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HILLS: Sultans officially stun Scotties
- Updated: April 13, 2018
Santana freshman TYLER GLOWACKI delivers on Thursday. / photo by Tammy Ryan - TRYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
2018 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
EastCountySports.com staff report
SANTEE – The future just became the now for TYLER GLOWACKI and the Santana Sultans.
Glowacki, a freshman left-hander, pitched a complete game and drove in a run, leading Santana to a 2-1 win over sixth-ranked Helix in a Grossmont Hills League game on Thursday afternoon.
The Sultans, mired in a 3-11 non-league start, already stunned Helix on Tuesday in a 7-all tie game in La Mesa.
However, Thursday’s win immediately supplanted the Highlanders from second place in the first week of the league season and inserted the Sultans directly into this year’s pennant chase.
Santana’s BEN SAMPSON slides home with the Sultans second run on Thursday. / photo by Tammy Ryan – TRYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
“I felt this win was very good for our team because we needed this motivation to believe that we can do this,” Glowacki said. “I thought our team did very well because we worked as a whole.”
Glowacki, a former Lakeside National LL star who hit four home runs with 10 RBI in a District 41 11-12 all-star game nearly three years ago, has allowed just one earned run in his last three starts (19 innings).
“I feel we are gonna take this momentum and go for El Cap next,” Glowacki said.
Glowacki outdueled four Highlander hurlers, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out three.
Santana senior TC SIMMONS had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
“It feels great,” Simmons said. “We knew going in that (Helix) is a great team, but if we stuck to our game plan we would have a good shot.”
Helix put two men on in the second, but Glowacki coaxed a double-play grounder. The Highlanders had a pair of lead singles in the fifth, but following a sacrifice bunt, Glowacki got out of it with a pop out and a strikeout.
Santana’s BRANDON GLOWACKI stretches for the throw, as Helix’s DEVIN BAKER runs by the bag. / photo by Tammy Ryan – TRYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Simmons scored the game’s first run on Glowacki’s infield RBI single after he originally singled to lead off the bottom of the third.
Juniors BEN HART and BRANDON GLOWACKI followed Simmons’ single with base hits of their own, loading the bases with no outs.
“(Helix) has a great pitching staff all-around so as hitters, we just wanted to be aggressive and don’t miss the fastball,” Simmons said.
The Highlanders tied the game in the last of the sixth when senior ERIC SMELKO led off with a line double to left, then two batters later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior CAMERON KANE.
Helix (0-1-1 GHL) 11-5-1) is off from league play next week but will host La Jolla Country Day and No. 5 Cathedral Catholic in non-conference contests on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, at 4.
GROSSMONT 8, EL CAPITAN 2 – The eighth-ranked Foothillers kept up their hit parade against the Vaqueros, putting up seven runs in the second inning to sweep the two-game home-and-home Grossmont Hills League set on Thursday at Gizoni Field.
Grossmont senior CHRIS GIOVENGO smacked a three-run home run to cap the damage as the Hillers scored all seven runs after two were out.
“I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and worked myself into a 3-2 count, Giovengo said. “Our team did really well against their starter because we were being patient and not chasing.”
Junior KEONI VALDEZ and sophomore GIO GIGANTI had back-to-back two-run singles to get the scoring going in the second. Valdez added a sacrifice fly in the second inning.
“Keoni did a good job with the bases loaded with two outs by getting a hit and driving in two runs that kept the inning alive,” Giovengo said.
Grossmont junior ZAK FARRIS had a double and scored in the second and third inning.
“Offensively, we executed well,” Abruzzo said. “Clutch two-out RBIs will win you a lot of games.”
Grossmont junior starter JACK HYDE, who allowed two runs, struck out seven and walked none over 6 2/3 innings, was appreciative of the run support.
“We are hitting very well right now,” Hyde said. “I think if we keep it up and our pitching stays consistent I feel we can beat anyone.”
Hyde won his fourth game of the season. He has 28 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings.
“The difference today was that Jack established the inside part of the plate,” Grossmont head coach JORDAN ABRUZZO said. “When you can go hard inside, it opens up the entire plate later on. Jack was able to execute and he threw a ton of strikes.”
Credit El Capitan junior AUSTIN BELL with a solid job in relief, allowing just one hit over three innings.
Vaquero senior SHAYNE CUNNINGHAM had three hits off of Hyde, while senior teammate HUNTER MARKLE singled home runs in the third and seventh inning.’
El Capitan (0-2 GHL, 4-11) will host Santana (1-0-1 GHL, 4-11-1) on Tuesday on 4 in the next Hills League contest.
Grossmont (2-0 GHL, 10-5-1) is slated to travel to meet 13th-ranked Francis Parker (12-5) on Saturday at 11.
