ROUNDUP: Patriots rally past Norsemen; Cougars, Eagles win

By Bill Dickens
Updated: March 25, 2017

2017 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

EL CAJON (3-25-17) — Arizona State University-bound ZACH HOGUEISSON of Christian High decided to take matters into his own hands in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament encounter at Christian.

The power-hitting left-handed senior swinger launched a drive over the right-center field fence to snap a 7-7 tie against visiting Valhalla, giving the Patriots the narrow lead. It was a close call for Hogueisson as his long ball barely ricocheted off the glove of a Valhalla defender.

“I know that guy,” said Hogueisson. “I’ve played a lot of ball with him ever since we were kids.”

The game-winning drive secured the Patriots with a 9-7 victory after they added an insurance run. GARRET NIELSEN and JUSTIN LEDGERWOOD each got a single and Nielsen eventually scored on an error by the Norsemen first baseman.

“Our hitting tends to be contagious,” Hogueisson said. “Once we start getting a couple of hits everybody starts swinging the sticks.”

This was a game with big innings as Valhalla set the tone with five markers. Christian countered with six.

Ledgerwood established himself as a stable cleanup hitter for the Patriots as he doubled, had 2 singles and 2 RBI.

STEELE CANYON 11, LA JOLLA 5 – Steele Canyon scored a season-high 11 runs to lace La Jolla in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament game in Rancho San Diego.

The key to the Cougars’ success, however, was TYLER LUBAN, who allowed only 8 hits and no earned runs or walks as he struck out 8, raising his season record to 3-1 with six innings of work.

TREVOR NEWBERRY pitched the last inning and struck out two of the three batters he faced.

On the offensive end for Steele Canyon JOSH ESQUIBEL was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored, while LUKE ARIAS was 2-for-2 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI for the Cougars (4-2).

Steele Canyon snapped a 5-5 tie with a five-run 3^rd inning. AARON TAYLOR doubled and MATTEW BRINKMEIER reached base on a walk. Then it was Esquibel’s turn as he hoisted a pair of doubles and Arias stroked a pair of 2-run singles to shut down the Vikings.

GRANITE HILLS 3, BONITA VISTA 1 – Granite Hills continues to show depth in its pitching staff, as the Eagles proved in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament action.

It was JOSH VERDON’s turn to take a spin at the Bonita Vista Barons. He toiled 6 1/3 innings with 2/3 innings of help from MIKE KING and it was enough for the Eagles (6-2) to ground the Barons.

He toiled 6 1/3 innings with 2/3 innings of help from MIKE KING and it was enough for the Eagles (6-2) to ground the Barons.

JAKE FENN, SEAN McGREW and BRADY JOSLYN each had hits and drove in runs for Granite Hills.

ST. AUGUSTINE 3, SANTANA 2 – A base hit here and a base hit there, and the Santana Sultans’ record may be a whole lot different.

Santana has been involved in six one-run games and has come up successful in only two of them, which has served to frustrate the Sultans. Of the close encounters, the Sultans have lost four of the six.

It was a close call for Santana in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament duel against St. Augustine at Hickman Field.

After the Saints took a 2-0 lead in the 1^st inning, Santana tied the game in the 4^th and was looking for more.

With the game knotted in the 4^th, TC SIMMONS doubled to score JERRY ALESI, who had driven in ANDERS TOLHURST, who had doubled. When Simmons tried to score he was cut down at the plate.

SWEETWATER 1, MONTE VISTA 0 – Monte Vista has been a highfalutin scoring offense the majority of the season, but suddenly got slapped around in Friday’s (Mar. 24) final round of the Bully’s East Tournament.

Monarchs, who have averaged double digits most of the season, were finally shown the brake pedals by the Sweetwater Red Devils.

Monarchs who came up with single hits included KRYSTIAN CAMACHO (1-for-2), DAVID GARCIA (1-for-3), ABRAHAM SANCHEZ (1-for-3), JOSE ALVAREZ (1-for-3) and JORDAN FRANKEN (1-for-3).

Camacho hit a sacrifice and he and Garcia each stole a base.

UNIVERSITY CITY 5, MOUNT MIGUEL 4 – One run losses were the order of the day in East County, and that certainly didn’t please the Mount Miguel Matadors who fell to University City in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament game.

The Matadors took this one to the railing, stumbling to the finish line.

Mount Miguel wasted the pitching of CAMERON BEAUZEC, NICO CAMACHO and RUBEN PRECIADO who could not hold the line against the Centurions.

AUSTIN ORTIZ was 3-for-4 with a run scored, and ANDREW MONTIJO was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI.

POINT LOMA 4, WEST HILLS 1 – Point Loma got on the scoreboard first and held a 2-run lead until the 5^th inning of Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament.

West Hills attempted to rally in the 5^th as NOAH QUINTANA doubled to right and advanced to third on a called balk. TOMAS GAGLIANO singled to left, scoring Quintana.

But the offense stalled there and there would be no further Wolf Pack scoring.

JONATHAN MAAT took the loss as he toiled five innings, giving up 5 hits, 4 runs of which 2 were earned, walked 3 and struck out 3. Reliever BRENDAN SHERWIN came aboard in the 6^th, giving up one hit and striking out one.

EASTLAKE 6, EL CAPITAN 2 – Eastlake has been a juggernaut – the bane of East County.

