Different strokes for Grossmont folks

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: April 19, 2023

2023 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

ECS staff report

A look at East County high school baseball action fromTuesday (Apr. 18):

Grossmont 8, Steele Canyon 7 (walk-off)

FLETCHER HILLS – There’s a baseball axion about hitting a “bloop and a bomb” when trailing by two runs. But the other way around?

That’s what the Grossmont Foothills would to to not only win a ballgame but perhaps transform its season. The Foothillers would rally twice in the late innings to stun Steele Canyon, 8-7, in Tuesday’s (Apr. 18) Grossmont Hills League battle at Gizoni Field.

Grossmont senior Sammy Danto smacked a game-tying, leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh inning , then Jackson Harris blooped a basehit over the head of the Steele Canyon first baseman to lift the Hillers to a dramatic victgory.

The Hillers actually needed to rally twice..

Trailing 6-5 in the sixth, Harris was hit by a pitch to lead off, then was sacrifice to seocnd on a Jacib Lanza bunt.Three pitches later, Cody Bigley lined an RBI basehit to left field.

Steele Canyon rebounded by turning an inning-ending double play, then started a two-out rally in the seventh. The go-ahead run started on a single by a Tommy Rimoldi single, Tommy Molina was hit by a pitch, then then J.T. Hendrie delivered anRBI basehit on a liner to right.

Look out, GHL – Grossmont, which opened the season with a 4-10 record, it now 2-0 in league play ad sit just a half-game behind Santana

Anthony Box registered a pair of RBI, while Mac Cervantes,Brayden Bennett and Bigley each had two hits..

Steele Canyon(10-8 overall, 1-3 GHL) received three RBI from Molina, while Matt Marshall and Rimoldi had two hits each.

Granite Hills 7, Helix 1

EL CAJON – Granite Hills second baseman Brenden Lewis started a 3-for-4 outing with a leadoff home run inthe first inning, leading the Eagles to a gate-to-wire triumph over visiting Helic.

Third baseman Camden Sos and second baseman Nico Figuered (double) both collected a pair of RBI, while Tommy Entrekin also smacked a double to support the pitching of Lewis. The righ-hander allowed a run on two hits in six innings, then Chandlet Henry mopped up in the seventh in his slow return from injury.

Granite Hills (9-5 overall, 2-2 GHL) has won 3-of-4. Helix (2-12, 0-3 GHL) received two hits from first baseman Grant Yturralde.

Santana 3, Westview 2

DEL SUR – The Santana Sultans rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to stop the Westview Wolverine, 3-2, in an Tuesday’s (Apr. 18) important non-league game with serious CIF playoff implications.

Sultans senior pitcher Josh Hixson fired 6.1 innings, but Westview placed the potential tying and winning runs on base in the seventh. However, Zander All-Fox entered to retire the final two Wolverines batters to garner the big save.

Ryan Pumariega and Lucas Kelly bothdoubles and scoredfor the Sultans. The RBI came from Alex Giles and Caden Corderman. All four are senors.

Santana (10-5), the Grossmont Hills League leaders, continues its break from the GHL slate with another important contest, hosting powerful St. Augustine (12-3) o the Open Division postseason field.n Wednesday. The contest could determine

Christian 10, Clairemont 2

EL CAJON – The Christian Patriots rebounded from a surprising loss in the first game of this three-game series with Clairemont by whipping the Chieftains, 10-2, Tuesday (Apr. 18) in Eastern League competition.

The Patriots are tied for first with La Jolla, which technically holds the lead on percentage points. The final contest in the set is slated for Friday at “Ridgmont” High.

Christian raced to a 7-0 lead, capped by four runs in the fourth inning to assume immediate control.

After Clairemont avoided the shutout, Christian third baseman Johnny Rocco belted a two-run homer. Earlier, catcher Xavier Farnum sluuged a pair of double., good for a pair of RBI.

Winning pitcher Ashton McCurty struck out seven Chieftains batters over his six innings, yielding just two hits. McCurty opened the contest with 3.2 frames of no-hit ball. Nate Cerna tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to — two ground balls than a shallow pop out — seal the verdict.

First baseman Benji Molina and Farnum each registered two hits for the C-Pats.

Scoreboard

Grossmont Hills League
Grossmont 8, Steele Canyon 7 (walk-off)
Granite Hills 7, Helix 1
Bye – Santana
Non-League
Santana 4, at Westview 3
Grossmont Valley League
Valhalla 4, Monte Vista 0
Mount Miguel at West Hills, no report
Bye – ECVHS, El Capitan
Eastern League
Christian 10, Clairemont 2
Scripps Ranch 8, at Coronado 5
Bye — La Jolla
Western League
Patrick Henry 12, at Point Loma 9
Cathedral Catholic 4, Madison 1
Bye – St. Augustine (Wed. at Santana)
Summit League
Bayfront Charter at Mountain Empire, no report