Borrego Springs cliams Manzanita

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: April 30, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY BASEBALL

ECS staff report

Manzanita eague

Borrego Springs 17, Warner 6 (5 inn.)

WARNER SPRINGD – In oirder for Borrego Springs High to be the best in the Manzanita Legaue, they wanted to do so by also making a statement.

The mesage has been heard.

Needing to simply play a mere five innings, Borrego Soprings (12-6 overall, 8-1 league) clinched their first Manzanita crown since 2017 — they outlasted Julian by one full hame — after whipping the host Warner Wildcats, 17-6.

Wes Sexton belted a key, three-run triple to ignite the offense, then Chris Alcaraz added a two-run triple when the Rams mounted 13 runs in the third inning to snap a 4-4 tie andinvoke the optional run rule.

However, the overall batting leader was Alejandro Morales, who posted a pair of two-run singles for a total of four RBI. Morales also scored twice.

Setting the table were A.B. Arambula and Chris Alcaraz, scoring three times each.

Mountain Empire won’t officially celebrate until Thursday, when they entertain defending league champion Vincent Memorial of Calexsico, which can claim a shre of the title with a victory.

Manzanita League

Borrego Springs..... 9-1 (12-6)
Vincenet Memorial... 3-2 (4-6)
Julian Eagles....... 2-3 (3-4)
Warner Wildcats..... 0-8 (0-11)
West Shores......... season vacated

sUMMIT League

Mountain Empire 6, Liberty Charter 5

BUCKMAN SPRINGS – Liberty Cjarter, which has trailed Mountain Empire by just a small margin in the Summit League allseason, saw Tuesday’s (Apr. 30) mirror the entire season.

Trailing by three, the Lions rallied to get even, but Mountain Empire answered with three runs in the fifth inning to eventuqlly take a 6-5 decision.

The verdict eliminated three teams from the league pennant race, with just one school remaining bfore the RedHawks cann officially claim a championship.

Liberty Charter always seems to be a half-step behind the RedHawks, including the Lions’ second comeback effort. Once down 3-0l, they pulled event at 4-all. Then down 6-3, they scored tewice in the sixth, yet fell one marker short in their vever-say-die attempt to rally.

Mountain Empire (11-s overall, 5-0 league) owmns just one remaining challenger in Chula Vista High Tech (2-1).

For Liberty Charter, Jaxon Adrain smacked a solo home run, his third of the season and ninth of his career.

Meanwhile, Drake Keehl batted 3-for-4 with an RBI.

MEHS failed to report individual statistics. The RedHawks can clinch at least a tie for the Summit title if they can deferat CVHTH on Friday at home, starting at 4 p.m.

Summit League

Mountain Empire...... 5-0 (11-2)
CV-High Tech......... 2-1 (7-10-1)
Liberty Charter...... 3-3 (6-13)
Ocean Viw Christian.. 1-3 (5-5)
CV-L1-8CC............... 0-4 ()

Valley League

Ramona 2, Mission Vista 1 (10 inn.)

OCEANSIDE – From 2013-16, plus the 2019 season, the Mission Vista Timberwolces — one of North County;’s newest oubklic schools– were understandably placed in a small-school division with Ramona.

In baseball, Ramona dominated by winning all 15 contests.

So when North County Conference officials tinkered with realigment last summer, the T-Wolves were reunited with the Bulldosg for the first time in five years.

Although Mission Vista was definitely more competitive, the results remained the same.

Ramona scored a run in the 10th inning, nopping the T-Woldves in a Valley League ballgame, securing a 16th consecutive victory in the series.

The score was the third one-run game ever bwteen the schools.

Both sides scored in the fifth inning, with Raniba;s ry=un coming unearned. Then in extras, Matt Parker knocked in the decidig run.

In an another extreme, despite a pitch count, Dagws pitcher Tait Karlson fired a complete game for the win.

Karlson struck out eight T-Wolves batters, but with no walks, he barely stayed under the pitch limit to gain the victory. He allowed just five hits to run his record to 5-3.

Despite the series history, Ramona’s victory is considered an upset, knocking Mission Vista out odf a first-place tie with El Camino in gth Valley League.

Valley League

El Camino........ 8-3 (18-8)
Mission Vista.... 5-4 (13-10)
Escondido........ 4-5 (10-13)
Valley Center.. . 4-6 (12-11)
Ramona........... 3-6 (10-12-1)