Bottom-heavy Stars knockout Bulldogs

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: June 14, 2022

2022 SAN DIEGO STARS SUMMER COLLEGIATE BASEBALL

SIMMER 2022 SCHEDULE: HERE

ECS staff report

LAKESIDE — The San Diego Stars summer collegiate baseball team keeps changing their batting order, looking for the correct mix.

Indeed, they need to keep stirring the bowl.

Danny Zapeda

The top of of the batting order drove in just one run, while the bottom five combined for a whopping nine RBI on Tuesday (June 14), leading the Stars to a 13-4 conquest of the North County Bulldogs (aka Gorillas) in the teams’ Western Baseball Association opener at El Capitan’s Hostetler Field.

Danny Zapeda and Jonathan Marshall each drove in three runs, backing winning pitcher Jake Sergent.

Immediately after the Bulldogs closed to within 4-2, Zapeda (Sweetwater High ’19, Southwestern College).broke open the contest with a 2-run double in second inning.

Zepeda, the third baseman, went on to bat 2-for-3 and scored three times in the Stars’ lagest offensive display of the summer.

Jonathan Marshall

Meanwhile, Marshall (Patrick Henry ’19, Occidental), entered the contest at catcher in the fourth, prompting clearing the loaded bases with a 3-run double.

Andrew Riitayik, the starting catcher before moving to the mound, reached base in all four of his at-bats, going 2-for-2 and walking twice.

Ritayik (West Hills ’20, Southwestern Oregon) closed out the victory with 2.2 innings of 3-hit relief.

Sergent(Santana ’18, Grossmont College ’21) yielded just two hits in his four-inning to get the victory in the 7-inning contest, He struck out four Bulldogs batters.

The Stars return to action on Saturday, hosting the Colton Nighthawks, the reigning WBA Northern Division champions. The double-header starts at noon at El Cap with no admission charge.