ROUNDUP: Eagles’ Fenn homers twice in win

By Ramon Scott
Updated: April 17, 2018

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA – Granite Hills’ JAKE FENN belted two home runs and the Eagles scored 11 runs over the final three innings to win their Grossmont Hills League opener over the host Foothillers Tuesday afternoon.

In the top of the fifth, Fenn hit a three-run home run with two out to tie the game.

Granite Hills sophomore CLAY FORDHAM was stellar in relief, getting the win with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five.

“Fordham came in and did a great job shutting down a very good hitting Grossmont team for four innings, allowing us to get back in the game,” Granite Hills coach JAMES DAVIS said. “We were down 6-2 at one point so to come back is a good sign.”

Granite Hills hadn’t played a game in almost two weeks but came out swinging to score a pair of runs in the top of the first as BRADLEY HARRIS singled home the game’s first run.

However, Grossmont scored four in the bottom of the inning behind RBI singles from TYLER PARENT and JASE RUSSELL and led 6-2 after three innings when Russell singled home another run.

Harris hit a home run in the top of the fourth to get the Eagles to within 6-3.

In the top of the sixth, Granite’s SEAN MCGREW singled for a pair of RBI and an 8-6 lead.on a 1-2 count, scoring two runs.

Fenn hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh for a 9-6 advantage.

Later in the seventh, TREVOR HAZELHURST drove in two runs with a single after McGrew drove in a run.

“Give all the credit to Granite Hills,” Grossmont head coach JORDAN ABRUZZO said. “They deserved to win and made the adjustments. I was outcoached and we were outplayed. It’s tough to find positives when you go from a 6-2 lead to giving up two touchdowns.”

Granite Hills (9-6) and Grossmont (10-7-1, 2-1 GHL) meet again on Thursday in El Cajon at 4.

EL CAPITAN 2, SANTANA 0 – The Vaqueros got into the Grossmont Hills League win column behind six stellar innings from University of Arizona-bound senior BLAKE PEYTON.

Peyton allowed three hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out ten.

Senior SHAYNE CUNNINGHAM came on for the final out and earned the save with fly-ball out.

El Capitan would get all the runs it would need in the bottom of the third inning, capped by an RBI double by AUSTIN BELL.

HUNTER MARKLE started the two-out rally with a base hit to center.

El Capitan’s STEVIE MONTEJANO singled and scored in the frame.

Santana pitcher BEN HART was nearly as strong as his counterpart, as he struck out eight El Cap batters with no earned runs and no walks.

“This was a good win for the Vaqueros,” El Capitan head coach CLAYTON CURO said. “Blake Peyton threw a great game and kept us in it. Austin Bell was solid behind the dish defensively and offensively.

El Capitan (5-12, 1-2 GHL) and Santana (4-11-1, 1-1-1 GHL) meet again on Thursday in Lakeside at 4.

“We will go back to work at practice tomorrow and prepare for Santana again on Thursday,” Curo said. “We need to focus on one game at a time.”

LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 3, HELIX 2 – The Highlanders may have been caught in the doldrums after their slow league start.

Helix has a league bye this week with Cathedral Catholic on deck Thursday, so the visiting Torreys took advantage for a non-league win in La Mesa.

The Scotties took a 2-1 lead in the third when ERIC SMELKO lined a single to center, then two batters later ZACK OWENS drove in Smelko with line single to center.

However, the Torreys took the lead back in the last of the fourth with a pair of runs and kept Helix at bay.

La Jolla Country Day’s Kai Acol singled home a run.

“I think we just need to go back to the basics,” Owens said. “We all love baseball because it’s fun and I think we all need to start having fun again. We are all in this together and we are a team. We are only as strong as our weakest link and I think we need to go back to playing for each other and not for ourselves.”

Senior BRANDON PETERSON had a hit for Helix, which managed just five singles.

“I don’t know the exact formula to getting us back on track but it starts with each one of us individually everyone on our team can be doing something better right now,” Peterson said. “We are struggling as a team very bad right now but it is part of the game. We need to find a way to gain our confidence back and get back to playing Helix baseball.

Helix’s AUSTIN KRETSCHMAR singled and walked.

“It seems this sort of struggle happens once every year,” Kretschmar said. “Coach Holland has said it happens to every team every year. With that said, we know we need to hit the restart button, trust our abilities, and come out with energy and play like we know how to play.”

Helix will host the section-rival Dons on Thursday at 4.

“We are scuffling we have zero confidence offensively,” Holland said. “We need some veterans to step up and be the guy and take the pressure off our young guys and pitching staff. It’s not for the lack of caring, trying, or working.

“We are just not as good as advertised at this point not saying we won’t be but we are not there now.”

CLASSICAL ACADEMY 10, FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 7 – The Knights had 15 hits including four from CORBIN HARRIS, but a furious rally from eight runs down in the final inning fell short as Foothills lost its Pacific League debut against the defending co-league champion.

Foothills Christian (10-9) scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and left the bases loaded when the rally subsided.

Knights junior JALANI BROWN had an RBI triple in the seventh, while teammate CHRIS STALLARD (2-for-4) drove in a pair of runs with a line single to left for the final margin.

BAILEY LEWIS had two hits, a run scored and an RBI for FCHS.

Classical Academy (9-7) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning, which it would end up needing.

The teams meet again on Thursday in Escondido at 4.

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 18, OCEAN VIEW CHRISTIAN 3 – The Red Hawks crushed Ocean View Christian to open their four-team Citrus Circuit slate.