the Helix lineup produced more
than one hit, but it did not matter
because the Highlanders played error-free defense.
"We are a pretty good baseball team
that has definitely been
under-achieving," Holland admitted. "Now, it looks as
though we've figured
out how to put all the factors together to become a successful
ballclub."
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)
VALHALLA 8, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 - When it comes to leadoff hitters, not many
teams can boast of a better one than Valhalla senior left fielder
JASON
HINTON. With the combination of Hinton batting at the top of the
order,
red-hot EDDIE MAPULA batting No. 2 and sophomore standout SEAN
O'SULLIVAN in
the No. 3 hole, the Norsemen have the ingredients for a fast start.
Take that and add it to Valhalla's steady
defense and stout pitching staff,
and it should not be surprising to see the Norsemen (11-5, 3-0)
atop the
Grossmont South League standings.
The Norsemen, who have won 7 of their last
9, scored in six of their seven
turns at-bat, gradually wearing down host Mount Miguel (9-6, 1-2).
"We play 'small ball,' but we can take
it deep once in awhile," said Mapula,
who drove in 4 runs with a pair of doubles and his first home
run of the
season. "Pitching and defense are our strengths, but I think
our outfield
(which includes right fielder ZACH BARGER) is the fastest in the
county with
good arms all around."
Mapula set the tone for Tuesday's (April
22) conquest at Mount Miguel,
slugging an RBI double in the 1st inning. He created further damage
in the
2nd inning, when Hinton's speed blazing down the first-base line
- after
hitting a high infield chopper - resulted in a throwing error.
Not only did
that miscue - the only error in the game - enable the Norsemen
to take a 2-1
lead, it provided Mapula extra opportunity to hit. The senior
center fielder
made the Matadors pay when he lifted a high fly ball into the
Mount Miguel
jet stream to left that carried his connection into the parking
lot to
provide Valhalla with a 4-1 advantage.
"He really is a terrific ballplayer,
who doesn't realize the talent that he
has," said Valhalla coach STEVE PERDUE. "The biggest
challenge he's made over
the last three weeks is he's really applying himself. He's listening
to what
people have to say."
Mapula's long ball all but finished Mount
Miguel pitching ace MIKE
McLAUGHLIN, who later gave up a "jet stream" home run
to CHRIS OLSEN leading
off the 5th inning.
"I tell you what, in our league when
anybody makes a mistake, the opponents
are quality enough to make them hurt," Mount Miguel coach
ERNIE REYES said.
"By us not making that routine play on a ground ball to third
(base), they
scored 3 runs off it. Instead of it being a 1-1 ballgame, and
us coming back,
we're chasing three. In our league, it's tough to come back."
Valhalla sophomore right-hander JOSH STEWART
limited the Matadors to 5 hits -
two of them solo home runs by JAVIER BROWN and ANTELMO GOMEZ -
during a
4-inning stint that netted his second win in three decisions.
"Stewart did exactly what we wanted
him to do," Perdue said. "In our pre-game
meeting we talked about the strength of our team, which is pitching
and
defense. Yeah, we're swinging the bats pretty good right now,
but we're going
to win games with pitching and defense."
Perdue's crew spiked an exclamation point
on that line of thinking when the
Valhalla skipper summoned O'Sullivan to the mound. For Mount Miguel,
it was
"Game Over." Five of the nine Matadors who tested O'Sullivan
went down on
strikes.
Not only was O'Sullivan rewarded with his
first save, he also extended his
string of perfect innings to 13 2/3, retiring 41 batters in a
row. Not since
the first inning of an April 10 start against Steele Canyon has
O'Sullivan
permitted a runner to reach base.
It was a tough loss for McLaughlin, who
was unable to overcome the critical
error that turned the momentum in Valhalla's favor. A small consolation
was a
1st inning single that extended McLaughlin's hitting streak to
10 games. He
could also take solace in that he brought O'Sullivan's 15-game
hitting streak
to an end.
EL CAPITAN 11, GROSSMONT 6 - It was sort of like a game of poker for these
perennial Grossmont North League rivals in Tuesday's (April (22)
encounter at
Joe Gizoni Field.
That is, the visiting Vaqueros (14-2, 2-0)
proved that 13 walks and 4 home
runs could beat a Grossmont parlay of 9 hits and 6 (El Capitan)
errors. At
least on this particular afternoon it could.
"The bottom line is we found a way
to win," El Capitan coach STEVE VICKERY
said. "We had average pitching and our defense was poor.
But we competed with
our bats, and fortunately, that was enough to get us by today."
El Capitan - ranked No. 2 in the county
and favored to win its 7th league
title in 8 years -had to scramble back from a 5-2 deficit to deny
the
Foothillers an upset.
It was all about the long ball - a subject
that El Capitan knows better than
any East County club, as is evident by the Vaqueros' 26 homers
in 16 games.
After the Vaqueros opened the 5th inning
with walks to JUSTIN SNYDER and
BRANDON RAUCH, JORDAN ABRUZZO launched a 3-run home run off Grossmont
ace
BRANDON RUSTICH over the right-center field fence to tie the game
at 5-all.
