ROUNDUP: Sultans likely headed to tourney final

By ECS Staff
Updated: April 6, 2016

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

SANTEE (4-6-16) — The 10^th ranked Santana Sultans used a double punch to knock out Mira Mesa 4-2 in Tuesday’s (Apr. 5) Bill Dickens-City East Classic contest.

Pitchers NOAH NUNEZ and DAULTON BARRY combined to spin a 4-hitter at the visiting Marauders.

Nunez pitched the first four frames and struck out 6 to post his fourth win without a loss.

Barry hurled the final 3 frames, allowing only one hit to notch his first save.

After allowing the Marauders 2 runs in the top of the first, Santana rebounded and took the lead in the bottom of the frame on a 3-run double by JERRY ALESI. Singles by TRISTEN SALINAS, JACOB ODENKIRK and a walk to AIDEN RASMUSSON set the stage for Alesi’s key blow.

Santana (10-2) added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on consecutive singles by MITCHELL MILLER, REECE HERNANDEZ and Odenkirk.

Sultans coach RIGO LEDEZMA noted that both of the key hits came after two outs.

Santana has a firm grip to be the East County representative in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic championship game on Saturday (Apr. 9) at 11 a.m. at Point Loma’s Dana Middle School. The Sultans, who are 4-0 in tournament play allowing only 4 runs, close out against Point Loma in pool play on Thursday (Apr. 7) at 4 p.m.

Their opponents in the City Conference will either be Mira Mesa or Point Loma in the title game.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

GROSSMONT 4, PATRICK HENRY 0 – Junior right-hander JACKSON HULETT fired a 5-hit shutout in Tuesday’s (Apr. 5) 4-0 victory over host Patrick Henry in pool play of the Bill Dickens-City East Classic.

Perhaps not as heralded as some of his pitching compadres, Hulett has certainly held his own. He started five games and logged four complete games with a 3-1 record. He could easily have a fifth complete game as he pitched seven innings in a no decision encounter.

“He always wants the ball,” said Grossmont coach JORDAN ABRUZZO. “And you have to love that aggressiveness. Every time he goes to the mound he gives us a chance to win, and our kids have the confidence of knowing that.”

CALVIN FARRIS sparked a 10-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort which included a double. STEVEN OUELLETTE was 2-for-2 with 2 runs scored. Seven starters in the Grossmont lineup contributed to the 10-hit attack.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

CHRISTIAN 14, SCRIPPS RANCH 11 – The highest scoring team in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic are the Christian High Patriots who have tagged the diamond 36 times and accounted for a 3-1 record in pool play.

However, the Patriots have given up 20 runs, which has all but eliminated them from the tournament championship.

Christian scored seven times in the first inning. Leadoff man KYLE STOWERS slugged a 3-2 pitch over the right center field fence to begin the onslaught. It was a big inning for Stowers who later singled in two more runs.

JAKOB BECK finished 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Then it was NATE CAZARES’ turn to contribute as he had a 3-run double in Christian’s 7-run second inning.

That was enough to hand JOHN GERSHOW his third victory in five decisions despite allowing 8 earned runs in four innings.

For Scripps Ranch, Matt Rudick was 5-for-5 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles and 4 RBI in the losing cause for the Falcons, who hammered 4 home runs in the contest.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

EL CAPITAN 5, LA JOLLA 0 – Three El Capitan pitchers, led by starter BLAKE PEYTON, spun a 4-hit shutout at the La Jolla Vikings Tuesday (Apr. 5) at Muirlands Middle School in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic.

The sophomore Peyton allowed only 2 hits and struck out 8 in five innings as he posted his first varsity win in three decisions.

The bullpen of BAILEY ROBERSON and JUSTIN ZAMORA completed the shutout.

El Capitan took the lead with 3 runs in the third inning as DYLAN WANNAMAKER tapped an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice by MICHAEL LARWA. He scored on a base hit by DAWSON McCLANAHAN. VICTOR CARLINO followed with a booming triple to make it 2-0. He scored on a sacrifice fly by KENNY OLHAUSER.

