Nunez, Sultans state their case in Valley League chase

By Bill Dickens
Updated: May 10, 2016

Santana applies a tag to a West Hills baserunner on Monday in Santee.

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

SANTEE (5-10-16) — The Santana Sultans avenged an earlier loss to crosstown rival West Hills in a Grossmont Valley League contest to assume the circuit lead Monday (May 9) with a 7-0 victory over the Wolf Pack.

The backbone of the Santana revenge was the pitching and hitting of NOAH NUNEZ. The junior right-hander hurled a complete game 3-hit shutout while walking one and striking out 5 to post his record to an East County best 7-0.

Nunez’ contributions didn’t stop there. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder also made an impact with the bat, collecting 3 hits in 4 at-bats, including a solo home run in the fifth inning that extended Santana’s lead to 4-2.

“Actually I like to hit and pitch,” Nunez said.

Of his home run blast, he said “It was a changeup over the middle of the plate and I got all of it. I wasn’t sure if it was going out until I heard the crowd screaming.”

Of course Nunez hasn’t turned his back on pitching.

“My fastball and changeup were working pretty well,” he said. “I was struggling with my curveball but I was able to get the pitch over enough to make my changeup and fastball that much more effective.”

Santana catcher NIK MORA contributed as a defensive nugget and also contributed with 2 hits, 2 runs in 2 at-bats.

“I’ve been catching for seven years so I think I have a pretty good idea of what I’m doing,” he said. “Do I think I’m the team leader? Not really. We have a whole team of leaders.”

This is Mora’s seventh year as a catcher, including three years in a Santana varsity uniform.

No question Mora has the defensive ability to move to the next level.

“Over the last season I’ve built up my arm strength and I believe I have a much quicker release than I have had in the past,” Mora said.

Mora proved his arm strength by picking off a Wolf Pack runner in the fourth inning. He’s done that about half a dozen times and is sure to do it more often.

CHRISTIAN 11, SERRA 1 – Do-it-all CHASE WEHSENER slapped the handcuffs on Serra as host Christian posted a key Central League victory Monday (May 9) in El Cajon.

The junior left-hander allowed only one run as he crafted a 6-hitter and earned his fourth win against 2 losses. Even more impressive it was his third complete game.

“He was at the top of his game,” said Christian assistant coach BRYAN MITCHELL. “You can count on this from him because every time we need somebody to be the guy he’s one that delivers.”

In the first inning ZACH HOGUIESSON singled, stole second and scored on a double by JUSTIN LEDGERWOOD.

The Patriots put together two 5-run innings to sideline Serra.

In the fourth inning the Patriots snapped a 1-1 tie.

Christian broke the game open in the sixth inning as Hoguiesson who was 3-for-3 on the afternoon, slashed a 2-run double.

MOUNT MIGUEL 17, EL CAJON VALLEY 2 (5 inn.) – Host Mount Miguel broke out the heavy lumber Monday (May 9) to put the sting on visiting El Cajon Valley en route to a lopsided Grossmont Valley League victory in five innings.

The Matadors rifled off 16 hits led by the 5-for-5 effort of JOEL SANDOVAL who sparked the rally in the second inning with a 3-run triple. He later added an RBI single. He also scored 4 runs.

Not to be overlooking was the hitting of MIGUEL OROZCO who was 4-for-4 with a pair of RBI and 2 runs scored. JOHNNY NICASIO doubled in 2 runs.

Mount Miguel smothered El Cajon Valley with 11 runs in the second inning, including 7 hits in the onslaught.

El Cajon Valley was limited to 4 hits in the complete game pitching of TREVOR DARBY who pitched a 4-hitter while allowing only one earned run and striking out 7 to earn his first win in four decisions.

Mon., May 9, 2016
Grossmont Valley League
SULTANS 7, WOLF PACK 0
West Hills     ab r h bi Santana      ab r h bi
Sandez lf       3 0 0 0  Salinas cf    4 1 2 1
Sanford c       2 0 1 0  Hernandez 2b  4 1 1 2
Barkley p-c     3 0 1 0  Nunez p       4 1 3 1
Quintana p      0 0 0 0  Roe pr        0 0 0 0
ZSandoval 3b    3 0 0 0  Odenkirk lf   3 0 2 1
CLewis 1b       3 0 1 0  Rasmusson ss  3 0 1 0
Jewell ss       2 0 0 0  Alesi 1b      3 0 0 0
Alvarez 2b      2 0 0 0  Mora c        2 2 2 0
Carlin rf       1 0 0 0  Ellis dh      2 0 0 0
Anderson cf     2 0 0 0  Jackson rf    0 0 0 0
                         Miller 3b     0 2 0 1
TOTALS         21 0 3 0  TOTALS      25 7 11 6

  West Hills (14-8, 6-2) 000 000 0 – 0  3 3
  Santana    (20-3, 7-1) 020 113 x – 7 11 1

GWRBI-None.
E-Jewell, Alvarez, Nunez, Anderson. DP-Sant 1. 
LOB-WH 2, Sant 6. 
2B-Salinas, Rasmusson, Hernandez, CLewis, Barkley. 
HR-Nunez (2) 5^th, solo. SB-Odenkirk. 
S-Odenkirk, Ellis, Miller. 

