Borrego Springs claims Petco debut

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: April 17, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

Manzanita League

John Baumgarten Classic at Petco Park
Borrego Springs 7, Vincent Memorial 5

DOWNTOWN– The first of six high schools baseball games at Petco Park this weekend saw the Borrego Springs Rams upend the Vincent Memorial Catholic Scots, 7-5, in the 2025 John Baumgarten Classic in Thursday’s (Apr. 17) Manzanita League game.

Te Rams scored twice in the third inning, but the Scots immediately tied the ballgame. The Rams added three runs in the foufrth, only to be tied right away once again. But when Borrego Springs scored single runs in the sixth and seventh, it was too much for VMCHS to rally for a third time despiye two RBI from Juan Carlos Lara.

Borrego Springs freshman Joey Rocha starred on both offense and defense.

After the second baseman batted 2-for-4, including sa foublr, for three RBI, while steraling three bases.

Rocha tthen took the mound in the sixth, tossing a pair of shutout innings to earen the save.

The Rams (8-2) have now won five straight contests; the Scots of Calexico fell to 2-9 overall, losing at Petco for the second straight season. The contest was recently changed to the league opner earlier in the month after Hulian was forced to vacate its season. Thus, this was the first of four meetings between the Rams and Scots.

Grossmont Hills League

Grossmont 10, Valhalla 7

FLETCHER HILLS – A pair of ballclubs with young pitching staffs received quite a workout after both teams scored in almost every inning, bit Grossmont hurlers finished with a few more zeroes on the Gizoni Field scoreboard to down Valhalla, 10-7, in Grossmont Hills League action. on Thursday (Aor. 17).

The young Grossmont lineup saw a pair of sophomores — Tyler Holmes and Logan Struck — each drive in a pair of runs, including a two-run homer by Struck The shot to the short porch in right field by the Hillers centerfielder tied the contest at 3-all in the third inning.

An inning later, an RBI double by Trey Crawford gave Grossmont the lead for keeps, even though Valhalla twice rallied to within a run, yet fell short.

It was also a log day for both defenses with a combined seven errors, but several others plays whichweren’t properly executed and went for basehits.

Holmes battedf 3-for-4 and scored twice for Grossmont (9-8 overall, 1-1 GHL), which gained a series split.

Valhalla (5-12, 1-3 GHL) received home runs from Mace Wheeler, the leading hitter in the GHL, and Brody Shartel.

Wheeler popped a slo shot to right in the fifth. An inning later, Struck’s shot almost landed in the same position.Both cur the lead to a singlerun.

Granite Hills 8, El Capitan 2

EL CAJON – Granite Hills shortstop Tommy Entrekin posted a perfect 3-for-3 outing at the plate, including a 2-run homer. allowing the Eagles to maintain their season-long unbeaten streak to 14 ballgames following Thursday’s (Apr. 17) verdict of El Capitan to complete a series sweep.

Entrekin uncorked a shot to right field, capping a 6-run outburst in the second inning to put the win away early. Entrekin finished with three RBI.

The winning piter was Brandon Lewis, who needed to go five innings for his gourth win of the season. Lewis might own more, but two of his starts ended in ties due to darkness for what is officially a no-decision each time.

Lewis struck out fivr Vaqueros batters, with Dmith and Entrekin tossing one frame each in relief.

Lewis and second baseman Anthony Miotti also registered doubles.

Trailing 8-0, El Capitan (7-9, 2-2 GHL) aboided the shutout with two runs in the fifth, including an RBI sigle from shortstop Kasen Baker.

Granite Hills (12-0-2, 4-0 GHL) now owns an 18-game unbeaten streak in regular season contests, last falling to Santana, 1-0, on Apr. 26, 2024.

City League

Christian 3, Coronado 0

EL CAJON – The Christian Patriots jumped back into the City League raced by blanking front-running Coronado, 3-0, to gain one win in the week-long, three-game set.

The shutout wasn’t the prettiest for Patriots pitcher Logan Major, but he scattered seven hits by recording several key outs with Uslanders in scoring position.

Logan Major

Major struck out eight Coronado battersm raising his record to 5-1 in bouncing bak after suffering hid first setback if te season with his fourth complete game.

Major was also backed by a third-inning, around-the-horn double play, started by third baseman Roman Gustin.

The key blow was recorded by Roman Gustin, who slugged a 2-run double in the dizth for what was a game-long 1-0 advantage.

The initial run came eatly, as Benjo Molina came home on (wjat is listed as) a stolen base — with no other runner in motion.

Coronado (13-5, 2-1 leage) saw pitcher Stanley Guymon also pitch a complete game, but was burned on an unearned run.

Meanwhile, left fielder Chase Jenkins went 2-for-3 with a double — pne of only ywo Coronado baserunner to reach scoring position.

Western League

Patrick Henry 5, Point Loma 0

POINT LOMA – In one of the most dramatic, league-opener series anywhere in the Dsn Diego Section, Patrick Henry bounced back from a 2-run loss to the defending CIF Division 2 champions to twice stop Point Loma — both by shutouts — including Thursday’s (Apr. 17) 5-0 white-washing in Western League play.

