HILLS: Highlander win shakes up race

GRANITE HILLS —- Solid pitching and a pair of key home runs for an important win that affected the entire Grossmont Hills League.

No, it wasn’t the usual formula for the Grossmont Foothillers, instead, it was the four-time defending GHL champion Helix Highlanders who followed the familiar strategy, taking down front-running Granite Hills, 3-1, to throw the GHL ace into a frenzy.

Ben Haar and Wyatt Laub both smacked third-inning homers in support of Laub’s pitching, Ge carried a 4-hit shutout into the seventh inning, finally surviving after the Eagles loaded the bases in an attempt to force extra innings.

For Laub, the victory was just his second of the season after moving into the Helix starting rotation at midseason.

“It was a great feeling going to Granite and being able to come out with the win,” Laub said. We’ve been able to compete very well the last couple of games and I think that’s something that will continue for the rest of this season and on through next season.”

Meanwhile, Granite Hills pitcher Chandler Henry yielded just three hits over five frames, but two of them left the ballpark.

All three Helix hits — all for extra bases — came in the decisive fourth inning.

Trevor Young smacked a lead double on a liner to center field., moving to third base on a smart grounder to the right side by Aidan Perez.

However, the small-ball strategy to end the scoreless contest went by the wayside when Haar hammered a two-out, line-shot to center. Ten with two down, Laub slapped the over the barrier in left field for a 3-0 advantage.

“I was looking for a pitch up in the zone to score the runner from third and got a good pitch in my zone and put it up in the air.,” Haar said. “Wyatt Laub did a great job today and had six innings of shutout ball against a very good team,.”

Laub was solid for six frames but lost an edge in the seventh as his pitch count increased.

“That homer from Ben was great,” Laub said. “It was a great approach from Ben to go the other way with the pitch and give me some run support”

One out away from a victory, Austin Smith ruined the shutout bid with an RBI double. Then things really got interesting.

Camden Sos was hit by a pitch, then Spencer Davis reached on an error to load the bases.

Then the Eagles’ hearts rose and fell in a split second as Grant Mac Arthur smashed a line drive to center field, but Helix defender Anthony Matthiesen was there to clinch the triumph.

“(Henry) threw great but we were able to put a couple on and that happened to be enough,” Laub added. “In my last inning there was a little bit of trouble but I was glad coach (Cole) Holland had the faith in me to let me go because I knew that was my game to finish and I was going to get the job done.”

Helix, which will finish in fourth place in the GHL, is now 11-14 overall (5-7 in league).

Granite Hills (19-7, 10-2 GHL), which entered having won 11 of its last 12 contests, saw a 5-game win streak snapped. They fall into a first-place deadlock after Grossmont upended Steele Canyon, 6-4, to all-but-mathematically eliminate the Cougars from the pennant race.