Eagles, Falcons in semi-showdown; Sultans’ run ends

By Bill Dickens
Updated: June 1, 2016

Granite Hills plates a run on Tuesday during the San Diego CIF Division I playoffs against Torrey Pines.

2016 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com

EL CAJON (6-1-16) — The Granite Hills-Torrey Pines Division I San Diego Section semifinal showdown on Tuesday (May 31) came down to one swing.

After walks to Evan Trausch and Sean Bingham and a groundout by Bennett McCaskill, the Eagles had a chance to issue an intentional walk. Such a free pass was not forthcoming. Instead the Eagles elected to pitch to Gus Patrick, who broke a 1-1 tie by slashing a 2-run double into the left field corner to make it 3-1.

That was the only hit surrendered by Granite Hills relief pitcher JOSH VERDON. Verdon did struggle with his control as he uncorked two wild pitches and issued two walks.

Andrew Brown, of Granite Hills, awaits a pitch on Tuesday against Torrey Pines in the San Diego CIF Division I playoffs in El Cajon.

Granite Hills wiped out a 1-0 deficit in the second quarter as DARIEN CASSIO slashed a single to right field. Two outs later he scored on a triple by ANDREW BROWN, which at the time tied the game.

After that the Eagles could muster only 2 hits for the final five innings.

The loss gave the Eagles a split with the Falcons and a third chance when the two teams meet again today (Thursday, June 1) at Granite Hills at 3:30.

Torrey Pines ace Kyle Hurt allowed only 4 hits against Granite Hills while striking out 11 and walking none. His pitches were on the mark as he found the strike zone in 71 of 93 pitches. Twenty-one of 26 pitches were in the strike zone.

“That guy is a really tough pitcher to hit off of,” said Eagles coach JAMES DAVIS of Hurt.

Catcher JAKE FENN was 1-for-3 with a double for Granite Hills. He has become one of the Eagles’ more effective hitters of late.

“I round my hands,” said the sophomore receiver,” and put into a quick path. I feel more confidence so far this year.”

That says something, considering half the season Fenn was dh’ed for.

Fenn talked about starting pitcher DILLAN SHRUM.

“Shrum was closing on his pitches and his curveball was more than it was earlier,” Fenn noted. “His fastball wasn’t what he wanted it to be but it was adequate enough.”

Shrum struggled with his fastball but was able to gain a grip down the stretch. By the sixth inning the bullpen had taken over and collapsed.

Santana readies for play before Tuesday’s playoff game in Santee.

SAN MARCOS 11, SANTANA 3 – The top-seeded Santana Sultans suffered a stunning loss to San Marcos in Tuesday’s (May 31) Division II contest of the San Diego Section playoffs.

This game was on ice after one inning as visiting San Marcos took a 4-0 lead. The Knights banged out 13 hits while starting pitcher Zander Corbin turned in a complete game, allowing only 4 hits.

Four Sultan pitchers could not put the brakes to the Knights’ offense, which is 22-7-1.

With the loss Santana was eliminated in the double elimination tournament. They can take solace in their Grossmont Valley League championship.

AIDEN RASMUSSON was 2-for-2 in Santana’s meek attack.

Division I
FALCONS 3, EAGLES 1
Torrey Pines     ab r h bi Granite Hills   ab r h bi
Bramlett lf       4 0 0 0  JoVerdon 3b-p    3 0 0 0
Rutledge rf       3 1 0 0  Shrum p-cf       3 0 1 0
Hurt p            3 0 1 0  Hazelhurst rf    3 0 0 0
Capozzoli pr      0 0 0 0  Cossio 2b        3 1 1 0
Trausch 1b        3 0 1 0  Ross dh          3 0 0 0
Reeves pr         0 0 0 0  BSt.Clair 1b-3b  3 0 0 0
Bingham cf        1 1 0 1  ABrown 1b-3b     3 0 1 1
McCaskill c       3 0 1 0  Fenn c           3 0 1 0
Patrick 3b        3 0 1 2  Anderson pr      0 0 0 0
Froehlich 2b      2 0 0 0  Omahen ss        2 0 0 0
Boone ss          1 0 0 0  JaVerdon 1b      0 0 0 0
Galluzzi ss       1 0 0 0  Reyes cf         0 0 0 0
TOTALS           24 3 4 3  TOTALS          26 1 4 1

  Torrey Pines  (21-12) 100 002 0 – 3 4 1
  Granite Hills (23-11) 010 000 0 – 1 4 0

GWRBI-Patrick.
E-Hurt. LOB-TP 7, GH 4. 2B-Patrick. 3B-ABrown. 
SB-Capozzoli, Bingham, McCaskill. S-Boone.

PITCHING SUMMARY
Torrey Pines      ip  h  r er bb so
 Hurt  W         7.0  4  1  1  1 11
Granite Hills
 Shrum L(6-3)    5.0  3  2  2  4  3
 JoVerdon        2.0  1  1  1  2  1
WP-JoVerdon.

Division II
KNIGHTS 11, SULTANS 3
San Marcos      ab r h bi Santana       ab r h bi
Blas ss          5 1 0 0  Salinas cf     3 0 1 0
Murphy 3b        4 2 1 0  Hernandez 2b   3 1 0 0
Buso rf          5 3 2 0  Nunez rf-p     3 1 1 0
Prajzner 2b      4 2 2 0  Rasmusson ss   2 1 2 0
Crane cf         4 2 3 3  Odenkirk lf    3 0 0 0
Martinez c       3 1 1 0  Alesi 1b       2 0 0 1
Katnik dh        3 0 0 1  Mora c         3 0 0 0
Lanniciella 1b   4 0 1 2  Ellis dh       3 0 0 0
Bodman lf        2 0 1 2  Miller 3b      3 0 0 0
TOTALS        34 11 11 8  TOTALS        25 3 4 1

  San Marcos (22-7-1) 400 204 1 – 11 13 1
  Santana      (26-5) 010 002 0 -  3  4 2

GWRBI-Crane.
E-Rasmusson, Barry, Prajzner. LOB-SM 10, Sant 3. 
2B-Murphy, Prajzner, Crane, Rasmusson, Nunez, Bodman, Salinas, Buso. 
3B-Linneciello. SB-Katnik, Buso.

PITCHING SUMMARY
San Marcos      ip  h  r er bb so
 Corbin  W     7.0  4  3  2  2  0
Santana
 Barry  L(6-4) 0.2  2  4  4  2  1
 Calvert       4.1  4  3  1  2  3
 Nunez         0.1  3  3  3  0  1
 Odenkirk      1.2  2  1  1  0  1
HBP-by Barry (Murphy), by Corbin (Salinas), by Calvert (Bodman).