Wolf Pack make first-ever title game

SANTEE —- Unlike legendary Old West figure Davy Crockett, the West Hills Wolf Pack varsity baseball team survived the Alamo.

The Pack advanced to a CIF-San Diego Section championship game for the first time ever following Tuesday’s (June 15) narrow 6-5 decision over visiting Holtville (located 10 miles east of El Centro along the Alamo River).

West Hills, the top seed in Division IV, will meet the winner of the Mar Vista-Mission Vista series. The Mariners took Tuesday’s match-up, 1-0, to force a playback final in Imperial Beach on Thursday The title contest is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Eastlake High.

The Pack also equaled a school mark with three postseason victories in a single season, but most of those came through the challengers (losers) bracket. In 2021, the school holds a perfect 3-0 mark despite a 15-17 overall ledger after playing through the difficult and Division I and II dominated Grossmont Hills League during the regular season.

West Hills leaped to a 6-0 advantage with three runs in its first two trips to the plate. But when the visiting Vikings countered,  Eron Drake entered from the bullpen to throw 2 2/3 innings of solid relief to save the triumph for Wolf Pack starter Braden Wilson.

Drake, the starting third baseman, started an inning-ending double play in the first, which carried over to the bats and an early lead.

Ryan Parker reached on an error, finding his way to third base when Kyle Dobyns hit a roller up the middle. The shortstop’s lone play was to first, which led to Dobyns gaining the game-winning RBI when Parker waltzed home.

Then with two outs, consecutive hits by Ryan Rodgers, Ezekiel Sadler, and Aaron Petersen led to two additional runs.

An inning later, following another inning-ending double play this time started by Parker at shortstop, Jacob Villanueva stroked a lead double, Owen Rodgers reached on an error, then Parker lifted a sacrifice fly into the windy conditions.

A double by Connor Evans made it 5-0, then a basehit by Ryan Rodgers pushed the margin to six.

Holtville (15-11) rallied on a bases-loaded triple by shortstop Erik Garcia in the third, then a two-run single by right fielder Bryce Buscaglia in the sixth. However, Drake garnered the save by retiring the final five Vikings batters.