Falcons grab playoff opener from Griffs with five-run fourth

By ECS Staff
Updated: May 8, 2016

2016 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com

EL CAJON (5-8-16) — If the Grossmont College Griffins are to advance to the 2016 CCCAA Super Regional round, they will have to sweep a doubleheader on Sunday (May 9) after dropping game one of the best-of-three series on Saturday (May 7) to Cerritos by a 5-3 score.

Cerritos (24-13) only scored in one inning, a five-run fourth, but that was all they needed.

Granite Hills alumni MICHAEL DIFFLEY and ROBERT BOSTEDT both had a team-high two hits. The good news for the Griffins (27-10) is that seven of the nine batters had hits in the game.

The Griffins jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. CABOT VAN TIL (Patrick Henry) led off the Griffin half of the first with a double to center field. TANNER PERRY (Steele Canyon) followed that up with a single to left, moving Van Til to third. Bostedt got his lone RBI on a sacrifice fly to right allowing Van Til to tag and come plate ward.

JUSTIN MITCHELL (Granite Hills) singled to lead off the second inning. After a pop out, SEAN CROSBY (Valhalla) was hit by a pitch moving Mitchell to second. Diffley singled to center loading the bases up. Van Til got one of his easiest RBI of the season as he drew a walk forcing Mitchell to score to make it 2-0 at the end of two innings.

The Griffins closed out their scoring with a run in the sixth. JUSTEN BURKEY (San Pasqual) was hit by a pitch with one out. Crosby hit a deep ball to center field that turned into a triple, bringing in Burkey to make it 5-3 Cerritos. But the Griffins would close out the inning with back to back strikeouts by two different pitchers.

The two teams will meet at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday (May 9) for game two of the series. Should Grossmont win that game, a deciding third game would be played about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Cerritos vs Grossmont College
@ Grossmont College

5/7/2016 at 2:30 PM

Cerritos
5

Grossmont
3

FINAL	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cerritos (24-13)	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	10	1
Grossmont (27-10)	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	1

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB
Cerritos
Daniel Lopez ss	5	1	1	0	0	1	0
Mike Heenan 1b	5	1	2	1	0	2	0
Mark Pena cf	5	0	3	1	0	1	0
Gary James c	3	0	1	0	2	1	1
Fermin Beza lf	3	1	0	0	1	2	4
Derrick Edwards 2b	3	1	1	0	1	1	0
Kenton McDonald rf	3	0	1	0	0	2	1
Kevin Sainz 3b	3	0	0	1	0	1	0
Eric Hefner dh	4	1	1	1	0	2	2
Travis Bonner p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Carlos Hernandez	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jerald Johnston p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	34	5	10	4	4	13	8
BATTING
2B: Mark Pena 2 RBI: Mike Heenan; Mark Pena; Kevin Sainz; Eric Hefner Sac: Kenton McDonald; Kevin Sainz GIDP: Gary James
BASERUNNING
SB: Mark Pena; Kevin Sainz
FIELDING
E: Derrick Edwards DP: Daniel Lopez; Mike Heenan; Derrick Edwards

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB
Grossmont
Cabot Van til lf	4	1	1	1	1	2	1
Tanner Perry cf	5	0	1	0	0	0	1
Robert Bostedt rf	4	0	2	1	0	0	3
Noah Strohl dh	3	0	0	0	2	0	0
Travor Beard c	5	0	1	0	0	0	2
Justin Mitchell 1b	4	1	1	0	1	0	1
Justen Burkey 3b	3	1	0	0	0	0	4
Sean Crosby 2b	3	0	1	1	0	0	0
Michael Diffley ss	4	0	2	0	0	1	0
Alan Strong p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Craig Grubbe p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	35	3	9	3	4	3	12
BATTING
2B: Cabot Van til; Robert Bostedt 3B: Sean Crosby RBI: Cabot Van til; Robert Bostedt; Sean Crosby Sac fly: Robert Bostedt GIDP: Noah Strohl
BASERUNNING
SB: Tanner Perry
FIELDING
E: Travor Beard DP: Justin Mitchell; Michael Diffley

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
Cerritos
Travis Bonner (W, 6-0)	5.2	5	3	3	2	1	0
Carlos Hernandez	0.2	1	0	0	1	1	0
Jerald Johnston (Sv, 8)	2.2	3	0	0	1	1	0
Totals	9.0	9	3	3	4	3	0
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Travis Bonner 27; Carlos Hernandez 4; Jerald Johnston 11 HBP: Travis Bonner 2

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
Grossmont
Alan Strong (L, 8-2)	6.0	8	5	5	4	10	0
Craig Grubbe	3.0	2	0	0	0	3	0
Totals	9.0	10	5	5	4	13	0
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Alan Strong 30; Craig Grubbe 10

SCORING SUMMARY
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 1ST
Robert Boste flied out to cf, SF, RBI; Cabot Van ti scored.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 2ND
Cabot Van ti walked, RBI; Michael Diff advanced to second; Sean Crosby advanced to third; Justin Mitch scored.
CERRITOS – TOP 4TH
Kevin Sainz grounded out to p unassisted, bunt, SAC, RBI; Derrick Edwa advanced to third; Fermin Beza scored.
Eric Hefner singled to second base, RBI; Derrick Edwa scored.
Mike Heenan singled to left field, RBI; Daniel Lopez advanced to second; Eric Hefner scored.
Mark Pena doubled down the rf line, RBI; Mike Heenan advanced to third; Daniel Lopez scored.
Mark Pena advanced to third; Mike Heenan scored on a wild pitch.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 6TH
Sean Crosby tripled to center field, RBI; Justen Burke scored.