After a half-century, Torrey tops Granite

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 23, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTYY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships
Open Division

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

CARMEL HIGHLANDS – This is the 50th season of vatsty sports at Torrey Pines High School — the same goes for Valhalla. Ober the half-century, Torrey’s Falcons have captured perhaps as many championships in the wideest variety of sports than any San Diego SEcytion school.,

HBut there are excpetions.

For some reason, Torrey Pines has never, ever defeated Granite Hills in baseball.

Because of the double-eliminhqation feature add to the playoffs in recent season, the Falcons have captured a game or two,, but a series to advance — never.

The streak of exactly 60 full seasons ended on Wednesday (MNay 22).

On the very same field where the Eagles fired a no-hitter at the higther-seeded Falcons in the 1981 playoffs to start Torrey’s reign of futility, the Faslcons finally changed course.

In a mammoith pitchers’ duel, the Falcons broke through with three runs in the sixth inning to shutout Granite Hills, 3-0, eliminating the Eagles and sending Torrey Pines to the Open Dividsion chamoionship gamne, ot be held Thursday at UC San Diego’s Triton Field.

Re-writing history was Falcons pitcher Peyton Rodgers, who struck out right Eagles batters without a walk in tossing a four-hit shutout.

Rodgers only faced 24 batters — three above the minimum — after being backed by a douber play.

Granite Hills’ Brenden Lewis, the leading canidate for East County player of the year, also fired a complete-game two-hitter to an equally solid starting effort on the mound.

However, Lewis, who was firing his own one-hit shutout through five frames, was tagged for three unearned runs in the sixth to suffer the hard-luck setback.

The decisive inning started innocently enough when Liam Moran sent a ground single to left field with ne down.

However, instead of the Eagles turning their own doublre play, an error llowed Rodgers to reach base, then another infield error allowed Ryder Young to laod the bases.

The nev=rves and ressure on the ranite Hills then exploded. A third ifferent infielder made a third straight error in anoither ground ball by Thomas Maher, with two runs scoring.

Jack Swanberg followed with a sacdrifice fly to left field for the third run, but the damage was done: Three runs, one hit, three errors.

The Eagles’ four hits were collected by senior Trevor Smith, and juniors Noah Figuered, Parker Vance and Tommy Entrekin.

Granite Hills fiishes 22-7 oiverall under veteran head coach James Davis. Meanwhile, Torrey Pines (22-10) advance to meet Rancho Bernardo (24-7) for thre section crown.

The Brocos advance after stopping Cathedral Catholic, 9-3, in their own playback final on Wednesday.