Plazola gets to work for Monarch win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: March 20, 2018

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

CHULA VISTA – First, Monte Vista senior IVAN PLAZOLA kept his team in the game with his arm, then he finished off the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders with his bat in a 3-1 Monarchs’ victory in the Grossmont-Metro-City Tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

Plazola picked up his first win of the season, allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings, while striking out five, and delivered the decisive hit in the top of the sixth on a hard ground ball to center, driving home ISAAC GONZALEZ (2-for-3) and ABRAHAM SANCHEZ, who both singled to start the inning.

DERRICK WILEY (2-for-3) added an RBI singled to center to drive in Plazola.

Plazola surrendered six hits until veteran junior JON GULLEY was summoned to the mound with two outs in the last of the six.

Gulley closed out the Crusaders with 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief for a save.

Monte Vista improved to 4-2 with the victory.

The Monarchs will travel to Sweetwater for their second game in the GMC Tournament on Thursday at 3:30.

SWEETWATER 11, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 – The visiting Red Devils scored in each of the first six innings to take the GMC Tournament game.

It was an ugly day for the Matadors, according to head coach FRANK COIT.

“We earned this loss for sure,” Coit said. “But we told the boys after the game to let it go, move on to Thursday’s rematch with Castle Park.

A real bright spot on the plate for the Matadors was ANGELO ZERTUCHE, who went 3-for-3.

Zertuche lined a single to left field in the bottom of the third inning.

Junior AUSTIN ORTIZ singled a liner to left, moving Zertuche to from second to third.

Zertuche would subsequently score on a passed ball to get the Matadors on the board at 4-1.

Mount Miguel’s third and final pitcher, freshman MICHAEL CAMACHO, was good in relief, going two innings, allowing one unearned run.

“It’s only one game, it’s not who we are, forget it, days like this happen to the best of teams, and let’s get back to work, with fresh attitudes for our upcoming two games this week,” Coit said.

After facing Castle Park, the Matadors will take on Mar Vista in the GMC Tournament.

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 8, LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 2 – Junior IAN ESTRADA drove in four runs and junior TREVOR ELLIOTT struck out 11 in a complete-game effort as the Red Hawks are off to the fastest start of all the teams in San Diego CIF Division 5 at 5-1.

Estrada had two hits, including a double, and scored two runs in the non-league contest in La Jolla.

Mountain Empire junior NATHAN ROSE had two hits and an RBI.

Elliott allowed no earned runs and walked just one.