ROUNDUP: Hillers in race; Sultans on top

By Bill Dickens
Updated: April 20, 2017

Noah Nunez completes an inning against Granite Hills Tuesday..

2017 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

EL CAJON (4-20-17) — In a battle of traditional rivals, the Grossmont Foothillers and the Helix Highlanders once again find themselves dueling for the Grossmont Hills League championship.

On Wednesday (Apr. 19) the Foothillers prevailed 3-2 over Helix, and the two will meet again on Friday (Apr. 21) at Helix at 4 p.m.

The outcome allowed the Highlanders to fall one victory in back of Santana for the league title with nine games remaining.

Helix and Grossmont will collide again on May 10^th.

The Hillers, meanwhile, re-entered the league race with their first win (1-2 GHL).

Grossmont jumped on Helix for 2 runs in the opening two frames and added another in the third. Helix counterpunched with 2 tallies in the third but could not overtake the Foothillers.

MAX FORD was 2-for-3 with a run scored for Grossmont, and JAYDEN LOMBARDO was 2-for-4 with a run scored. JESSE GARCIA was 1-for-2 with an RBI, and AUSTIN ODOM was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. GIOVANNI GIGANTI was 1-for 3 with an RBI.

BRANDON PETERSON was 2-for 2 with a run scored for the Highlanders, HUNTER ISBELL was 0-for-2 with an RBI, and ZACK OWENS was 2-for-2 with an RBI and MATTHEW RICHARDSON scored a run for the Highlanders.

Grossmont baffled the Highlanders with an unusual corps of pitchers. CHRIS GIOVENGO pitched 5 innings, allowing 2 earned runs, 2 walks and a strikeout, while JOE WILLIAMS twirled 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs or walks, and a strikeout to earn the win. KANNON ROMERO finished the pitching chores by only allowing one walk.

CONNOR KONISHI was the hardluck loser for Helix, pitching four innings, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs – all earned, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. JOSIAH ESTRADA followed Konishi and did not allow a run. KEATON CHASE closed the game for the Highlanders, allowing only 2 hits.

VALHALLA 7, MOUNT MIGUEL 1 – A big second inning lifted the Valhalla Norsemen (7-10, 3-0) past the Mount Miguel Matadors (3-12, 0-3) in Grossmont Valley League play Wednesday (Apr. 19) at Mount Miguel.

The Norsemen were paced again by senior RHP CASEY O’SULLIVAN who pitched 5 innings allowing only 1 hit and no runs and 11 strike outs. It’s the third consecutive game O’Sullivan has recorded double digit strikeouts.

Offensively the Norsemen scored all they would need early. In the first inning RILEY O’SULLIVAN singled in JACOB BARBA to take a 1-0 lead. In the second, the number nine hitter would come to bat. RYAN PEROT would knock in two with a double and KYLE CASPER would plate two more with a single. Valhalla would score their final run in the seventh on a CAMERON ZAMUDIO double.

The Matadors would plate their only run in the bottom of the 7th as AUSTIN ORTIZ would score courtesy of a Norsemen error.

SANTANA 8, GRANITE HILLS 3 – AIDAN RASMUSSON continues to be blazing hot with 12 hits in 17 at-bats with a .706 batting average that includes 2 doubles in his last five games.

In Wednesday’s (Apr. 19) Grossmont Hills League game vs. Granite Hills he batted .303 with 5 RBI for Santana.

Projected now as the No. 1 team in East County, the Sultans are climbing to the top of the ladder in the San Diego Section leadership.

TC SIMMONS was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while COLTON CALVERT was 1-for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.

EMORY ALLEN-FOX was 1-for-2 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, and BROCK ELLIS was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

WEST HILLS 5, STEELE CANYON 3 – NOAH QUINTANA was a one-man gang as the Wolf Pack knocked off Steele Canyon Wednesday (Apr. 19) in a Grossmont Valley League contest.

Quintana needed 108 pitches to spin a complete game victory to improve his record to 6-3. He also had the game winning RBI.

