Knights win after further review; Matadors fall in finale

By Bill Dickens
Updated: May 21, 2016

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com

MISSION BAY (5-21-16) — Sometimes wins are cut and dried. Other times, not so much.

Friday (May 20) the Mission Bay Buccaneers thought they had one of the cut and dried wins. They won on the field 4-1 over Foothills Christian in a non-league game at Dennis A. Pugh Field.

But when Foothills Christian (11-14) filed a protest, things could, and more than likely, will get very confusing.

The Knights argue that Mission Bay (11-16) used an ineligible player in the fourth inning. According to CIF Article 150 Rule 1500 states “Sections shall adopt the following baseball pitching limitation rule: 30 outs and/or three appearances in a calendar week through the season.”

Sub-rule E states “Any violation constitutes a forfeit of the contest.”

This all comes into play because of the fact that on Monday (the day that the pitching week begins) Jake Casson threw a no-hitter (21 outs) against Point Loma. Friday, the Bucs started Casson. He lasted four innings (12 outs) before the coaches realized what was going on.

So to review the protest, Mission Bay sent their pitcher out to the mound in the fourth inning even after throwing 30 outs in a week.

As far as the actual game was concerned.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. EZRA SIMS singled to begin the game. MARK PROFETA (who will be attending Point Loma Nazarene University next year) sacrificed himself to move Sims to second. KONNER VON DER LIETH (San Diego City next year) grounded out to second base allowing Sims to move to third. JUSTIN EICHER singled to drive in Sims.

In the bottom of the opening frame, Mission Bay scored three runs to take a lead they would never relinquish.

The Black and Gold would tack on another run in the second inning for the final 4-1 margin.

San Diego CIF has ruled in Foothills Christian’s favor, but even that was not enough to hoist the Ocean League co-champion Knights into the playoffs. Neither will Mission Bay make the playoffs.

Mount Miguel on Senior Day.

*
MORSE 2, MOUNT MIGUEL 1 — The Mount Miguel Matadors failed to make the San Diego CIF playoffs but they made a solid showing in Friday’s (May 20) regular season finale against visiting Morse.

MIGUEL OROZCO twirled a sterling complete game against the Tigers, allowing only 4 hits and no earned runs while striking out 5 and walking 6.

It was a frustrating non-league loss for the Matadors, who scored their only run in the third inning.

With one out JOHNNY NICASIO singled and stole second. He scored on a base hit by RUBEN PRECIADO that cut the Tigers’ lead in half.

“In the bottom of the seventh we had the bases loaded and ended on a pop-up,” said Matadors coach LB HAVIRD. “It was kind of a microcosm of how our season went this year.”

Non-League
BUCCANEERS 4, KNIGHTS 1 
(Foothills wins by forfeit)
Foothills Christian (11-14) 100 000 0 — 1 3 0
Mission Bay         (11-16) 310 000 x — 4 4 0
Carey, Eicher (1) and Link.  Casson, Escoto (5) and Noriega.  
WP-Casson (6-3). LP-Carey (1-2). Sv-Escoto (1).

TIGERS 2, MATADORS 1
Morse        (11-16) 110 000 0 – 2 4 1
Mount Miguel  (6-21) 001 000 0 – 1 6 2
Robinson and Wiggins. Orozco and Ortiz. 
WP-Robinson. LP-Orozco (2-9).