GHL: Foothillers trip ’22 champion Eagles

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 29, 2023

UPDATED

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

ECS staff report

FLETCHER HILLS – Early in the century, community college football coaches offered what they thought was a brilliant idea: place all of the 16-to-18 power schools into just two conference to determine what program was the best.

However, the egos of these collective coaches got in the way.

Following just two seasons, schools which normally post marks of 7-3, 8-2 or even 9-1 started to lose. Why? Because when traditionally successful programs play each other, half will win and half will not.

And the system reverted to close of the old pattern by near-unanimous vote.

Could CIF baseball be considering the same thing?

Although no one is stating so on the record, more than a half-dozen coaches inferred that all Division I schools playing each other has a rash of quality programs unable to win this season.

Many schools are already off to mediocre starts, like Grossmont, which started 0-3 and limped into the Grossmont Hills league season with a sub-.500 record and anything but a favorite to earn the championship.

But then again,you do need to play the games.

“Sure, it’s been a difficult season,” Grossmont head coach Bryce Mosier said after snapping the season-opening winless streak. :But we keep working and grinding, working as hard as we can.”

Such efforts paid fruit on Tuesday (Mar. 28).

Meeting defending GHL champion Granite Hills, the Foothillers barely made a 4-0 lead stanfup for a 3-2 upset of the Eagles at Gizoni Field.

Grossmont tallied three times in the third inning, then stavred several Eagles rallied to barely hold on — but that’s just life if you’re a Division I ballclub.

Anthony Box-Augustine started the rally with a solo home run. Later in the third, Justin Tucker (single) and Jacob Lanza (ground out) offered RBI to mount a 3-0 lead.

Granite Hills rebounded immediately with two runs in the fourth.. Sophomore Tommy Entrekin singled home a run, then another run came home on an error. Otherwise, Grossmont pitchers Cody White (6 IP, win) and Aidan Dilgard 1 IP, save) kept the damage to a minimum.

white struck out three Eaglesm but more importantly, walked just one. Dilgard survived an early basehit and a walk in the seventh, stranding the potential game-tying run in scoring position.

Granite Hills senior Nico Tomasello pitched a complete-game 5-hitter, but the one pitch to Box-Augustine may have been the difference to determine the winner.

Grossmont (5-6 overall, 1-0 GHL) saw Tucker register two of the Hillers three stolen bases, while Nico Tomasello (Sr) recorded two of the ballclub’s five hits.

Granite Hills (5-2, 0-1 GHL) received two hits each from seniors Camden Sos and Jacob Embleton, but no one was on base to drive home. Both are hitting with percentage points of .400 so far this season.

Santana 1, Steele Canyon 0

SANTEE – An unearned run n the second inning broke up a brilliant pitching dual and give Santana a narrow 1–0 nod over visiting Steele Canyon in the Grossmont Hills League opener for both squads on Tuesday (Mar. 28).

Luke Nash was able to scramble home for the game’s lone run. Through a series of events, including a fielder’s choice and an unassisted put out by the catcher, Nash would reach third base, then score on a balk.

Steele Canyon senior Branden Jackel, East County’s lone 4-0 pitcher entering the week, was tagged with a difficult setback on one of two errors committed by the Cougars. He struck out five Sultans and walked just one.

Zander Allen-Fox would register two of Santana’s six hits off Jackel.

Meanwhile, Destin Allen-Fox fired a 3-hit shutout for Santaa, striking out 8 Cougars batters. He walked two batters in the first, one of only two runners to reach scoring position.

The other came in the second when J.T. Hendrie lined a leadoff single to right field, was sacrifice to second on a Ethan Browne bunt, but was also stranded.

The only Cougars basehits were compiled by .J.T. Hendrie and Tommy Rimoldi — both singles.

Santana moved to 7-2 (1-0 GHL; Steele Canyon is now 6-6 overall (0-1 GHL).