The Vaqueros stretched their advantage to 5-0 with 2 runs in the sixth inning. Olhauser singled and skirted all the way to third on back-to-back wild pitches. JASON MOORMAN walked and advanced to second on one of the wild pitches, and SEAN DUNNE made the Vikings pay for their sloppy play with a 2-run single.

“We need to work on the offensive side of our game,” said Vaqueros coach CLAYTON CURO. “Our pitching has been fine, our defense has been solid. But we have to put more strike in our offense.”

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

FRANCIS PARKER 3, MONTE VISTA 1 – FOXSports San Diego’s Mark Grant often says after a team has a bad break “That is a Major League hang with ‘em.” Well, the same can be said of the Monte Vista Monarchs as they are struggling as they are on a seven game losing streak after falling to Francis Parker 3-1 on Tuesday (Apr. 5) in a Bill Dickens-City East Classic game at Marv Lacy Field on the Spring Valley campus.

Unfortunately for the Monarchs (3-9) they only had six runners on the day. Parker’s (7-5) pitchers were on their game as they limited the MVHS offense to only three hits and a pair of walks.

JUSTIN SCHWEIZER was tagged with the loss even though he really didn’t throw that badly. The right-hander went six innings of walk-less ball. During his time on the mound, he allowed six hits while striking out five.

“We played pretty well,” Monarch head coach MATT ATKINSON said. “Justin threw a good game today. Made a lot of pitches, we made a couple of plays behind him as well. We are just not stringing our hitting together. There were a couple of times that we ran ourselves out of one inning. I thought we hit some balls hard the other way, but the right fielder tracked them down.”

The Maroon and Gold will travel to University City on Thursday (Apr. 7) in their final game of the Bill Dickens Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. After that, the Monarchs will travel to PETCO Park on Saturday (Apr. 9) for the final CIF-SDS game being played this season at the Major League facility against West Hills. Saturday night’s tilt will be under the lights at 7 p.m.

By Chris Davis, © EastCountySports.com

MADISON 2, VALHALLA 1 – Norsemen junior CASEY O’SULLIVAN definitely deserved a better fate as he turned in a complete game six inning stint, allowing only 4 hits and struck out 6 in Tuesday’s (Apr. 5) battle with Madison in the Bill Dickens-City East Classic.

Madison threw its ace Kevin Abel who permitted only 4 hits and struck out a dozen as he coined a complete game to roll his record to 2-0.

Trailing 1-0 into the sixth inning Valhalla tied the game at 1-1. LEWIS DIRKES walked, stole second and advance to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by COLE HENDERSON. But that was it for the Norsemen (1-12).

Catcher JOSH HEIDER accounted for half of the Norsemen hits, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Zac Kolek chopped an RBI double down the left field like in the sixth inning to give Madison the winning edge.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 3, STEELE CANYON 0 – The Cougars of Steele Canyon wasted a sterling pitching performance by TREVOR ROW who turned in a complete game 5-hitter, allowing only one earned run in Tuesday’s (Apr. 5) Bill Dickens-City East Classic contest.

It’s been a season of all-or-nothing for Steele Canyon. Not only have the Cougars posted double digits marks of 17 runs against Coronado, 16 against both Murietta Valley and University City, 13 against San Ysidro and 11 against San Pasqual, they have tallied 6 or fewer where they produced 4 runs or less.

Talk about topsy turvey.

Host Cathedral, which received a complete game 5-hit shutout from Connor Lunn (4-0) is still in the hunt for a tournament berth. He stymied the Cougars all afternoon.

In the second inning with the bases loaded Steele Canyon muffed a suicide squeeze which denied the Cougars its best scoring chance.

In the seventh Steele Canyon had another chance to break the plane against Lunn. Pinch-hitter MATTHEW BAGDASAR walked, stole second and stole third but was unable to reach home plate as the Cougars offense stalled.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 9, ESCONDIDO CHARTER 3 – A 7-run fourth inning propelled the host Foothills Christian Knights to a smooth non-league victory over the White Tigers of Escondido Charter on Tuesday (Apr. 5) at Barona Diamond.

Tied 1-1, the Knights barged in front with 7 tallies in the fourth inning. BRADLEY BROWN drove in KONNER VON DER LIETH with a single for the go ahead run. TREVOR SMALLWOOD blasted a bases-clearing triple in the same inning to stake the Knights to a sizeable lead.

