Monte Vista breaks into the ‘W’ column

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 20, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

Monte Vista 9, La Jolla 4

SPRING VALLEY – Steele Canyon opned the week with it’s first victory. And now Monte Vista finally broke into tje victory coming in impressiv fashion.

The Monarchs (1-5), which suffered botgh the highs and lows of losing with a pair of 1-run setbacks and a pair of blowouts, were control from the start in downing visiting La Jolla, 9-4, at Monarchs Field.

Damian Ordaz smacked a 2-run double, when Monte Vista scored eight times in the sixth inning.

The Vikings (3-5) scored four in the third before Monte Vista answered in the fourth. But when the Monarchs sent 13 batters to the plate in their final trip to the plate, the first victory of the season was assured.

Monarchs starting pitcher Robert Vasquez tossed 1-hit ball over five of his six innings. Vasquez onlyh struck out three La Jolla batters, but more eimportanrly, did not issue a walk.

Adrian Gutierrez then got out of a jam in the seventh to seal the verdict.

Along with Ordaz, the Monarchs received doubles from McComb and Reuben Cabugwas. All three are seniors.

Ordaz and Reuben Cabugwas also scorfed twice.

Monte Vista also stole three bases, coming from Orlando Rupley, Ben Kuntz and freshman Tanner Meyer.

Patrick Henry 7, at Bonita Vista 2

BONITA – A shutout against defending CIFSDS Open Division champion Torrey Pines. Then Mt. Carmel. And on Wednesday (Mar. 19), add Bonita Vista.

Patrick Henry pitcher Brady Gunn added the Barons to impressive list f victimes this season, running his record to 3-0 after firing a 3-hitter in anither stellar outing.

Gunn struck out eight Bonita Vista batters over six innings, then sophomore Lukas Waite fired a 1-2-3 in the seventh to close out the win.

One thing, however. Sorry, scouts — Gunn is only a junior.

The scontest remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Patriots scored three times. The Barons answered with their two runs, but Henry added four more in the sixth.

Both rallies by Patrick Henry (4-1) were spurred by Ian Brooke, who drove in three runs with a home run and a double.

Three other Patriots — Tyson Bobo, Alex Mestman and Cody Cappelletti — also collected run-scoring basehits to hand Bonita Vista (2-4) its second straight setback.

Steele Canyon 10, Mira Mesa 5

JAMUL – The Steele Canyon Cougars could be isted asd the hottest ballclub in the Grossmont Conference.

Following a disastrous 24-game lositng streak, the Cougard sre now on the proper side of a 2-game winning streak after stopping the Mira Mesa Marauders, 10-5, by the Gret Wall of Jamul (beyonf left field).

Caden Davey registered two RBI on a pair of basehits, while Andrew Bravo also registered two RBI, but without the aidf of a basehit.

Logan Page also added an RBI double.

Mira Mesa (3-3) scored five times in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead. However, the Cougars (2-4) immediately tied the contest, then added five additional runs in the sixth for the triumph.

Four different Cougars — Cameron Leland, Julian Cervsntes, Davey and Oage 00 each scored two runs.

The bullpen received the pitching decsions with 2.2 innings of shutout relief. Senior Kaleb McCullough (1.2 frames) gained his first varsity win; Dylan Knopov garnered the save.

Christian 9, at Grossmont 1

FLETCHER HILLS – Following a series of three ballgames decided by a single run, the Christian Patriots displayed all three phases of their ballclun Wednesday (Mar. 19).

Senior pitcher Logan Major tossed a complete-game 2-hitter, his defense turned a double play, and the offense mounted a 9-0 nlead to stomp host Grossmont, 9-1, at Gizoni Field.

Major struck =out six Foothillers batters without issuing a walk, yielding just a pair of singles. However, ome came in the seventh inning by the Hillers’ Jr. Jacques to avoid the shutout bid.

Plus, thanks to the double play, Major faced just two batters above the minimum.

On offemse, the Patriots saw Xander Molina fall just short of the cycle. Along with a solo home run and an RBI triuoe, Molina batted 3-for-4 and scoring three times.

Major also added a pair of RBI basehits for Christian (4-1).

The Hillers (4-2) utilized five pitcheres, but none lastedmore than two frames in an early white-flag, bullpen outing.

