The San Diego Section’s annual baseball games at Petco Park took place Monday and Tuesday. While the Padres were on the road, local preps took the spotlight.
In Monday’s triple-header, the Monte Vista Monarchs and Mt. Miguel Matadors represented East County in the prime-time nightcap. The Monarchs (14-6-1) won by a score of 9-2 following earlier clashes between Coastal Academy and Vincent Memorial Catholic, an 18-1 win for Coastal Academy, and Lincoln and University, a 6-0 win for UC.
The Matadors, who were the designated home team, struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning but the Monarchs responded with four runs of their own in the top of the third inning to double up their crosstown rival by a score of 4-2.
Mt. Miguel (9-11) would not score again, though Monte Vista was not finished in plating runners. The Monarchs roared with four more runs in the top of the fifth inning and tacked on one final run in the top of the seventh inning.
Senior Jacob Schweizer swung the big stick for Monte Vista with two hits, including a triple, and three RBI.
Three other players picked up RBI in the game: senior David Aceron, junior John Rocha and senior Niko Heidt.
Senior Gavin Daley scored twice for the Monarchs while junior Tony McComb also slugged a three-bagger in the non-league contest.
Monte Vista scored nine runs on nine hits while Mt. Miguel was held to three hits while charged with five errors.
Daley (7-1) picked up the win on the mound by striking out 11 batters in six innings while allowing three hits and two runs. Schweizer pitched one hitless inning with one strikeout.
Daley is hitting 0.444 on the season with 23 runs scored, 14 RBI and four home runs while Schweizer is hitting 0.373 with 16 RBI and six doubles.
Daley, who also has one save to his credit, has struck out 72 batters in 50.2 innings to go with a 2.71 earned-run average
Senior Xavier Reyes led Mt. Miguel with a 0.385 hitting average through 11 games. The Matadors’ RBI leaders included junior Alfredo Rodriguez (13), senior Tyler Kelly (12) and senior Alex Sandoval (11). Sandoval was 4-0 on the hills while senior Mike Barton was 3-0 with a 2.46 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.
The teams rematched in a league game on Thursday.
Three more games were scheduled to take place at Petco Park on Tuesday: Borrego Springs (9- 5) versus Warner (0-8), Calexico (11-7-1) versus Southwest El Centro (16-6) and Eastlake (14- 5) versus Montgomery (7-10).
GROSSMONT CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Grossmont Hills League: Granite Hills 5-1 (14-4), Grossmont 4-1 (10- 10), Helix 3-2 (9-10), Santana 2-3 (4-15), Steele Canyon 0-7 (4-17)
Grossmont Valley League: Valhalla 2-0 (12-6), West Hills 2-0 (7-11), Monte Vista 2-1 (14-6-1), El Capitan 1-1 (12-7), Mt. Miguel 0-3 (9-11), El Cajon Valley 0-2 (9-7)
San Diego Section Rankings
BASEBALL
(MaxPreps through April 22)
1. St. Augustine 16-4
2. Torrey Pines 15-6
3. Granite Hills 14-4
4. Rancho Bernardo 14-5
5. Cathedral Catholic 16-5
6. Patrick Henry 16-6
7. Santa Fe Christian 15-4
8. Eastlake 14-5
9. Bonita Vista 14-5-1
10. Point Loma 12-5-3
11. San Marcos 12-6
12. Carlsbad 10-9
13. Maranatha Christian 15-4
14. Del Norte 12-8
15. La Costa Canyon 7-10-1
16. Sage Creek 11-8-1
17. Mission Hills 11-7-1
18. Poway 12-8
19. Valhalla 12-6
20. Coronado 12-8
SOFTBALL
(MaxPreps through April 22)
1. Del Norte 16-2
2. Poway 14-4-1
3. Mater Dei Catholic 18-3
4. Torrey Pines 15-3-2
5. Cathedral Catholic 14-5
6. Eastlake 16-5
7. Rancho Bernardo 13-5-1
8. Imperial 18-2-1
9. Christian 16-4-1
10. Mission Hills 11-6-2
11. La Costa Canyon 15-7
12. Carlsbad 11-8
13. Bonita Vista 11-8-1
14. Santa Fe Christian 12-0-1
15. Otay Ranch 10-8
16. Steele Canyon 13-4-1
17. Granite Hills 9-8
18. Patrick Henry 12-9
19. Our Lady of Peace 8-7-1
20. San Marcos 9-11
