Going… going… Gomez powers Foothillers

By Ramon Scott
Updated: March 23, 2021

2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

EastCountySports.com

LA MESA – The Grossmont Foothillers out-slugged the visiting Coronado Islanders, 19-11, in the season opener on Monday afternoon at Gizoni Field.

Grossmont scored nine runs in the bottom of the fourth to break a 4-all tie. Both teams had scored four runs in the second inning, including a grand slam by the Foothillers’ Isaiah Gomez.

Gomez finished with a team-high four hits, including a pair of doubles to go along with his round-tripper.

“I just stuck to my approach and got some good pitches to hit,” Gomez said. “It was a great team win.”

Gomez is poised to have a great season. A four-year varsity player, he was hitting .417 over the first seven games of last season before the pandemic shutdown. The homer was the fourth of his career.

“I was just so happy to be back on the field with my teammates for Opening Day at Grossmont,” Gomez said, “It was the best feeling ever before the game.”

The sixth inning featured even more runs, as the teams combined for 11 markers.

Coronado scored six times in the sixth to close Grossmont’s lead to 14-11.

Evan Vasiliou homered in the sixth and drove in four runs on the day for Grossmont.

“It was a fastball away and I knew it was gone off the bat, what a feeling,” Vasiliou said. “It was great being back in the dugout with a great group of guys.”

Max Cadwalader had three hits and drove in two runs for the Foothillers.

Gomez, Vasiliou, and Cadwalader all scored three runs each.

“You can’t get Isaiah out,” Vasiliou said. “He’s super competitive every at-bat and will make you pay if you leave one over the plate.”

It was Vasiliou who earned the pitching win, as well, striking out six in four innings of work, allowing just one earned run.

“My changeup was working very well, as well as, my slider,” Vasiliou said. “It’s great to get that first win for the team out of the way.”

Senior Ethan Dilgard pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to close it out for the Hillers.

EASTLAKE 16, MONTE VISTA 0 – The Eastlake Titans were a tough out for the Monte Vista Monarchs in the season-opener Monday in the South Bay.

What makes getting outs even tougher is when your pitchers put men on base via a walk.

Monte Vista pitchers issued 14 free passes to one of – if not the – county’s best teams.

Eastlake scored two in the first and led 8-0 after two innings en route to the decisive win.

Meanwhile, the Monarchs managed just one hit – by Ernie Arambula. He also stole second.

The hit came in the fourth inning as Eastlake pitcher Ray Cebuski, a senior headed to Long Beach State, was nearly-perfect, retiring every other batter for Monte Vista, striking out 11.

For good measure, he also drove in four runs with a pair of hits, including a double.

Seniors Marcelo Mayer and Nick Rocha homered for the Titans.

“Eastlake is a really good team and we made too many mistakes to compete,” Monte Vista head coach Craig Neu said. “We have a tough veteran group that understands how to play through adversity so wi will bounce back from this. We didn’t show it today, but over the course of the season, it will be evident.”

OTAY RANCH 4, HELIX 2 – The teams both scored a run in the first in Monday’s opener, but the Mustangs picked up three decisive runs in the fourth.

The Highlanders managed just two hits, including an RBI single by James Whitman, which drove in Trevor Young in the first.

Wyatt Laub drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the sixth, but the Scotties couldn’t extend the rally.

Layton Wirschem pitched 2 1/2 scoreless innings for Helix, allowing one hit while striking out two.

MADISON 5, STEELE CANYON 3 – Madison scored four runs in the first, which proved to be the decisive inning in the Opening Day win over the visiting Cougars, who managed just two hits.

Jake Entrekin brought Steele back into the game with a two-run home run in the third inning to make it a 4-3 ball game. He also drew a pair of walks.

The Cougars were shaky on defense in the opening inning, which led to a 30-pitch frame for Steele Canyon starter Vencel Kalasho, who went five innings, allowing just one unearned run before reaching a pitch count. He finished with four strikeouts.

“My changeup and my curveball were working well,” Kalasho said. “I was able to throw a quick fastball which had them guessing. I was asking to stay in but my coach said it was too early in the season to throw over 100 pitches.

“We need to keep our heads up because this is only the first game and it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

CLAIREMONT 5, EL CAPITAN 3 – Cole Winsor, Jake Bergherm, and Brody McAuliffe each drove in a run for the Vaqueros.

Bergherm had a double in the top of the fifth to bring El Capitan to within 4-3.

Jaylin Padilla pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for El Capitan.

Zach Daudet hit a two-run home run in the second inning for the Chieftains to spark them to a 3-2 lead.

Henry Connell struck out nine El Cap hitters over five innings of relief.

WESTVIEW 9, VALHALLA 4 – Valhalla scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to scrape back from a 6-0 deficit after the Wolverines scored five in the top half of the inning.

Sophomore Andres Hernandez had three hits, driving in a run, and scoring a run for the Norsemen.

Junior Nick Medrano had a hit and an RBI for Valhalla (0-1).

Senior Matt Tellous logged the innings on the hill, striking out five while walking just one in a durable effort.

Westview senior Kainoa Williams homered.