Sos leads Eagles to win over Longhorns

By Nick Pellegrino
ECS staff writer

EL CAJON – Like father, like son.Another second-generation ballplayer is coming out of the East County ranks, instilling his mark on Grossmont Conference baseball.

Granite Hills shortstop Camden Sos batted 3-for-4 and knocked in a career-best three RBI, helping the Eagles pound on visiting Rancho Buena Vista, 13-1, on Thursday (Apr. 8).

Sos, a sophomore, produced a 2-run single, an RBI single, and when he led off an inning he drilled a double and eventually scored from the No. 2 slot in the batting order.

“I’m seeing the ball pretty well and I took advantage of the pitcher’s mistakes today,” Sos said.

Sos’ father is Brian Sos, who did not play high school ball, yet 20-plus years later remains the career home run leader for Grossmont College. The father is also the career home run and RBI for the San Diego (Barona) Stars semipro baseball/summer collegiate team.

Camden Sos spent several seasons as the Stars’ enthusiastic bat boy, learning the game from players with collegiate and professional experience, Obviously, he was paying attention.

“We are locked in and we want to get as many runs for our pitchers as we can,” Sos said. “It’s nice to know when you have a great pitcher in Austin Smith who can limit the runs. That helps a great hitting team become better.”

Rancho Buena Vista scored first, then the Eagles ran off 13 unanswered runs. They secured the lead at 2-1 by the fourth inning, then stampeded through the Longhorns pitching staff with a 7-run outburst in the fifth, the frame when Sos cleared the head og the center fielder for his double. He scored moments later when a ball hit by Spencer Davis was booted.

Tanner Vielguth singled home Davis, then the Eagles loaded the bases. Cody Macias was plunked by a pitch to force in a run, then Hudson Beamon singled in another.

Austin Smith was credited with a sacrifice fly on a ball caught by the RBV shortstop, but he was running away from the infield to make the grab. An alert Alex Gibaud (2-for-3, stolen base)  tagged and scored from third base to make it 9-1.

Early on, Sos tied the game with an RBI single in the second, bringing home Macias (hit by pitch). An inning later, the go-ahead run saw Gibaud single, eventually scoring on a wild pitch.

Sos capped the ball club’s 14-hit attack with his two-run line-drive single in the sixth.

With the sudden awakening of the Eagles bats, the pitchers are pretty happy, too.

Smith was able to pitch six rather carefree innings, striking out 11 Longhorns batters, including the first five RBV outs on strikes to collect the victory. Davis fired a 1-2-3 in the seventh in the romp.

“It’s always nice to be on the mound with a lead,” Smith said. “Our bats were hot again and we were smoking balls. I felt good out there spotting up all my pitches.”

For Granite Hills (5-3), Smith and Vielguth both batted 2-for-4.  Rancho Buena Vista (1-7) lost for the first time since snapping its season-opening, 6-game losing streak.

Poway 8, Santana 2

SANTEE – Poway High mounted an early 5-0 lead and coasted to an easy victory against Santana, 8-2, on Thursday (Apr. 8).

The Titans needed just three batters to score to open the ballgame, as a walk was sandwiched around doubles by outfielder Nick Cook (run) and catcher Austin Butler (RBI). Both are juniors.

The Sultans tallied single markers in the fourth and the sixth, Cole Contreras scored both times.

Contreras, a senior outfielder, homered into the wind in left field to lead off the fourth.

Two frames later, Contreras again led off and registered a single.

“I stuck to my approach that we work on in practice every day,” Contreras said. “Unfortunately, we had a bad game today but we’re looking past this and getting ready for our next game on Monday (at home versus Madison).”

The Sultans would load the bases, with Contreras jogged home when Davin Burroughs was hit by a pitch for an RBI.

“Cole had a day at the plate,” said Santana’s Dean Landers. “He is someone that everyone trusts to get the job done with the stick. He is a real leader on this team and one of the most consistent contributors to our team’s success.

The only player with multiple hits was Titans leadoff hitter Nick Cook(2-for-4), the right fielder.

For Poway (3-5), four of its seven hits went for extra bases. Santana slipped to 5-3.

“We learned that we still have room for improvement and that we can grow from this loss,” Landers added.

San Pasqual 13, El Capitan 2

LAKESIDE – San Pasqual mounted an 8-0 lead through the second inning, giving three Golden Eagles pitchers free reign for a combined 6-hitter over El Capitan, 133-2, Thursday (Apr. 8) at Hostetler Field.

First baseman RJ Talingo drove in three runs on 2-for-4 hitting, while three others had two RBI in a balanced attack for San Pasqual (REC).  Talingo’s big hit was a run-scoring triple to start a 6-run rally in the second inning.

The Vaqueros (2-6) were down 12-0 before striking in the fourth on a series of three consecutive singles by Cole Winsor (run), Connor Crist, and Jake Bergherm (RBI).

In the seventh, Brody McAuliffe and Bradley Larsen posted consecutive leadoff singles. An out later, the Golden Eagles (7-2) attempted a victory-clinching double play, but Winsor hustled down the line and was safe at first for a fielder’s choice RBI to score Larsen (2-for-3).

With a victory in its next contest (Monday vs. Del Norte), San Pasqual can equal the school’s best start this century. The Golden Eagles went 8-2 in 2012 and 2019.

Westview 11, Helix 3

DEL SUR – Westview pitchers Gerrit Erickson and Ryan Herrod combined on a 2-hut shutout backing the Wolverines past visiting Helix, 11-3, on Thursday (Apr. 8).

Erickson, a senior, struck out eight Highlanders over 4 2/3 innings.  Herrod capped the contest with a pair of whiffs.

Erickson also paced the Westview offense by batting 3-for-5 and deriving in three runs. including an RBI double when the Wolverines scored four times in the first inning.

Helix (4-4) received hits from center fielder Anthony Matthiesen (lead single in the first)and Jake Perez (single, stolen bases in the second), Afterward, Westview (5-3) fired 5 2/3 frames of no-hit ball.