Helix finally beats Santana; Valhalla wins Valley banner

By Ramon Scott
Updated: May 17, 2018

2018 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

LA MESA – In a game that took 46 days to complete, the Helix Highlanders finally won an important Grossmont Hills League game over the Santana Sultans, 8-7, in 10 innings.

The victory gives Helix (8-3 Grossmont Hills League, 20-8 overall) a one-game lead over second-place Granite Hills (7-4 GHL) with one game remaining.

The Highlanders and Eagles will meet on Thursday.

Helix won via a pair of walks, a sacrifice bunt, and a pair of errors in the bottom of the frame.

Senior BRANDON PETERSON drew a bases-loaded walk for the win, scoring junior DEVIN BAKER.

The Sultans were a thorn in the Scotties’ side this season, winning the other two regular-season meetings.

“I was just trying to find any way possible to score the game-winning run for my team,” Peterson said. “(After) falling behind 0-2 In the count, I knew that I had to stay relaxed and confident at the plate. I was able to foul off a few pitches and draw the walk-off walk.”

The teams played nine innings back on April 10, but the game was suspended after nine innings with the score tied at 7-apiece.

The teams may have been resigned to a tie had the result not been a factor in the GHL pennant chase.

But with the title still to be decided, the teams agreed to finish the game at Helix on Wednesday.

In the final game tally, Peterson finished with a pair of RBI, while sophomore teammate ALONZO RICHARDSON had a home run, a double, and three RBI overall.

Stanford-bound senior AUSTIN KRETSCHMAR got the win, pitching one inning on Wednesday. He was in the game when the contest was suspended, having pitched two-thirds of an inning.

Helix hosts Granite Hills on Thursday at 4.

“We just want to continue playing good baseball,” Peterson said. “We are going to need each and every one of us to contribute in some way tomorrow in order to get the ‘W’ and a league championship.

“We have two great pitchers on the mound and it should be a good one,” Peterson said.

Santana senior BRANDON GLOWACKI hit two home runs in the game back in April, as he finished with four hits and four RBI for the contest.

VALHALLA 23, EL CAJON VALLEY 8 – The Braves traded runs with the Norsemen over the first four innings before Valhalla pulled away to capture the Grossmont Valley League championship on Wednesday.

The Norsemen, who have now won 13-straight games, led 11-8 after 3 1/2 innings.

Valhalla (13-1 Grossmont Valley League, 17-11 overall) scored 11 runs in the fifth inning to coronate its title.

Valhalla leadoff man JACOB BARBA, a senior, had two doubles, scored three times and drove in three runs.

Barba’s two-run double in the bottom of the fifth, extended Valhalla’s lead to 15-8.

TANNER SMITH, MAX HAGEMAN, and CAMERON ZAMUDIO each drove in a pair of runs for Valhalla.

Zamudio scored four runs, as did sophomore teammate KYLE CASPER. Casper had a steal of home in the second inning.

Credit Valhalla freshman pitcher TREY HENIGE for finally stemming the Braves’ offense.

Henige pitched three shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out two.

El Cajon Valley sophomore CHRISTIAN VASQUEZ, a transfer from Grossmont, drove in four runs.

Vasquez had a two-run double which tied the game at 4-all int he top of the third inning. He had a single to right in the top of the first to make it 1-0 Braves.

The Braves’ PAULO MICHEL, a senior, had a two-run double in the top of the fourth which closed the Valhalla lead to 11-7.

The Norsemen took advantage of 13 walks and nine El Cajon Valley errors.

“The bats did come alive today but we didn’t play well defensively,” El Cajon Valley head coach CLIFTON THOMAS said. “Had we played better on defense, the result could have been much different.

Valhalla closes at home on Thursday with a hungry Monte Vista team, which will be looking to pick up a first-round playoff bye with a upset win on the road.

The Braves, meanwhile, are at Mount Miguel, looking for that elusive league victory.

“We have a good group of boys that have come a long way but we still are trying to avoid the costly mistakes that have plagued us all season,” Thomas said. “We’re going to regroup, and try to pull one out before the regular season comes to an end.”