Nothing for Matadors… except no-hitter

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: February 25, 2022

2022 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

ECS staff report

ESCONDIDO — Steve Gulley and David Keller established a memorable portion of Mount Miguel baseball history Thursday (Feb. 24), combining to fire a no-hitter in a 13-0 demolition of Orange Glen.

Gulley and Keller were so dominant after the Matadors piled on four additional runs in the top of the sixth inning, the Patriots didn’t bother to bat in the home-half of the frame and called it quits.

Gulley, the right-handed starter, retired the first seven batters he faced. Included were three ground-ball outs in the first, then he struck out the ensuing four Orange Glenn batters. Batter No. 8 walks for the right-hander’s lone blemish.

Keller, in relief, pitched a perfect fifth inning, fanning the final two Patriots batters. The pair of underclassmen — Keller is a junior; Guller, a sophomore — evenly split their collection of 10 strikeouts.

Both pitchers welcomed the assistance of catcher Jonathan Rader and pitching coach Robert Coons., but Rader noted it was Coons who was calling the pitches.

“(Coons) was the mastermind behind the calls,” explained Rader., who also stroked a key 2-run single, advanxcing to second base on an error.

“When I got into the box (on the double), I was hunting those RBIs,” he added. “I just wanted to put something on the grass the first two pitches.”

Rader then noticed a clue to what Orange Glen was throwing.

“They were arching fastballs that I just whiffed, so I changed my approach and shortened up and turned on one down the line,.”

The entire offense shined, too., capped by a 5-run outburst in the fourth inning, Mount Miguel scored in each of the first four frames to mount a 9-0 cushion — all without the aid of an extra-base hit among 12 knocks.

Keller, the leadoff batter, and clean-up hitter Miles Emerick (3-for-4) each registered three RBI.

Emerick started it all with a 2-run basehit in the first. Both were unearned following a pair of Orange Glen errors.

In the fourth, a pair of walks set the stage for a 2-run Gulley single, followed by RBI hits by Emerick and Jr. Ettleman, as the top four Matadors on the line-up card went a composite 9-for-15 (.600), with runs and 9 RBI.

Christian 14, Temecula-Chaparral 4
EL CAJON — Unbeaten through five contests and boasting a staff earned-run average hovering near 1.00, the Chaparral Pumas of Temecula are considered one of the rising powers in the CIF-Southern Section.

However, in a meeting of potential NCAA Division I pitchers, the Christian Patriots continued their success against programs out of Riverside County.

Paced by six solid innings by junior right-hander Shane Bailey, the Patriots overcame the Pumas roster of arms by pummeling the visiting Pumas, 14-4, on Thursday (Feb. 24)

“Chaparral threw their Cal State Fullerton commit, Jack Pavlovsky,” said Patriots head coach Mike Mitchell. “He was dealing early, then he lost the strike zone in the third inning.”

Meanwhile, Bailey endured, touched for just five basehits in his six innings.The ground out pitcher still struck out four Pumas batters against just a single walk.

“my arm felt great today and my teammates stepped up to help me out and give me run support,” said Bailey. “Then we rallied against a good team and it showed how deadly and good we are!”

Chaparral (5-2 overall) posted two early runs off Bailey, but as he settled down, Christian’s second time through the line-up proved decisive,tallying right runs in the third, then six more in the fourth.

“In the third, Pavlovsky hit Bailey (with a pitch), then an error put us at 1st and 2nd,” said Patriots head coach Mike Mitchell. “He then walked the next three batters before getting a strikeout for the second out.”

“However, Chris Mellos got our first hit which put us in front, 3-2, then everyone starting hitting. Ashton McCurty then stole home, Caden Leonard walked to reload the bases that knocked Pavlovsky out out the game, and Dom Zepeda hit a bases-clearing double on the first pitch from reliever Dakota Henson.”

Suddenly nested with an 8-2 cushion, Bailey found his curve ball and the Patriots coasted.

Added Bailey, “My teammates were hitting balls all over the field. It was a great team win.”

For Christian (2-0, both vs. SW Riverside ballclubs), Bailey batted 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, with a half-dozen other Patriots driving in run.

Aaron Shebloski pitched a perfect 1-2-3 in the seventh to complete the triumph.

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Valley Center 12, Foothills Christian 0 (5 inn.)
VALLEY CENTER — In the early-season going for the FFoothills Christian Knights, it’s either win big or lose big.

On Thursday (Feb. 23), it was the later after host Valley Center tallied nine times in its first trip to the plate to roll to victory. It was the longest-schedule roadtrip for the Kniights this season.

Jaguars pitcher Daniel Serrato yielded just three hits over four innings to gain the win. The closer was Daniel Subish, striking out two Knights in the fifth (and final) inning.

For Foothills Christian (1-2), shortstop Colby Johnson batted 2-for-2 then was hit by a pitch, with the other basehit credited to pitcher-first baseman Seth Gilbody.

— Compiled by Nick Pellegrino