In the 2^nd inning Quintana singled to right, JASON VILLASANA walked, and a wild pitch moved both runners up a base. TREVOR COMMERFORD hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Quintana.

In the 3^rd inning TOMAS GAGLIANO singled to left, CHRIS SCHROEDER singled to center and BRADON SANFORD doubled to score Gagliano. DYLAN CRAFT hit a sacrifice fly to score Schroeder and Quintana lay down a sacrifice bunt to score Sanford.

In the 6^th inning Dylan Craft tripled to center and Quintana slashed a sacrifice fly to score Craft.

The hardluck loser for Steele Canyon was TREVOR NEWBERRY (2-1), who allowed 4 hits, 4 runs, all earned, one walk and 3 strikeouts.

TREVOR BACK came on in relief, pitching 3.2 innings allowing one hit, one run, one earned run, no walks and 6 srikeouts.

In the 4^th inning YUSUF SMITH singled to center but was picked off a first base, JOSH ESQUIBEL reached on an error and DANNY YANEZ singled to score Esquibel. TREVOR DICKEY singled and ANTHONY MATA doubled to score Yanez.

In the 5^th inning RICHARD PEDRIN singled to second, JUSTIN BRINKMEIER reached on a bunt single and AARON TAYLOR hit a sacrifice to moved both runners over. A wild pitch saw Pedrin get caught attempting to steal home. Smith singled to center to score Brinkmeier.

West Hills remains tied with Valhalla with 3-0 mark in GVL play.

Quintana is now sixth in single-season wins on the West Hills victory chart.

“I am pumped. I am ready to go and win this league,” said Quintana. “We did a good job with the bats and got runners home.”

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 31, ROCK ACADEMY 3 (5 inn.) – Foothills Christian launched a blowout against Rock Academy with 20 hits and 25 RBI in Wednesday’s (Apr. 19) Ocean League game.

BAILEY LINK went 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI to spark the Knights (14-5, 1-1 OL).

JUSTIN EICHER followed suit with a 3-for-6 effort that included 4 RBI and 4 runs tallied for Foothills Christian, which scored in all five innings.

The Knights had six multiple hits in the game.

JOE KANG had 3-for-3 hits, and BAILEY LEWIS was 4-for-4, as was TRISTAN BARLING.

Lewis’ totals included 2 doubles, and Eicher had a triple.

The Foothills Christian pitching staff did not allow an earned run, as CHRIS STALLARD earned the victory. He walked none and struck out 6. Barling fanned 5 in two innings and BRADLEY BROWN struck out 5.

EL CAPITAN 19, ORANGE GLEN 0 – El Capitan built a 16 run lead in the first four frames to cruise past visiting Orange Glen on Wednesday (Apr. 19) in a non-league encounter.

The Vaqueros, in fact, scored in every inning but two.

El Capitan pounded out a 19 hit attack, led by TYLER LINDSAY, who was 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and a pair of doubles.

AUSTIN BELL chipped in with 3 hits. ANTHONY BENEDETTO was 1-for-4 with 2 runs and a double, and BLAKE PEYTON was 0-for-3 with an RBI.

JAKE COKER was 0-for-1 with a run and an RBI.

JUSTIN ZAMORA and Lindsay each had a stolen base.

Wed., Apr. 19, 2017
Grossmont Hills League
FOOTHILLERS 3, HIGHLANDERS 2
Helix  ab r h bi Grossmont  ab r h bi
Smelko cf    4 0 0 0  Ford cf        3 1 2 0 
Peterson 2b  2 1 2 0  Giovengo p     3 0 3 0
Ricardson ss 2 1 0 0  Lombardo c     4 1 2 0
Konishi p    3 0 1 0  JGarcia 1b     2 0 1 1
Isbell c     2 0 0 1  Hulett lf      3 0 1 0
Oquita 1b    3 0 0 0  Odom rf        3 1 2 1
Padilla rf   4 0 1 0  Levin 2b       0 0 0 0
Owens dh     2 0 2 1  Williams 1b-p  0 0 0 0
Kretzchmar 3b3 0 1 0  Parent 3b      1 0 0 0
Jackson ph   1 0 0 0  Giganti ss     3 0 1 1
TOTALS  26 2 7 2  TOTALS  24 3 11 2

