Home runs, twins, spurring on Santana

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: April 13, 2023

Santana starts a gamr-ending double play to stop Helix, 6-2 / Photo by Nick Pellegrino

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL / GHL

MORE TO COME

ECS staff report

The Grossmont Hills League wrsap for Wednesday (Apr.12):

Santana 6, Helix 2

LA MESA – Twenty-four hours — those were the best time of the 2022 seasons for the Santana Sultans

After defeating Granite Hills to rake over leadership of the Grossmont Hills League, everything seemed to collapse around them, eventually finishing in the middle of the pack while Granite Hills recovered to take the league pennant, advancing to the CIF section championship game, then a berth in the CIF Southern California regional.

Considering how close they came, the Sultans seem determined to let history repeat.

Displaying rare power along with solid pitching, Santana received home runs from senior Alex Giles and junior Bradley Phillips to subdue host Helix, 6-2, in GHL action Wednesday (Apr. 12).

In the power display started in the fifth innng with Helix clinging all game with a 1-0 lead in the first.

Phillips stroked a leadoff single, scoring on a booming double to center field by Lucas Kelly. Three batters later, Giles went to left with a 3-run shot that barely carried beyond the barrier for the go-ahead blast and a 4-1 lead.

An inning later, hillips also put the ball the fense, but barely, as his 2-run shot made it 6-1. The homer on on the first pitch after Caden Corderman was struck in the waist by a pitch.

The blows made easy for for the Allen-Fox twins — starter Destin and reliever Zander. “DAF” was only touched for a pair of unearned runs in six innings. He struck out 10 Scotties batters.

“DAT” tossed the seventh, overcoming a lead single by coaxing a game-ending, double play grounder to Kelly at second base. The relay then went to shortstop Jayden Agramont, and then to “DAF,” who was relocated at first base.

QUOTES TO COME

Granite Hills 3, Steele Canyon 2

EL CAJON – It’s been more than two weeks since Granite Hills dropped its Grossmont Hills League opener to Grossmont, leaving the Eagles stewing for their next GHL opponent to correct the mistake.

Plus, the praise being givne to Steele Canyon after capturing their flight of the Lions Tournament was also bothering them, so the Eagles were more than motivated when they finally took the field on Wednesday (Apr. 12).

In a see-saw affair which saw a series of lead changes between ballclubs that were both 0-1 in league play, Granite Hills registered the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, defeating Steele Canyon, 5-4,.

Junior second baseman Noah Figuered delivered the clutch, two-out line single to drive home the go-ahead run. Brenden Lewis then capped his three innings of 1-hiut relief by setting the Cougars down in order in the seventh to gain the victory.

The contest went back-and-forth all afternoon. The Cougars took a 1-0 lead, Granite Hiulls answered for a 3-1 advantage, then Steele Canyn re-took the lead at 4-3. However, single runs in the fourth and sixth by the Eagles orvied to be the difference.

In the fourth, Tommy Entrekin slapped a hard roller past the third baseman for a one-out single, scoring moments kater on a double, aslso to left field, by Parker Vance. Both are sophomores.

Then in the sixth, a slight mistakes proved to tbe difference.

Parker Vance, yet another Eagles sophomore, was hit by a pitch with one down. Vnce moved to second when Steele Canyon couldn’t turn a double play and threw out the batter at first.

Figuered then lined a 1-1 curvall to left for the go-ahead run.

Lewis tghen capped his work out of the bullpen by retiring the final five Cougars batters. Lewis struck out four batters.

Meanwhile, starting Eagles pitcher Chandler Henry, who missed a pair of starts with an undisclosed injury, struck out five over his fvour innings before being lifted as he regains his strength.

For Granite Hills (8-4 overall, 1-1 GHL), first baseman Jacob Embleton finished with two RBI, on a pair of run-scoring hits.

Steele Canyon (9-7, 0-2 GHL) only managed three hits but one of them was huge. Senior left fielder Mark Marshall bombed a 2-run homer in the fourth for a 4-3 lead.

Meanwhile, J.T. Hendrie added a double for the Cougars.