El Capitan came up against the powerhouse on Friday (Mar. 24) in the Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament, and could only manage a measly two runs.

In the 2^nd inning, JUSTIN ZAMORA walked and got to second on an error, then moved to third on a walk to BLAKE PEYTON.

“The next play was a hit to shortstop, who tried to turn two but threw the ball away, resulting in our only 2 runs of the game,” said Vaqueros coach CLAYTON CURO.

TYLER LINDSAY pitched five innings, giving up 8 hits, 6 runs (5 earned) and took the loss. Zamora pitched one inning for the Vaqueros.

SCRIPPS RANCH 1, GROSSMONT 0 – The Grossmont Foothillers battled but came up short against the visiting Scripps Ranch Falcons in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament.

“We lost two games this week 1-0,” noted Grossmont coach JORDAN ABRUZZO. “Our pitching has been great but last time I checked, it’s pretty hard to win when you don’t score any runs. But we will get back to work Monday and try to get better, that’s our only choice.”

MAX FORD, CHRIS GIOVENGO, AUSTIN ODOM and JESSE GARCIA all had hits but the runs just wouldn’t ring for the Foothillers.

KANNON ROMERO was the losing pitcher for Grossmont. In six innings he gave up one run, 4 hits and struck out one.

JAYDEN LOMBARDO pitched 2/3 of an inning, and gave up the walkoff hit to Scripps Ranch in the bottom of the 7^th.

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 3, HELIX 0 – The visiting Highlanders were overpowered by the Dons in Friday’s (Mar. 24) Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament.

MATT RICHARDSON had two hits for Helix, which stranded a pair of runners in the top of the seventh.

Highlanders’ starter CONNOR KONISHI allowed four hits in six innings, striking out six, but was saddled with the loss.

No other information was available at press time, as Helix baseball coach COLE HOLLAND accompanied the Helix boys basketball team to Sacramento in an administrative role as the Highlanders face off against St. Patrick-St. Vincent at noon in the SoCal Regional Finals on Saturday (Mar. 25).

LINCOLN 9, EL CAJON VALLEY 5 – No further information provided for this non-league game.

Fri., Mar. 24, 2017
Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament
CENTURIONS 5, MATADORS 4
University City (3-5) 020 101 1 – 5 4 0
Mount Miguel (3-4) 010 110 1 – 4 8 3
Stitt, Nelson (5) and N/A, Stitt. 
Beauzec, Camacho (1), Preciado (4) and Montijo. 
WP-Nelson. LP-Preciado.

PATRIOTS 9, NORSEMEN 7
Valhalla (2-6) 000 601 0 – 7 9 3 
Christian (6-1) 000 162 x - 9 9 4
RO’Sullivan,CSt.Clair (5) and Hagemen. 
Markowicz, Beck (2) and Josephson. 
WP-Beck (1-0). LP-RO’Sullivan. 
HR-Hogueisson (Chr-4) 6^th, solo.

COUGARS 11, VIKINGS 5
La Jolla (4-4) 140 000 0 – 5 8 1
Steele Canyon (4-2) 205 220 x - 11 7 1
Stewart, Hanson (3), Gimber (3), Partida (4),
Hammel (6) and GBrown. 
Luban, Newberry (7) and Arias. 
WP-Luban (3-1). LP-Stewart.

RED DEVILS 1, MONARCHS 0
Monte Vista (5-2) 000 000 0 – 0 5 0
Sweetwater (1-4) 000 100 x - 1 3 1
Schweizer and Sandoval. Sweetwater batteries N/A. 
WP-N/A. LP-Schweizer.

POINTERS 4, WOLF PACK 1
West Hills (4-4) 000 010 0 – 1 5 2
Point Loma (4-3-1) 200 020 x – 4 6 1
Maat, Sherwin (6) and Wittmeier. 
Gomez, Corrella (6), Berry (7) and Bacon. 
WP-Gomez. LP-Maat (0-2).

TITANS 6, VAQUEROS 2
El Capitan (2-6) 020 000 0 – 2 - -
Eastlake (8-1) 021 120 0 – 6 - - 
Batteries N/A for either team.

EAGLES 3, BARONS 1
Granite Hills (6-2) 000 201 0 – 3 7 2
Bonita Vista (4-5) 000 010 0 – 1 9 0
Verdon, King (7) and Fenn. 
Anderson, Nankil (5) and Duran. 
WP-Verdon. LP-Anderson.

DONS 3, HIGHLANDERS 0
Helix (5-4) 0
Cathedral (6-2) 3 


FALCONS 1, FOOTHILLERS 0
Grossmont (4-4) 000 000 0 – 0 4 0
Scripps Ranch (7-1) 000 000 1 – 1 5 0
Romero, Lombardo (7) and Tedokon. 
Beaver and Colmbra. WP-Beaver. LP-Lombardo.

SAINTS 3, SULTANS 2
Santana (4-5) 000 200 0 – 2 7 1
St. Augustine (5-4) 200 100 0 – 3 5 3
Calvert and Allen-Fox. 
Hull, Browning (4) and Fontes. 
WP-Browning. LP-Calvert.

Non-League
HORNETS 9, BRAVES 5
El Cajon Valley (1-3) 5
Lincoln (6-0) 9