Helix     (12-7, 2-1) 002 000 0 – 2  7 0
Grossmont (7-10, 1-2) 111 000 x – 3 11 0

GWRBI-Odom.
E-None.
DP-Hel 1, Gro 2.
LOB-Hel 13, Gro 9.
SB-Peterson. 

PITCHING SUMMARY
Helix  ip  h  r er bb so
Konishi L  4.0  8  3  3  3  2
Estrada    0.0  1  0  0  0  0
Chase      2.0  2  0  0  0  0
Grossmont
Giovengo    2.0  5  2  2  2  1
Williams W  4.0  2  0  0  0  1
Romero Sv   1.0  0  0  0  1  1
HBP-by Konishi (2), Giovengo (1). WP-Williams.

SULTANS 8, EAGLES 3
Santana  ab r h bi Granite Hills  ab r h bi
Salinas cf    2 2 1 0  Ross cf        3 1 1 2
Rasmusson ss  3 0 3 5  Hazelhurst 1b  3 0 0 0
Nunez p-lf    3 1 0 0  Verdon 3b      3 0 0 0
Simmons dh    3 1 1 0  Fenn c         3 0 1 0
Calvert rf    4 1 1 1  Joslyn lf      3 1 1 0
Alesi 1b      3 1 0 0  Bodtke rf      3 0 1 0
Tolhurst 2b   3 0 0 0  Omahen ss      3 0 0 0
Sergent 2b    1 0 0 0  Cummings c-dh  3 0 1 1
Allen-Fox c   2 2 1 1  McGrew 2b      2 0 0 0
Ellis lf      3 0 1 1  Anderson 2b    0 1 0 0
Oedewaldt ph  0 0 0 0
TOTALS       27 8 8 8  TOTALS  26 3 5 3

Santana  (13-6, 3-0) 214 001 0 – 8 8 1
Granite Hills (9-8, 0-1) 010 000 3 – 3 4 1

GWRBI-Rasmusson.
E-Alesi, Hazelhurst.
DP-Sant 1, GH 1.
LOB-Sant 7, GH 5.
2B-Rasmusson, Ross. HR-Ross (5) 7^th, one on. 
S-Ellis, Rasmusson. 

PITCHING SUMMARY
Santana  ip  h  r er bb so
Nunez W   6.2  4  3  2  2  5
Linscott  0.1  0  0  0  0  0
Granite Hills
Hogan   2.0  3  4  4  2  0
Burton  5.0  5  4  1  2  5
HBP-(Calvert, Simmons, Salinas 2, Allen-Fox).

Grossmont Valley League
WOLF PACK 5, COUGARS 3
Steele Canyon  ab r h bi West Hills  ab r h bi
Taylor rf  2 0 0 0  Schroeder cf  3 1 1 0
YSmith 3b  4 0 3 1  Sanford c     3 1 1 1
Esquibel lf3 1 0 0  DCraft ss     2 1 1 1
Arias c    3 0 0 0  Quintana p    1 1 1 2
Yanez 2b   3 1 1 1  Villasana 3b  2 0 0 0
Dickey 1b  2 0 1 0  Kondyra 1b    2 0 0 0
Mata ss    3 0 1 1  Commerford lf 1 0 0 1
Pedrin dh  3 0 1 0  PCraft rf     2 0 0 0
Brnkmr cf  3 1 1 0  Gagliano 2b   2 1 1 0
Wittmr 3b  1 0 0 0
Travoli rf 0 0 0 0
TOTALS  26 3 8 3  TOTALS  19 5 5 5

Steele Canyon (10-6, 2-1) 000 210 0 – 3 8 0
West Hills (7-9, 3-0)     013 001 x – 5 5 1 

GWRBI-Commerford.
E-DCraft.
DP-0
LOB-SC 5, WH 1 . 
2B-Sanford, Mata. 3B-DCraft. 
SB-Brinkmeier, Esquibel, YSmith. 
S-Quintana. SF-Quintana, Commerford, DCraft.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Steele Canyon  ip  h  r er bb so
Newberry  L(2-1) 2.1  4  4  4  1  3
Beck             3.2  1  1  1  0  6
West Hills
Quintana  W(6-3) 7.0  8  3  1  2  5
WP-Quintana, Newberry.

