Unlikely pair: Helix, Liberty Charter

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 14, 2024

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

CIF-San Diego Section Championships

ECS staff report

Division 2

LA MESA – Over the ast decade, there is only one single school that has wrecked havoc and inflicted more damage to East County programs in the CIFSDS baseball playoffs than any other.

Eastlake ranks quite high on the list, but it’s not the Titans. You can also eliminate schools such as Poway, Carlsbad, Torrey Pines, Rancho neranrdo — you know, the usual suspects.

The answer: the Westview Wolverines.

Located between Torrey Pines/Cathedral Catholic and Mt. Carmel, the Wolves of Del Sur have elimination six difference East County schools in various divisions.

Westvuew looked to add to its list by scoring in the first inning on Tuesaday (May 14), but host Helix was far from intimidated.

The Scotties answered with two runs in the first, then remained tied or in the lead over the balance of the contest to take a 4-2 first-round (eliminations round) triumph.

The Scotties’ Gehrig Syms drove home a pair of run to fuel the offense, smacking a home run and a double.

Anoither senior, Jojo Aguon, also collected an RBI, as Helix took the lead for keeps in the third, then added a late marker in th fifth to send the Wolverines packing.

Both Westview rybs were supplied by am Tellers, blasting a pair of solo homers in his first pair of at-bats. Tellers batted 4-for-4, but the rest of his teammates collected a mere five singles.

Helix pitcher Gabe Lanier picthed six solid innings; Jake Hopkins tossed the seventh to garner the save.

Division 4

Liberty Charter 10, Calipatria 2

ALPINE – Starting in 2013, Liberty Charter has never captured a CIFSDS playoff game. Among the many losses, there is one particular loss that hurts more thanany other.

In 2022, the Lions were stomped on by Calipatria, a small school in Imperial County, and it was ugly… 19-7.

Let’s just say, if you were an underclassman two seasons agao,and you’re now a senior, some memories are hard to fotfet. And the Lions did something about it.

A trio of Lions — Andruw Godinez, Brody Harris and Ernest Sanders — each collected two RBI, gaining their revenge on the Hornets, 10-2, at Joan MacQueen Middle School.

Godinez;s hitting incuded a triple, plus he scored a pair of runs, as Liberty Charter *8-15) batted around in the fifth inning after scoring nine times to overcome a 1-0 deficit.

Winning pitcher Jaxon Adrain registered 11 strikeouts in his 5.2 innings. Adrain and two others combined on a 4-hitter.

Division 3

La Jolla 2, El Capitan 1

LA JOLLA – Trailing 2-0, El Capitan rallied to halve the deficit but fell short in a Division 3 first-eound elimination contst played at muirlands Middle School.

The Vaqueros roke the ice when Brody McAuliffe singled home Aidan Terrones (2-for-3) one out away from a shutout loss.

However, McAuliffe was stranded. Also stranded in the contest were David Vera and Kasen Baker despite bpoth slugging doubles to move into scoring position.

McAuliffe was also thr hard-luck losing pitcher despite throwing a complete-gane 3,-hitter, striking out 10 Vikings batteers in six innings.