Christian, Julian, Henry, Foothills win

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 20, 2021

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

ECS staff report

CLAIREMONT MESA – Christian High pitchers Vaughn Major and Braeden Ross combined to blank Madison, 2-0, as the 10th ranked Patriots claimed a non-league decision on Wednesday (May 19).

The Patriots improved to an impressive 16-4 mark on the season after scoring both of heir runs in the third inning to capture their seventh straight triumph.

“It could’ve gone either way, we just happened to string our hits together and they didn’t,” said Patriots head coach Mike Mitchell.

Braeden Ross continued his MVP season with a great effort on the mound and at the plate. He closed out the fourth and fifth innings with strikeouts, pitching four innings of relief to get the win.

Nearly as impressive was Major, who got the start. He went three innings, striking out three, including a pair of Ks in the first inning.

“I was looking forward to the start and the plan was only to go three innings since we have only one game this week,” Major said. “Games against good teams are going to be close so our two-run inning was big.”

The pair scattered five hits with no walks allowed.

“We worked really well today and the defense again was pretty sound,” Ross said. “Huge win for us a team and for our program. We haven’t beaten them in five years. Coach (Robert) Lovato runs a fantastic program and they have some great players.”

In the top of the third, Shane Bailey singled, then Ross doubled for the first run.

“I still feel really good at the plate,” Ross said. “I was able to split the right-center gap. We strung together three line drives in a row which proved to be the only offense we needed. We feel like we are playing at a really high level and are excited to get to the field every day.”

Xavier Farnum then singled to drive in Ross for ht only other run of the game.

“The pitch was right down the middle and I attacked it early to get us a clutch run,” Farnum said. “I was just happy we were able to go out and beat a D1 team and have fun doing it.”

Madison got fine pitching from starter Lawson Minshew and Marland Jorgensen.

“Madison’s starting pitcher was tough as expected but we are playing pretty good baseball all around,” Major said. “Madison has a very solid lineup and were tough outs. My pitches were really working today so it was a good game to prepare for the playoffs.”

Jorgensen pitched two hitless innings, striking out four.

Julian 17, Victory Christian 3

CHULA VISTA —- A decade ago, Julian High held an enrollment of more than 200 students. At present, that figure is less than 100, with 52 percent of them being female students. Thus, it’s often difficult for the school to field a baseball team.

Not on Wednesday. The Eagles erupted for 17 runs — the school’s highest total in more than four years — in slicing the Knights from Victory Christian, 17-3, in Manzanita League action in the South Bay. The contest was called after five innings via the run rule.

The triumph gives Julian a 2-1 season-series lead over Victory Christian. The Knights won the first meeting, 25-3, but the Eagles stormed back to avenge that embarrassment, winning 13-12 to level the series, then Wednesday’s victory over Victory to leap above them and move into third place in the league standings.

The Eagles (2-8 overall, 2-6 league) tallied five runs in both the first inning, then six more in the fourth to invoke the mercy rule. Victory Christian fell to 2-6 (1-7 league).

Individual statistics were not reported.

For Julian, the run total is the most since pouring on 22 runs against Ocean View Christian, also on the road in Chula Vista, on Apr. 28, 2017.

Patrick Henry 7, Coronado 2

SILVER STRAND, CORONADO ISLAND —- In a battle between Eastern League leaders, Patrick Henry pitcher Dylan Dyresen yielded just one earned run on three hits, firing a complete game to sink host Coronado, 7-2, at Silver Strand Elementary School.

The triumph moves the Patriots to within a half-game of the first-place Islanders.

Dyresen survived a difficult third-inning Coronado rally, which saw the Island Boys load the bases on a par of walks and an error, followed by a two-run single by Caden Sutherland to trim the deficit to 3-2.

Fortunately for Dyresen, he coaxed an inning-ending double play on a grounder fielded by shortstop Max Shabestari for a tap-and-throw to first baseman Ryan Ellis.

The Patriots then responded with the bats. Although they left the bases loaded in the fourth, the team tallied twice in both the fifth and the sixth to pull away.

Ellis started the fireworks with a leadoff home run, followed two walks and a Coronado error to make it 5-2.

An inning later, Jeremiah Vargas came through with a two-out, two-run double. Scoring were Andrew Guana (double to right field) and Ellis, who was struck by a pitch in his next at-bat following his homer — no warning was issued by the umpire.

Ellis and Guana each produced two hits for Patrick Henry (13-9 overall,5-3 league). Coronado fell to 8-12 (5-12 league)

Foothills Christian 4, Escondido Charter 3

ESCONDIDO —- In a pairing of ballclubs tied for second place in the Pacific League, Foothills Christian staved a pair of late Escondido Charter rallies to cling to a 4-3 triumph on Wednesday (May 19).

Trailing 4-1, the White Tigers turned three singles and a sacrifice fly into a run. Two innings later, Jacob Ronalds smacked a lead homer to left field. However, Knights relief pitcher Seth Gilbody survived a line drive for an out with a pair of game-ending strikeouts to save the victory for starter Taylor Casey.

Casey yielded just two runs over six frames, striking out seven batters to run his record to 6-3. Casey was aided by a first-inning double play to keep the ballgame scoreless.

With a runner on second base, Gilbody, the starting first baseman, raced down the right-field line to catch a foul popup. The White Tiger runner attempted to catch Gilbody napping and headed for third base. However, Gilbody was ready and fired a strike to third baseman Cameron Nicks.

Foothills Christian supported Casey by scoring twice in the third and the fifth.

Consecutive hits y Kip Famolaro (double), Colby Johnson (single) and Gilbody (RBI double) opened the scoring, then an error allowed C.J. to come home.

Later, a two-out error by the White Tigers allowed Gilbody (hit by pitch) and Zach Ortiz (walk) to both scored on the same play.

Foothills Christian (12-10 overall, 2-1 league) moved to within one game of front-running Tri-City Christian. Escondido Charter slipped to 7-7 (2-3 league).