Griffs send Chargers back north a loser

2017 GROSSMONT GRIFFINS BASEBALL

 

By Ramon Scott

EastCountySports.com

 

EL CAJON – DAVID MALDONADO had a two-run single with one out in the top of the seventh to give the Grossmont College Griffins a 4-3 lead and they went on to defeat Cypress College, 6-3, to sweep the CCCAA Southern Californian Super Regional at Noel Mickelsen Field on Saturday afternoon.

Maldonado, the Griffs’ multi-faceted sophomore leadoff man, had three hits, walked once and scored in a run to help Grossmont advance to the Sectional round by winning two-straight over the Chargers.

It was a sweet sweep to say the least after Cypress irked the Griffins by knocking them out of the sectional round last season in two-straight in Orange County. It was that loss that has served much of the Griffins’ aspirational motivation.

Freshman right-hander TIM HOLDGRAFER kept things under control during the crucial moments, as the Chargers were able to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

He had plenty in the tank after not pitching in a game in 17 days and wound up with a complete game to improve to 8-0, striking out five and allowing eight hits.

Sophomore NOAH STROHL hit a lead off home run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead.

The next batter, sophomore TREVOR BEARD doubled down the left field line, then freshman JALE SIM followed with a double of his own to right, driving in Beard for the Griffins’ second run.

Cypress (29-14), the designated home team for Game 2, tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run single by Trevor Fonseca.

In the sixth, the Chargers’ Matt Schmidt hit a home run for a possible change in momentum.

But Grossmont (32-7-1) promptly answered in its next turn at the plate.

Sim opened by walking, then ERIC DE LA ROSA sacrificed him to second. MICHAEL DIFFLEY walked, then CABOT VAN TIL singled to center to load the bases for Maldonado.

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From there, Holdgrafer zeroed in an retired the final nine hitters in-a-row to send the Griffins into the third round.

Santana High grad REECE HERNANDEZ, a freshman, had an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 5-3, then sophomore JUSTEN BURKEY extended his current hitting streak to 13 games with a RBI double – the Griffins third two-bagger of the frame.

Burkey, who had a 21-game hit streak prior to his current run, has hit safely in all but three appearances this season, reaching base in 38 of 40 games played this season for Grossmont. He is batting .371 this season.

Grossmont’s next opponent in the CCCAA Southern California Sectional will be determined on Sunday, as No. 14 seed Santa Ana (29-16) defeated top-seeded Orange Coast (34-10) on Friday, but the Pirates came back to even the series on Saturday.

Should Santa Ana upset the Pirates, then the Dons would come to El Cajon to challenge the Griffs.

Should OCC win, then the Griffins would host Long Beach (30-14-1) in the Sectional series next week.

Grossmont and Long Beach already played a somewhat memorable game in this historic season.

As you may remember, that dash-1 at the end of the Griffs’ record most of the season came thanks to an 11-inning, 6-6 tie here back on Feb. 25.

 

 

Grossmont 6

Cypress 3

 

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