Highlanders dropped by Dons; Vaqueros eliminated

By Ramon Scott
Updated: May 28, 2016

Vaqueros' lefty starter BLAKE PEYTON delivers to Westview on Friday in Lakeside. / photo by EastCountySports.com

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Ramon Scott
© EastCountySports.com

SAN DIEGO – Third-seeded Cathedral Catholic (23-9) sent the seventh-seeded Helix Highlanders (19-11) to the loser’s bracket in Friday’s (May 27) San Diego CIF Open Division playoffs, holding on for a one-run victory, 2-1.

Trailing 2-0, Helix scored in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by MATTHEW RICHARDSON, bringing in JACK STRONACH, who led off the seventh by getting hit with a pitch.

“We kind of beat ourselves today in just about every category,” said Helix coach COLE HOLLAND. “I don’t feel defeated because the effort was there. We have to put on our big boy pants and come out and play Helix baseball.

The Highlanders started the potential go-ahead rally with two on and no outs following a throwing error on the next hitter, CONNOR KONISHI.

As Richardson came across with the Highlanders’ first run of the game, the ball got loose from Dons catcher Brad Polinsky as they missed the cutoff man trying to keep the tying run at second, but the backstop recovered in time to find the pearl and gun down Konishi trying to get to third.

An ensuing ground ball to short ended the game.

Senior Connor Lunn (9-1) pitched a complete-game three-hitter for the Dons.

Cathedral scored a pair of runs in the second inning on a bases-loaded HBP followed by a wild pitch.

Stronach was nearly as effective, sans the second-inning perils, also allowing just three hits. He threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters he faced and got 11 ground-ball outs.

MICHAEL BROGAN and BRANDON PETERSON had the other Helix hits.

Helix will play at Rancho Bernardo in an elimination game on Saturday (May 28) at 11 a.m. Helix will start KEATON CHASE on the mound. Chase is 4-3 this season with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 21 and walking 12 in 42.2 innings.

The Highlanders defeated the Broncos on Wednesday, 5-2.

Third seeded Cathedral Catholic (23-9) remains in the winner’s bracket and will not play again until Tuesday (May 31) at 11 a.m.

El Capitan holds a baserunner on during Friday’s playoff game against visiting Westview High in Lakeside. / EastCountySports.com photo

WESTVIEW 9, EL CAPITAN 1 – KENNY OLHAUSER had three hits and MICHAEL LARWA had an RBI, but the Vaqueros were overwhelmed and eliminated by the Wolverines in a San Diego CIF Division II playoff game in Lakeside Friday (May 27).

The game was scoreless through a pair, but Westview scored three in the third and were never headed.

Nick Keitner drove in three for Westview, while teammate Blayne Atwell had three hits, two RBI and two runs scored.

Vaqueros’ lefty starter BLAKE PEYTON was all heart early, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the second, but his pitch count quickly caught up to him.

The Westview catcher picks up the ball in fair territory during the first inning against host El Capitan Friday. / EastCountySports.com photo

Larwa’s single in the bottom of the fifth scored SEAN DUNNE to make it a 5-1 game.

The Vaqueros proceed to load the bases from there, but Westview’s Michael Mercado, who came up one out shy of a complete game, coaxed an inning-ending double play.

JAKE MEDFORD, HOLDEN DONES and TRISTAN DUNCAN each had a hit for El Capitan (15-15).

DONS 2, HIGHLANDERS 1
Helix         ab r h bi Cathedral    ab r h bi
Smelko lf      3 0 0 0  Allrep cf     3 0 0 0
Stronach p     2 1 0 0  Hoffman ss    3 0 1 0
Konishi cf     3 0 1 0  Mueller 3b    2 0 0 0
Richardson ss  2 0 0 0  Walter 1b     3 0 0 0
Isbell c       3 0 0 0  Chang lf      1 1 0 0
Padilla dh     3 0 0 0  Demgen lf     0 0 0 0
Brogan 1b      2 0 1 0  Lunn p        3 1 1 0
Kretzschmar 3b 2 0 0 0  Brown dh      2 0 1 0
Peterson 2b    2 0 1 0  Polinsky c    1 0 0 0
                        Hoffman 2b    1 0 0 1
                        Goddard       0 0 0 0
TOTALS        22 1 3 0  TOTALS       19 2 3 1

  Helix    (19-11) 000 000 1 – 1 3 0
  Cathedral (23-9) 020 000 x - 2 3 1

E-Mueller. DP-Hel 1, Cath 2. LOB-Hel 0, Cath 4. 
SB-Demgen. 
SF-Richardson.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Helix              ip  h  r er bb so
 Stronach  L(5-3) 6.0  3  3  2  3  0
Cathedral 
 Lunn  W          7.0  2  1  0  0  4

HBP-by Lunn (Stronach), by Stronach (Mueller, Hoffman).
WP-Stronach 2, Lunn.

WOLVERINES 9, VAQUEROS 1
Westview      ab r h bi El Capitan    ab r h bi
Hussion 2b     4 0 1 1  Olhauser cf    4 0 3 0
Sniffin dh     3 2 1 0  Medford rf     2 0 1 0
Atwell c       5 2 3 2  Carlino 2b     4 0 0 0
Bushouer 1b    3 2 2 1  Moorman c      3 0 0 0
Keltner rf     3 1 1 3  Dones dh       3 0 1 0
Lyons 3b       4 0 1 0  McClanahan lf  3 0 0 0
Ricci cf       4 1 2 1  Duncan 1b      3 0 1 0
Shadowen lf    1 0 0 0  Dunne 1b       0 1 0 0
Bostater lf    1 0 0 0  Wannamaker 3b  2 0 0 0
Fousek ss      1 1 1 0  Larwa ss       3 0 1 1
                        Montjano 2b    0 0 0 0
TOTALS       29 9 12 8  TOTALS        27 1 7 1

  Westview   (15-14) 003 023 1 – 9 12 1
  El Capitan (15-15) 000 010 0 – 1  7 0

E-Fousek. LOB-Wv 9, El Cap 9. 2B-Atwell, Duncan.
HR-Keltner 5^th, solo. S-Fousek, Hussion, Keltner.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Westview          ip  h  r er bb so
 Mercado  W      6.2  7  1  1  0  7
 Fousek          0.1  0  0  0  0  0
El Capitan
 Peyton  L(4-5)  4.0  6  3  3  4  5
 Frantz          1.0  2  2  2  0  1
 Colson          0.1  1  3  2  3  0
 Roberson        0.2  0  0  0  0  0
 Zamora          1.0  1  1  1  0  0