San Diego Prep Baseball : Gay Hits Two Home Runs to Lead Santana to 8-6 Win

Jeff Gay is used to seeing fastballs.

For most of the game Tuesday, Gay, the Santana High School catcher, was on the receiving end of Mike Hook’s fastballs. Two Grossmont pitchers also threw Gay fastballs, but the senior was not nearly as receptive as he was with Hook’s.

Gay hit two home runs in consecutive innings as the top-ranked Sultans (2-0, 10-1) beat the Foothillers, 8-6, in a Grossmont League baseball game at Santana.

After right fielder Bill Reed hit a three-run homer in the second to give the Sultans (2-0, 10-1) a 4-0 lead, Gay hit Lance Dickson’s pitch deep to right-center to lead off the third. Santana scored two more runs that inning and led, 7-0.

With two out in the fourth, Gay hit a line drive to the left of the 385-foot sign in center off Grossmont’s second pitcher, Jason Sloss, giving Santana an 8-0 lead.

“I wasn’t sure if the second was gone or not,” said Gay. “I ran that one harder than the first one. I knew I had to break it open sometime. I only had three extra-base hits before that.”

Gay, who went into the game hitting .469, was 3 for 3. He also singled to left-center in the first inning.

Hook’s fastball was working--for four innings. The senior left-hander struck out the side in the first and had eight strikeouts in the first four innings. But he tired in the fifth.

Hook gave up his first hit of the game after a one-out walk. Robert Brennan singled and then Hook walked in two runs to cut the lead to, 8-2.

After a leadoff walk, second baseman Bruce Moutaw dropped a potential double-play ball to put runners at first and second. Hook walked one and allowed two singles as the Foothillers (2-1, 6-6) cut the score to 8-6.

Scott Jenson pitched the final 1 innings to earn a save. Hook (4-1), who struck out 10 and walked seven, has now won four in a row. In other Grossmont League games:

Valhalla 5, El Cajon 3--John Jacobs had four hits and drove in two runs to help the No. 5-ranked Norsemen (3-0, 10-3) past the Braves (0-3, 0-6) at El Cajon. Rusty Pennock drove in all three runs for El Cajon, including a two-run home run in the first.

Granite Hills 8, Helix 2--The Eagles scored all five runs in the fifth inning, taking advantage of three errors by the Highlanders. Shawn O’Coyne’s two-run single highlighted the inning for Granite Hills (1-1, 5-5). Mike Raskind (2-1) threw a complete-game three-hitter. METRO CONFERENCE

Bonita Vista 5, Mar Vista 1--David Woodhouse pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine to lead the No. 6 Barons (1-0, 9-4) past the Mariners (0-1, 4-5-2) at Bonita Vista. Billy Miller helped Bonita Vista’s five-hit attack with a double and two RBIs.

Sweetwater 2, Southwest 0 (9 innings)--Augie Ruiz’s solo home run in the top of the ninth gave the Red Devils the win. Ernie Diaz added an RBI single later in the inning. Sweetwater is 4-9, 1-0.

Coronado 4, Hilltop 1--The Lancers (0-1, 3-6), outhit Coronado, 8-5, but five Hilltop errors made the difference at Hilltop. The Islanders’ Bill Pate had a three-run double in the sixth.