NORSEMEN 7, MATADORS 1
Valhalla  ab r h bi Mount Miguel  ab r h bi
Barba lf   3 2 1 2  Conwright  3 0 0 0
Dirkes ss  4 1 1 0  Zertuche   3 0 1 0
RO’Sullivn 4 0 1 1  Montijo    2 0 0 0
Casper     3 2 2 2  White      2 0 0 0
Heider     4 0 1 1  Ortiz      3 1 0 0
Howard     3 0 0 0  Preciado   2 0 0 0
Zamudio    1 0 1 1  Beauzec    3 0 0 0
CO’Sullvn p3 0 0 0  Darby      3 0 0 0
Ingrassia  1 0 0 0  Camacho    2 0 0 0
TSmith     2 1 1 0
CSt.Clair  1 0 0 0
TOTALS  32 7 10 7  TOTALS  23 1 1 0

Valhalla (5-10, 3-0)     150 000 1 – 7 10 3
Mount Miguel (3-12, 0-3) 000 000 1 – 1  1 2

GWRBI-Zamudio.
E-Dirkes 2, Heider, Camacho 2.
DP-Val 1. 
LOB-Val 7, MM 4.
SB-Casper, Perot, Zamudio. 
SB-Dirkes, Casper, Barba, Perot, Zamudio, Ortiz, Preciado. 

Ocean League
KNIGHTS 31, WARRIORS 3 (5 inn.)
Foothills Christian ab r h bi Rock Academy  ab r h bi
Kang cf-2b   3 3 1 2  Johnson 1b  3 0 0 0
Link ss-cf   4 3 3 4  Wade c      3 1 1 0
Thompson ph  1 0 0 0  Padilla p   3 1 2 0
Gates 3b     2 2 1 0  St. Jean cf 3 1 0 0
Nickell c    1 2 0 1  Perry ss    2 0 0 0
Eicher lf    6 4 3 4  Paven 3b    1 0 0 0
Lewis 2b-3b  4 4 2 3  Higgins rf  2 0 1 0
Smallwood dh 2 3 2 2  Bercheck lf 2 0 0 0
Stallard p-ss3 2 1 3  Geyman 2b   2 0 1 0
BBrown 1b-p  4 1 1 1
Brlng rf-p-1b4 4 2 2
Wurts c-rf  5 3 4 3
TOTALS  39 31 20 25  TOTALS  21 3  5 0

Foothills Academy (14-5, 1-0) 657 58 – 31 20 2
Rock Academy     (0-7-1, 0-1) 000 00 -  3  5 6

GWRBI-Link.
E-Stallard, Eicher, Bercheck, St. Jean 2, Perry 2, Geyman.
LOB-FC 6, RA 2. 
2B-Kang, Link, Eicher, Lewis 2, Smallwood, Padilla, Barling. 
3B-Eicher. SB-Kang, Link 2. SF-Bradley Brown.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Foothills Christian  ip  h  r er bb so
Stallard  W  2.0  1  0  0  0  6
Barling      2.0  0  .  0  1  5 
BBrown       1.0  2  0  0  0  2
Rock Academy
Padilla  L
HBP-(Kang 2, Gates, Nickell, Lewis 2).

Non-League
VAQUEROS 19, PATRIOTS 0
Orange Glen (3-14) 000 000 0 -  0
El Capitan (5-11)  270 712 0 - 19
(No further information provided.)