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Patriots win tourney title; Eagles, Monarchs fall
- Updated: April 1, 2017
2017 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-2-17) — In a game between two of the Top 10 teams in the county, Granite Hills freshman ERIC HOGAN didn’t figure to see any action for the Eagles in the championship game of the competitive Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament.
However, Hogan came out of the bullpen to perfectly retire seven Eastlake batters, which in itself is a feat, considering the Titans are the No. 1 ranked team in the county.
“This is the first outing for Hogan and I think he looked pretty good,” said Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS. “He doesn’t throw a lot of special stuff and there’s no secret to what he throws, but he does get the job done. He has a nice future ahead of him.”
Hogan probably would not have gotten a chance to pitch if the game had not been as close as it was, with the Titans claiming a 5-4 win. Of course, Eastlake won the first time around 18-1, so the pitching alignment figured to change in any event.
Granite Hills (7-4) was breezing through the first four frames until SEAN ROSS, who had struck out the two previous at-bats, broke the spell and pounded one over the left field fence.
“He hung a curve ball and I was waiting for it,” said Ross, whose mother was coaching a track meet at San Diego Mesa College on Saturday, missing the slugger’s third dinger of the season.
Sean Ross goes deep to put Granite on the board. Casio hits his first to get w/1 @rossfivejc @GraniteHillsBB @SMPLonnie pic.twitter.com/EcShRZsa8W
— mike ross (@mike_mikeross35) April 1, 2017
Granite Hills could not solve the deliveries of Eastlake’s Grant Holman.
Titans coach David Gallegos said, “I told my team to throw that game out,” after Eastlake trounced Granite Hills 18-1 the previous game three days earlier.
This was the Eagles’ biggest challenge in the fifth inning.
After TREVOR HAZELHURST followed with a single, as did JOSH VERDON, DARIEN COSSIO followed with a 2-run home run over the fence.
With two outs in the bottom of the 7th Hazelhurst slashed a triple to the right-center field gap. Verdon drilled one right to the centerfielder to end the game.
WILLIAM BURTON pitched the first 4 1/3 innings, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out 2 and walking 2. Hogan came on in relief and pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, no earned runs, struck out none and walked none. Burton was the hardluck loser.
CHRISTIAN 7, MONTGOMERY 3 – The top of the batting order helped Christian High mow down Montgomery 7-3 in the Division II championship game of the Bill Dickens/City/Metro Tournament Saturday (Apr. 1) at Madison.
Christian climbed on the scoreboard by back-to-back triples to center by CHASE WEHSENER and ZACH HOGUEISSON, who scored Wehsener. GARRETT NIELSEN then hit a sacrifice fly to score Hogueisson.
Then it was Wehsener’ turn again as he slashed a triple to center field, eventually scoring on a wild pitch.
In the 7th inning, JESSE MATTHEWS singled to left and Wehsener came through with a hat trick as he tripled to center once again.
“That’s almost unheard of – three triples in the same game,” said Patriots coach MIKE MITCHELL.
Later in the 7th inning, Nielsen clubbed a 2-run double to left center.
Three walks drove in Neilsen with ETHAN CONTRERAS picking up the RBI.
Three Christian pitchers shared in the championship chucking.
ALONZO RICHARDSON allowed one earned run in three innings. JAKOB BECK came on, toiling three innings to earn the win. Matthews pitched one shutout inning with one strikeout to earn his fourth save.
CHULA VISTA 5, MONTE VISTA 1 – The Chula Vista Spartans found the formula to cool the hot bats of the Monte Vista Monarchs in a bracket championship game of the Bill Dickens Grossmont/Metro/City Tournament in the South Bay on Saturday (Apr. 1).
The Monarchs came into the game averaging 5.7 runs per contest, but Spartans senior Ricky Yoquigua limited them to just four hits in a complete-game effort.
Chula Vista (10-3) did its damage in a four-run second inning.
Monte Vista (7-4) picked up a run in the top of the fourth on a RBI double by freshman ABRAHAM SANCHEZ, which scored senior DAVID GARCIA, who doubled.
Sanchez is an impressive looking newcomer that is hitting close to .500 this season and has driven in seven runs.
Perhaps more impressive for the Monarchs has been their pitching staff.
Heading into Tuesday’s (Apr. 4) Grossmont Valley League opener at home against West Hills, Monte Vista has allowed just 2.9 runs per game.
