Hillers need Lucy’s psychiatric aid: 5¢

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 5, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

SANTEE – Name baseball’s greatest pitcher who is also in the greatest need for psychiatric assistance?

If you read the daily comic strips in newspapers (remember then?), the patient is Charlie Brown, the lead character in Peanuts, who often spends five cents to talk to “doctor” Lucy Van Pelt.

Well, move over, Charlie Brown. There is someone locally in greater need of some sort of mental support and nurturing

For the third straight ballgame to open the season, the Grossmont Foothillers simply don’t know what to do or think after falling to nearby West Hills, 7-6 — just their sixth loss to the Wolf Pack in 50 meetings this century.

But it wasn’t just falling to the Pack that hurt so much, it was the way the Hillers lost that is way more problematic.

Grossmont dropped its two previous games — to Madison and Westview — also by a single run, the team may now realize thatthe problem is even s more traumatic and disheartening.

All three setbacks came in walk-off fashion. Grossmont first fell in extra innings to Madison, then Westview and West Hills both scored in the home-half of the seventh to take home the victory.

Want more (“good) grief”?

Grossmont’s 0-3 mark is the school’s first such start this century. In fact, the Hillers own one of best records by any area ballclub over the first three games of a season.

Entering this season at 9-0 during the first three contests (3-0 starts over the past thee seasons), the Foothillers own a remarkable, composite mark of 51-14-1 (.773) in the first three games over all previous 22 seasons in the 21st Century.

Included was a 15-game unbeaten streak from 2007-11, plus the nine straight entering this current season.

A solution is out there, but just don’t do anything in regards to football.Considering the school’s varsity went 0-10 this past fall, don’t try to kick a football or Lucy may remove it at the last second and you will land on your back.

Indeed, good grief.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to cvomputer server problems, we ere unable to receive boxscoreson all games, so some game coverage is limited. Sorry.

ECS staff report

West Hills 5, Grossmont 4

SANTEE – West Hills scored in both the sixth and seventh innings to hand Grossmont its third consecutive defeat for its poorest start in the 32dt Century.

The Foothillers mounted an ealr 4-3 lead through two inings before both pitching staffs settled in to retire strings of batter. But the Pack was able to pull even in the sixth, then gained the game-winner in the seventh, as Grossmont lost in its opponents’ final turn at-bat in all three occasions.

West Hills relief pitcher Eron Drake fired no-hit ball durng his stint of 3.2 innings on the mound to collect the victory. Drake, a senior, struck out three Hillers while his three walks did not hurt him despite a pair of stolen bases by Hillers junior Cody Bigley, who also doubled and scored an early run.

Grossmont scored twice in both of the first two trips to the plate, including a solo home run from senior Anthony Rex. However, the P{akc answered with three runs in the first before the contest became a fierce pitchers’ duel.

For West Hills, senior Braden Wilson went 0-for-2, but walked twice and scored both times.; Grossmont issued six free passes, plus committing four errors.

Driving in runs for the Wolf Pack were Shane Stevens, Nate Hikes and Joey Monetti. John Leija batted 3-for-3 and scored a run.

Santana 6, Bonita Vista 3

BONITA – In another battle not decided until the very end, visiting Santana rallied for five runs in the seventh to shock Bonita Vista, 6-3, on Saturday (Mar. 3).

The Barons were two outs away from a triumph, but the bullpen completely faltered.

Jayden Agramont slammed a hard grounder through the left side to score Luke Nash (lead walk), then Destin All-Fox walked to load the bases.

Next was Alex Giles, who lined a basehit to right field. However, because of the angle of the hit, both Josh Hixson (double) and Agramont came home to give Santana a 4-3 lead.

Two batters later, with two down, Landen Bailey a 2-run shot with a double out of the reach of the Barons center fielder for a 3-run cushion.

Agramont , who entered to pitch the sixth, then dominated th seventh. He struck out the first two Bonita Vista batters to give him three whiffs to ganer the victory ending the contest on a alzy fly ball to Hixson in right field

Hixson was the original Santana starting pitcher, allowing just three hits over four innings, but left with the ballgame tied at 1-all.

Glilex and Bailey both batted 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI fort Santana (2-0).

All of the Bonita Vista scoring courtesy of leadoff batter Adeel Torres, who slugged a solo homer and a 2-run triple, as the Barons dropped their opener following a series of rain-outs.

Valhalla 3, Mater Dei Catholic 1

RANCHO SAN DIEGO – Valhalla pitchers Mathew Ibrahim and Colton Stinkeoway combined on a 6-hitter as the Norsemen shut down visiting Mater Dei Catholic, 3-1, Saturday (Mar. 4).

Ibrahim lasted 6.1 innings to gain the victory. But when the sophomore got into troublein the seventh,, Stinkeoway needed a mere six pitches to regster the final two outs for the save.

MDC recorded its lone run in the forth in to pull even, buy single runs by the Norsemen over three consecutive innings (third thru fifth 00 proved t be the difference.

Granite Hills 4, Hilltop 1

CHULA VISTA – Granite Hills starting pitcher Kade Gaeir (Jr) overcame a sluggish start to cvlose with 4.2 innings of shutout ball, then Brenden Lewis tossed two frames of 1-hit ball for the save in the Eagles 4-1 decision oer host Hilltop, Saturday (ar. 4) at John Baumgardten Memorial Field.

Granite Hills scored twice in the third and fifth innings to move in front.

Run-scoring hits were provided by sophomore Parker Vance (2-run double), then single markers from senior Jacob Embleton and junior Camden Sos. Vance was the lone member of the Eagles with two hits.

Ramona 9, Canyon Crest 4

CARMEL HIGHLANDERS – The Ramona Bulldogs collected eight runs on just four hits over the first four innings, accepting making gifts from Canyon Crest in a 9-4 decision over the host Ravens on Saturday (Mar. 4).

Ramona finished with just five hits on the day,including two hits from Roman Webster, which featured a 2-run double.to take the lead for keeps in the third inning.

In addition, sophomore reston Conklin added an RBI and scored twice for the Bulldogs (1-1 overall). Canyon Crest slipped to 0-2.

Ramona threw a trio of young pitchers from the Class of ’25 or beyond, including sophomore Seth Gaines, who allowed just two runs (both unearned) over 4.2 inings to garner the triumph.

Scoreboard

West Hills 5, Grossmont 4 (walk-off winner)
Santana 6, Bonita Vista 3
Valhalla 3, Mater Dei Catholic 1
Granite Hills 4, Hilltop 1
Ramona 9, Canyon Crest 4
Moreno Valley 3, Foothills Christian 0
Oceanside 3, El Capitan 1
Torrey Pines 2, Patrick Henry 0

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