That finished Rustich's outing on the mound.
The Foothillers (9-6, 1-1) clawed back for
a run in the bottom of the 5th to
regain the lead. EVAN AMADOR singled, advanced on KELLEN ROSSITTO's
sacrifice
bunt and scored on a pair of errors.
El Capitan took aim at the Grossmont bullpen
in the 6th inning. SHAUN BLAKE
greeted reliever ANDREW GREEN with a single to left and one out
later trotted
home on Brandon Rauch's 7th home run of the year. The drive to
deepest
left-center was Rauch's 4th home run in his last five games.
Seemingly undaunted by their own futility
in the field, the Vaqueros
continued their offensive onslaught in the 7th. Snyder followed
a leadoff
walk to ROBBIE ZABIEREK with his first home run of the season.
After Rauch
coaxed a walk, Abruzzo hoisted his second homer in three innings
over the
right field wall to slap a lock on the victory.
Abruzzo finished with 6 RBI, giving him 22 for the season.
"Brandon and Abruzzo carried us,"
said Vickery, whose Vaqueros are averaging
9.6 runs per game.
WEST HILLS 9, EL CAJON VALLEY 3 - DUSTIN BEECHLER set a West Hills record
for triples in a season, swatting his 4th and 5th three-baggers
of the year
Tuesday (April 22) as the Wolf Pack (7-9, 1-0) opened the Grossmont
North
League campaign with a come-from-behind verdict over the visiting
Braves.
Trailing 3-2, West Hills tied the game in
the 5th inning on the first of
Beechler's triples that scored Luna, who reached base on a one-out
single.
Beechler scored what proved to be the winning run on ANDREW NICHOLS'
infield
single.
The Pack broke the game open with 5 runs
in the 6th inning. Beechler's
bases-loaded triple was the big blow.
NICK RODIECK scattered 7 hits and allowed
3 runs in 5 innings to log his 4th
win in six decisions. But the junior right-hander can thank reliever
RUSSELL
BRAZWELL (2 shutout innings and 2nd save) and the West Hills defense
for
helping thwart the Braves.
El Cajon Valley (6-10, 0-2) took a 1-0 lead
in the 2nd inning on doubles by
RANDY SMITH and SHANE MYER and JOSH BOWEN's RBI single. Myer,
however, was
nailed attempting to score on Bowen's hit on a West Hills relay
from left
fielder BEN HOFFARD to third baseman MATT LUNA to catcher CLAY
COULTER.
The Braves' 3-2 led in the 5th inning on
RBI singles by OMAR MENDEZ and NICK
SPEARS. But again, the West Hills defense threw up a roadblock,
cutting the
Braves' rally short. Mendez was caught in a run-down between second
and third
for the final out. First baseman EDDIE PRYOR cut a throw to the
plate from
center fielder CODY DENNIS, who fired to third baseman Luna, who
in turn
tossed to shortstop Beechler who applied the tag.
MONTE VISTA 8, STEELE CANYON 0 - Whether it's making tackles as a linebacker
on the gridiron or taking charge on the mound, the Monarchs' ROBERT
TIDWELL
is a winner. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder came up with a key pitching
performance in Tuesday's (April 22) Grossmont South League victory
over the
visiting Cougars (6-9, 0-3) at Marv Lacey Field.
The senior right-hander allowed only 3 hits
and 2 walks while striking out 4
during a 5-inning stint that lowered his ERA to 2.21 and hiked
his record to
2-4.
"He's a competitor," Monte Vista
coach LARRY RINEHART said of Tidwell, whose
other victory was a shutout of Eastlake. "And he throws strikes."
Sophomore southpaw JESSE RODRIGUEZ put the
finishing touches to Tidwell's
latest gem, blanking the Cougars on 1 hit over the final two frames.
"To have Jesse throw the ball as well
as he did for us today was a pleasant
surprise," Rinehart said.
Another major move by Rinehart was installing
the speedy DALLAS HUBBARD at
the top of the Monte Vista batting order. The junior center fielder
responded
with a double and two singles, driving in a pair of runs and scoring
twice.
"Dallas makes things happen," Rinehart said.
Hubbard provided a 1st inning spark with
a lead-off single and eventually
wound up at third after one-out walks to JEFF ALEXANDER and NICK
DECARO. That
set the stage for CHRIS ANDERSON's double giving the Monarchs
a 2-0
advantage. Control problems continued to plague the first-year-varsity
Cougars and a third run scored after another walk and a hit batter.
Monte Vista (6-9, 1-2) made it 5-0 in the
3rd inning when Decaro reached on
an error and scored when MARK COGLEY clubbed a home run onto the
right field
bank,
In the 6th inning, a walk to Cogley followed
by DAVID MAKIN's first varsity
hit set the table for Hubbard's 2-run single that iced the game.
BRYER BIDEGAIN accounted for half of Steele
Canyon's hits with a pair of
singles.
(04-22-03)