PITCHING SUMMARY
West Hills         ip  h  r er bb so
 Barkley  L(4-2)  5.0  7  4  2  1  3
 Quintana         1.0  4  3  2  1  0
Santana
 Nunez    W(7-0)  7.0  3  0  0  1  5
HBP-by Nunez (Carlin), by Barkley (Mora). 
WP-Quintana 2, Nunez. BK-Nunez.

MATADORS 17, BRAVES 2 (5 inn.)
El Cajon Valley ab r h bi Mount Miguel   ab r h bi
Perez ss         2 0 1 0  Nicasio 2b      3 4 1 2
Sanchez p        2 1 1 0  Preciado cf     4 2 1 2
Carreon 2b       2 1 1 0  JSandoval ss    5 3 5 4
Mangalona rf     3 0 1 0  Orozco 3b       4 2 4 3
Herrera cf       3 0 0 0  Melgar dh       4 1 2 2
Castillo 3b      1 0 0 1  Pate rf         5 1 2 2
Campechano lf    2 0 0 0  Beauzec 1b      2 1 0 0
Hussein c-p      1 0 0 0  Camacho lf      3 1 1 1
Bovee 1b         1 0 0 0  Ortiz c         1 2 0 1
TOTALS          17 2 4 1  TOTALS      31 17 16 17

  El Cajon Valley (9-12, 0-8) 1 0 1  00 – 2  4 2
  Mount Miguel    (6-17, 3-5) 3(11)1 02 -17 16 1

GWRBI-JSandoval (1).
E-Darby, Herrera, Perez. DP-MM 1. LOB-ECV 6, MM 10. 
2B-Nicasio, Preciado. 3B-JSandoval, Carreon. 
SB-Nicasio, Castillo. SF-Preciado, Melgar. 

PITCHING SUMMARY
El Cajon Valley  ip  h  r er bb so
 Sanchez  L     2.0 12 14 10  5  0
 Hussein        3.0  5  3  2  2  5
Mount Miguel
 Darby  W(1-3)  5.0  4  2  1  5  7
HBP-by Darby (Carreon, Hussein), by Sanchez (Nicosio), 
by Hussein (Camacho).

Central League
PATRIOTS 11, CONQUISTADORS 1
Serra         ab r h bi Christian       ab r h bi
MLiong 2b      4 0 1 0  Stowers cf-1b    2 2 0 0
Samuelson ss   4 1 1 0  Wehsener p       4 1 1 2 
Moran cf       4 0 0 0  Hoguiesson rf    3 2 3 2
Thomp c        2 0 1 0  Ledgerwood 3b    3 1 2 1
NLiong lf      3 0 1 0  Gershow 2b       3 0 1 0
Szalatski p    3 0 1 0  Johnston ph      0 1 0 0
Reece 3b       3 0 1 0  Nielsen 1b       3 1 1 0
Acasto 1b      0 0 0 0  Hester cf        0 0 0 1
Munoz ph       0 0 0 0  Beck ss          2 1 0 0
Tenenbaum pr   0 0 0 0  Keltner ph       0 0 0 1
Sipchon dh     0 0 0 0  Contreras lf     4 0 0 1
Cowardin rf-0  0 0 0 0  Cazares dh       2 2 1 1
                        Josephson c      1 0 0 0
TOTALS        23 1 6 0  TOTALS         27 11 9 9

  Serra    (13-10, 4-5) 000 100 0 –  1 6 1
  Christian (13-9, 5-2) 100 505 x – 11 9 1

GWRBI-Cazares (1).
E-Acosto, Beck. LOB-Ser 5, Chr 7. 
2B-Ledgerwood, Hoguiesson. 3B-Wehsener. 
SB-Wehsener, Hoguiesson, Ledgerwood, Thomp, Samuelson. 
S-Acosto.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Serra             ip  h  r er bb so
 Szalatski L     4.0  6  6  6  3  2
 Cowardin        1.1  5  5  5  1  0
 Strang          0.2  0  0  0  2  0
Christian
 Wehsener W(4-2) 7.0  6  1  1  2  3
HBP-by Wehsener (Thomp), by Szalatski (Beck), 
by Cowardin (Stowers).