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Vikings take title from Patriots home
- Updated: April 24, 2021
2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
GMC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
LA JOLLA 5, CHRISTIAN 2
ECS staff report
EL CAJON – The La Jolla Vikings were the visitors on the scoreboard but they made themselves at home at Christian High’s field on Saturday afternoon, knocking off the Patriots, 5-2, in a GMC Tournament division championship game.
The 11th-ranked Vikings (14-2) struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning, which would prove to be enough to hand the “visitors” a title game loss on their home field.
“(La Jolla) did a good job at putting the ball in play,” Christian High head coach Mike Mitchell said. “(La Jolla) didn’t hit it hard but they battled at the plate. We are not swinging the bats well, especially with runners on base.”
Christian High’s Shane Bailey had three hits and drove in a run.
“La Jolla is a good team but our bats didn’t come alive today,” Bailey said. “Throughout the dugout, we were sharing the tendencies of their pitchers and how to sit back but not everyone was able to make the adjustment. We’re looking forward to seeing them in league and showing them how good our team actually is.”
Braeden Ross (walk) scored on Bailey’s single in the top of the third. Ross also singled and drew another walk in the contest.
Hunter Kaul had a sacrifice fly for 13th-ranked Christian (8-2) in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-2 game, scoring Xavier Farnum.
Josh Meekins started and went four innings.
“We haven’t played out best of late and the results show that,” Meekins said. “We need to hold ourselves to a high level and not beat ourselves, which we have the last two games. We will be fine, we just need to regroup and do what we do best.”
Since the tournament expanded to include ballclubs from the Metro and City conference in 2017, Christian has reached the championship game in its flight all four seasons, splitting the four title-game appearances.
La Jolla Country Day 4, Patrick Henry 2
SILVER STAND, CORONADO ISLAND —- The Silver Division of the Bill Dickens-GMC Tournament went to La Jolla Country Day, which out-lasted Patrick Henry, 4-2, in the finale held at Silver Strand Elementary School.
The Patriots twice rallied back to get within range of the Torreys, but barely fell short.
Included was a run in the seventh inning on an “intentional/unintentional” walk to cleanup batter Andrew Guana, but LJCDS survived when Ryan Ellis ended the game on a line-drive out directly to the right fielder.
The decisive fifth inning saw Patrick Henry draw closer a run on a double-play grounder to move within 2-1, but Country Day answered with a 2-spot.
Otherwise, Torreys pitchers were in command all morning, including five solid winnings from starting and winning pitcher Ben Pajak. Chris Esquivel earned the save, recording two of his three outs in the seventh on strikes.
For the Pats (8-5 overall), Ellis struck out eight batters over six frames, but an early, unearned run cost him. LJCDS moves its record to 10-4.
Mar Vista 5, Foothills Christian 0
SPRING VALLEY – The Knights couldn’t crack the code or the scoreboard, for that matter, against the Mar Vista Mariners on Saturday at Mount Miguel High.
Kip Famolaro (double) and Zach Ortiz had a pair of hits for Foothills Christian, which fell to 9-6 overall.
Famolaro also reach on a hit-by-pitch and stole a pair of bases in the contest.
Seth Gilbody, who started and went five innings, had a hit and walked once at the plate.
Mar Vista scored a run in the fourth, then added a pair of markers in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Senior Ryan Lee had two RBI for Mar Vista (10-4)