Smallwood scored on a sacrifice fly by EZRA SIMS. MARK PROFETA following with a 2-run single that capped the big inning.

Bradley Brown paced the Knights 10-hit attack with a 3-for-4 effort.

BAILEY LEWIS worked the first four frames and left with an 8-1 lead as he posted his second win in four decisions, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 10.

The big inning sealed the deal for the Knights, who will face Tri-City Christian on Thursday (Apr. 7) at Barona at 4 p.m.

By Bill Dickens, © EastCountySports.com

UNIVERSITY CITY 13, MOUNT MIGUEL 2 – The Matadors continue to struggle offensively and in the field as they succumbed to University City Tuesday (Apr. 5) in a Bill Dickens-City East Classic in Spring Valley.

Mount Miguel (2-1) avoided the shutout with two runs in the fifth inning.

The Matadors loaded the bases on a walk to RUBEN PRECIADIO, JOSEPH MENDOZA was hit by a pitch and ANGELO RICHARDSON walked to fill the bases. JOHNNY NICASIO singled to score Preciado and Mendoza then scored on a wild pitch.

The only other hit Mount Miguel generated was a single by DEVIN PATE.

Tue., April 5, 2016
Bill Dickens-City East Classic
WARHAWKS 2, NORSEMEN 1
Vahalla   (1-12) 000 001 0 – 1 4 1 
Madison  (7-5-1) 100 001 x – 2 4 0
CO’Sullivan and Heider. Abel and Rain. 
WP-Abel (2-0). LP-CO’Sullivan (0-3).

DONS 3, COUGARS 0
Steele Canyon      (6-7-1) 000 000 0 – 0 5 1
Cathedral Catholic  (10-4) 000 102 x – 3 5 0
Row and Arias. Lunn and Polinsky. 
WP-Lunn. LP-Row (1-2). 

LANCERS 3, MONARCHS 1
Francis Parker (7-5) (100 002 0 – 3 6 x 
Monte Vista    (3-9) (000 001 1 – 1 3 x
Risse, Allen (7) and Compagna. 
Schweizer, JGutierrez and DSandoval. 
WP-Risse. LP-Schweizer.

FOOTHILLERS 4, PATRICK HENRY 0
Grossmont     (9-4) 003 100 0 – 4 10 1
Patrick Henry (4-8) 000 000 0 – 0  5 0
Hulett and Lombardo. Merson, Pace (6), Snodgrass and Woodruff. 
WP-Hulett (3-1). LP-Merson.  

VAQUEROS 5, VIKINGS 0
El Capitan  (6-6) 003 002 0 – 5 8 0
La Jolla   (10-4) 000 000 0 – 0 4 0
Peyton, Roberson (6), Zamora (7) and Moorman. 
Ferenczk, Patida (6), Hanson (7) and Brown. 
WP-Peyton (1-2). LP-Ferenczk.

PATRIOTS 14, FALCONS 11
Scripps Ranch (7-6) 051 211 1 – 11 13 0
Christian     (8-6) 770 000 x – 14 14 0
Isaacson, Nguyen (2), Beazer (3) and Blake. 
Gershow, Gentry (5), Bessone (6), Stowers (7) and Josephson. 
WP-Gershow (3-2). LP-Isaacson. 
HR-Stowers (Chr-1) 1^st, solo; Rudick (SR) 2^nd, one on, and 4^th, one on; 
McCalley (SR) 2^nd, solo; Sim (SR) 7^th, solo.

Non-League
KNIGHTS 9, WHITE TIGERS 3
Escondido Charter  (2-14) 100 011 0 – 3  7 5
Foothills Christian (4-5) 010 701 x – 9 10 3
Richard and O’Campo. 
Lewis, Smallwood (5), Eicher (7) and von der Lieth, Link (5). 
WP-Lewis (2-2). LP-Richard. 

UNIVERSITY 13, MOUNT MIGUEL 2
Centurions (5-6)  016 051 0 – 13 11 2
Matadors   (2-10) 000 020 0 –  2  2 5
White, Dubin (7) and Owens. 
Darby, Richardson (5), Nicasio (5), Orozco (7) and Beauzec. 
WP-White. LP-Darby (0-2).