West Hills 16, Francis W. Parker 1

SANTEE – The West Hills Wolf Pack registered their mostg lop-sided vitory against a San Diego County (not San Diego Section) in seven years, pasting the Francis Parker Lancers, 16-1, at Wolf Pack Park.

West Hills scored in all six of its trips to the plate – no statistics were reported at press time.

The Wolf Pack (2-4) snapped a 4-game losing streak.

Francis Parker, winless in two starts, received a two-run double from Kaiden Chambers.

The previously big win by West Hilld came in an 18-2 decision over Mount Miguel on Apr. 27, 2018. (Note: The scoring high mark does not include games against one particular Grossmont Conference opponent.)

Point Loma 2, at Helix 0

LA MESA — Defending CIF-San Diego Section Division 2 champion Point Loma rolled into town and shutout the Helix Highlanders, 2-0, on a combined 2- or 3-hitter.

That’s right. Once again these was a scoring discrepancy involvrf the Pointers head coach, which dates back to hsi days heaing the program at Santana.

[Name redacted] claims this pitchers allowed just two basehits. The Highlanders — the official scorekepper as home team — ruled the total was three.

Anyway, the credit goes to Matt Garrison (5.2 innings) and Luis Lara (1.1 for the save). Garrison struck out nine Scotties batters.

Point Loma (4-1) scored in the first and third innings, both on run-scoring hits by senior Branden Keeling. One was a double.

Helix (2-4) suffered from four walks, three hit batters anda pair of errors. However, the Scotties did receive two innings of shutout relief pitching from Matt Martinez and freshman Romeo Briones.

University City 6, at Santana 2

SANTEE — Frustrated Santana pitchers yielded just four hits, yet three errors allowed all sorts of unearned runs allowing visiting University City to benefit in a 6-2 tournament triumph.

In fact, Christian Levesque fired 3.2 frames of no-hit relief for the Sultans, yet was charged with an unearned run despite his effort. striking out three Centurions batters.

University City (5-1) saw three sophomores — Juel Del Rio (double), Thiago Quillan and Jayden Parker — collect RBI.

Santana (2-4) was led by Brandon Landers with two hits, including a run-scoring double.

The contest was marred by 11 walks, nine by the hosts in dropping their third straight.

San Ysidro 6, at Valhalla 1

RANCHO SAN DIEGO – San Ysidro pitcher Antonio Soto fired 5.2 innings of twohit-ball in an eventual four-hitter over the host Norsemen.

Soto struck out four Norsemen batters, but survived four walks in not allowing a run.

San Ysidro (6-5) scored four times in the fourth inning for a 6-0 lead; Valhalla (3-3) avoided the shutout with a run in the seventh.

Madison 9, at El Capitan 1

LAKESIDE – A quartet of Madison pitchers combined to fire a 4-hitter at El Capirtna in a 4-1 decision Wednesday (Mar. 19) at Hostetler Field.

For the Warhawks, Jack O’Toole and Easton Ochoa each drove in two runs.

The Vaqueros, down 5-0, answered in the third inning when Matthew Eckis singled and stole a base to eventually score.

Madison snapped El Cap’s three-game win streak, leaving both sides with 3-2 records.

The Rock 10, Liberty Charter 4

OCEAN BEACH – The Rock carried a shutout into the seventh inning in downing Liberty Charter, 10-4, at Presidio Little League.

Oddly, the Warriors (4-1) failed to report — and they won! So we openly thanked the Lions (1-4) for the game report.

In batting-around in the seventh, LCHS received RBI from Drake Keeh;, Brandon Pastore and frosh Jacob :J.J.” Jones.

Keehl also scored, along with Logan Hays, Andrew Godinez (2 hits) and Joaquiin Peterson.

Escondido Charter 9, at Foothills Christian 0

LAKESIDE – This one was no “jone-r.”

Escondido Charter pitcher Sam “Ceasar” Romero ruled by firing a no-hitter at the host Knights in Pacific League action at Matt LaChappa Field.

Romero struck out nine Knights batters, missing a perfect game by one batter when leadoff batter Kendall Hawks was safe on an error.

Romero also barely missed hitting for the cycle, clubbing a single, double and triple — good for three RBI — for the undefeated White Tigers (9-0 overall, 2-0). Foothills Christian fell to 3-5 in its league opener following a first-round bye.