This time, it was junior Jimmy Gunn which handled the Pointers in thowing a 2-hit blanking.

Gunn struck out nine Point Loma batters over his 6.2 innings of work, falling one out shy of a complete game. Wli Brown registered the final out.

Single runs in the 1st, 3rd and 6th innings built a 3-0 lead, then two additional markers in the seventh put away the triumph.

The first run came after a critical two-out error, as shortstop Cody Cappelletti came up next and ripped an RBI double to left field.

Two innings later, after a lead-off single by Alex Mestman, he came around on a sacrifice bunt, then a ground singlr up thr middle by Tyson Bobo.

Kayden Henson lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth. An inning later, Ian Brooke avoided a wild pitch which scored a run, then twopitches later, Brooks lined an RBI basehit to center.

Mestman finihsed batting 3-for-4 and scoring twice.

Patrick Henry (11-6-1, 2-1 league) posted its fourth shutout of the yeat. Along with Point Loma twice, the others were against Torrey Pines (the defneding CIFSDS Open Division champions) and Mt. Carmel.

The Patriots currently rest on top of the Western League after St, Augustine suffered its initial league loss in a 3-1 setback at Scripps Ranch.

The Pointers (11-5-1, 1-2 league) hits came from third baseman Michael Hall and pinc-hitter Ace Selchow.

Non-League

Helix 13, Santana 5

LA MESA – A mystifying sixth inning saw Santana registered five runs to end Helix’s shutout bid and move back into contention. However, the Highlanders put a halt to a long offensive slump with seven runs in the home-half of the frame, taking Thursday’s (Apr.17) wild 13-5 non-leaue decision.

Trailing 6-0 behind five no-hit innings by Scotties pitcher Sean Sherrod, the Sultans ended the string on a lead single by Trevor Eckis, with Sherrod exiting one out later.

However, the Sultans added a two-run triple from freshman Greg Ryan, then Helix releivers vouldn’t find the strike zone.

Three bstters were hit by a pitch 00 two scored runs –then a sacrifice fly by Noah Lewis trimmed the deficit to a single run .

The tables then turned in the favor of Helix,answering with its 7-spot, all coming after the first two batters made outs.

Key hits included consective RBI signles by Alex Carbajal and Maddox Richardson, then another set of run-scorting basehits by Jake Johnson and Kie Smih.

Antoin Simpson later added the Scotties’ nine straight batter to reach with an RBI single, although Santana registered an out on a runner attmepting to take a extra base.

Helix finished with 13 basehits — all singles, Meanwhile, Highlanders pitching combined ona 2-hitter, despite allowing seven walks and hitting three Sanatana batters.

Jones was th RBI leader with three, while Richardson and Simpson had two each for Helix (8-9 overall), which produced its highest run total of the season (11 vs. Bonita Vista)

Santana (5-10), which has struggled since an extra-inning winn over Vista, next opened Grossmont Valley League action Friday at Monte Vista.

Steele Canyon 8, Montgomery 5

JAMUL – A little bit of home-cookin’ saw Steele Canyon win for the fourth time in its last five starts next to “Te Great Wall of Jamul” afyer taking down Montgomery, 8-5, in Thursday’s (Apr. 17) non-league affair.

Leading the Cougars (5-10) overall on botjh offense and defense was Logan Page and Snfrew Bravo.

A junior in his third season on the varsity, Page,slugged a key, two-run triple towards The Great Wall in left in the second inning, but Steele Canyon scored five times to gain the lead of keeps.

Page was also the starting pitcher, yet transferred positions after just two batters. Thus, the victory went to Timmy Rimoldi; the save went to Bravol who closed with 2.1 scoreless innings.

Bravo was the most consistent hitter, going 4-for-4 with four RBI from the top of the line-up card.

Left fielder Caden Davey added two hits and scored twice for the Cougars.

For Montgomery (7-10), David Abdul, another left fielder, drove in theee runs to pace the Aztecs.

Summit League

Mountain Empire 7, Liberty Charter 2

ALPINE – Mountain Empire struggled for five innings as host Liberty Charter was consistent stringing together outs in Thursday’s (Apr. 17) Summit League debut.

However, in the end for the RedHawks, the ballgame turned out to be as easy as 1-2-3, literally.

Even at 1=all, the RedHawks pulled ahead in the fifth inning, then scored 2 and 3 runs in their final trips to the plate to stop the Lions, 7-2, at Joan MacQueen Middle School.

Jesse Arnold tossede five innings if relief to gain the victory for Mountain Empire (9-4, 1-0).

Michael Nobel drove in the go-ahead run with a line double to center field with twodown in the third, scoring shortstop Luis Cardso (lead single).

An inning later, Cardod belted a 2-run double for a 4-1 lead, then he posted his thir RBI with a basehit to cap the scoring in the seventh.

Liberty Charter (7-8, 2-1) received an RBI double from Logan Hayes in the seventh.