Griffins ace Heider sticks it to Mesa

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: April 13, 2023

Grossmont College pitcher Ethan Heider / Courtesy, Mo Okita (@CSDPhotoBooth619 on Instagram)

2023 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL

ECS staff report

KEARNY MESA – Skipping through the archives of the California Community College Athletic Association website, Wednesday’s (Apr. 12) make-up game between Grossmont and San Diego Mesa colleges might make a professional model blush — way too much make-up,.

The game was delayed, postponed and sometimes cancelled more than a half-dozen times over the past month — rain, flooded field or Mesa illness — yet was finally completed. But a look at the boxscore made it seem only one team actually arrived.

That ballclub was Grossmont, which secured an early lead and kept on mounting the runs to stick it to the Olympians, 10-3. The teams were tied at 2-all after an inning, then the Griffins rolled up eight straight times to pull away.

Griffins pitcher Ethan Heider , the ace of the staff, overcame a slow start to pitcher seven strong innings to run his record to 5-1. Heider blanked Mesa over the final 6.1 innings of his appearance, then Dylan Vail followed with two solid frames to close out the victory.

The make-up game was significant to the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference race, Both clubs entered tied for third place, thus Grossmont (15-12 overall, 8-7 PCAC) holds an uoper-hand on Mesa (9-21, 7-8 PCAC) for a possible CCCAA state playoff berth.

Palomar (2-5- overall) has all-but-clinch the pennant both a perfect 16-0 mark,but the Griffins now have their collective eyes on second-place Southwester, standing just 2.5 games behind the Jaguars.

With 10 ballgames remaining., Grossmont still meets SWC three times: Apr. 18 at home, then a home-and-raod series on Apr. 20-21. Grossmont also owns a three-game set with Imperial Valley, so the Griffins definitely owns the schedule advantage.

The Grossmont power was on display throughout the contest.

Right fielder Ethan Caschetta, the lead-off batter, belted his seventh home run of the season. The blast came in the ninth inning. Caschetta batted 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a walk.

First baseman Zavien Watson 2 posted a pair of triples, while the Griffins received doubles from Ethan Caschetta; Brodie Romero and Noah Lane in a 15-hit attack.

For Mesa, lead-off batter and center fielder Andrew Gauna collected a pair of doubles and a walk, scoring twice.