Knights win, move to top of Pacific

LAKESIDE —- When Mount Miguel recently added a home game with El Capitan for Friday (May 21), El Capitan told Foothills Christian they can use Hostetler Field for the Knights’ Pacific League home game, which was originally slated for Mount Miguel.

Perhaps the Knights should consider making the move permanent.

Foothills Christian rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, eventually taking down Escondido Charter in 10 innings, 6-5, on a sacrifice fly by Colton White.

Coupled by a shutout loss by league-leading Tri-City Christian, 6-0, to Maranatha Christian, Foothills Christian now shares the Pacific lead over the Eagles, holding a slight percentage-points advantage.

Zach Ortiz opened the 10th with a base hit which barely sailed over the head of the White Tigers shortstop and into left field. Ortiz moved to third base on consecutive passed balls before White lifted the ball into the wind to right field to easily plate Ortiz.

The run made a winner of Seth Gilbody, who posted one of the best outings of from out of the bullpen by any East County pitcher this season.

Gilbody fired the final 5 2/3 innings without allowing a run or a hit. He struck out eight batters without issuing a walk.

Only three runners reached base, two on error and a batter hit by a pitch. However, the hit batsman in the ninth was erased on an inning-ending, round-the-horn  double play from third baseman Colby Johnson to Ortiz at second to first baseman Taylor Casey.

The game-tying, seventh-inning comeback saw Kip Famolaro and Johnson register consecutive one-out singles. Escondido Charter allowed a run to score on a Gilbody  grounder to gain the second out. However, Cameron Nicks sent a hard grounder through the left side for a clutch RBI single to extend the contest.

For Foothills Christian (13-10 overall, 3-1 league), Famolaro, the shortstop,paced the Knights with three basehits,including a double and three stolen bases to help the ballclub gain their third straight victory.

Johnson and Ortiz and added two hits each. One of Johnson’s hits was a triple, while Casey also tagged a three=base hit.

Escondido Charter (7-8, 0-4 league) once held a 5-3 lead, breaking a tied contest on a two-run double by Diego Oena in the fifth.

Elsewhere

In other East County games not involving Grossmont District schools, Mountain Empire lost at home to Chula Vista-High Tech, 19-1.