High School Baseball : El Camino’s First League Win a Wild One : Spears Scores on Wild Pitch to Cap 7-6 Avocado Victory Over Ramona

Freddie Spears scored from third on a wild pitch to cap a three-run seventh-inning rally Wednesday as host El Camino High School won its first Avocado League game of the season, 7-6, over Ramona.

Julian Cortez homered in the sixth for El Camino (2-14, 1-6) and had three runs batted in. Scott Hertweck (1-5) went the distance despite allowing 10 hits and 9 runs. Ramona (8-7, 2-4) led, 4-0, before El Camino scored six times in the fourth. Cortez and Rich Sundstedt capped the inning with RBI singles.

In other Avocado League games:

San Marcos 10, San Pasqual 5--Tom Morton hit his first two home runs of the season to lead host San Marcos. Morton hit bases-empty homers in the fourth and fifth innings. Gordon Sanchez and Bill McElroy also hit home runs for San Marcos (8-6-3, 3-3). Jim Clayton hit a bases-empty home run in the fifth for San Pasqual (8-8, 4-2). Toby Lehman (4-1) was the winner and Kevin Herde (4-4) took the loss.

Escondido 7, Oceanside 4--Andy Martin hit a two-run home run in the first and drove in three runs to lead host Escondido (10-9, 4-3). Mike Scales (3-2) pitched a seven-hitter. Oceanside is 7-11, 2-5.

Carlsbad 9, Rancho Buena Vista 5--Scott Karl (6-0) pitched a four-hitter and drove in a run during a four-run sixth-inning rally that carried No. 10-ranked Carlsbad (14-4, 7-0) past host Rancho Buena Vista. Rancho Buena Vista is 7-10, 3-3.

CITY CENTRAL LEAGUE

San Diego 5, Lincoln 2--Claudio Moreno relieved starter Sean Tucker in the first inning and allowed just one hit the rest of the way as San Diego (11-7, 4-4) beat Lincoln. Bases-empty home runs by Josh Stepner in the fourth and Dave Moore in the seventh helped the comeback. Freddie Stokes stole his 22nd base in the fifth for Lincoln (3-14, 2-7).

GROSSMONT LEAGUE

Helix 3, El Capitan 2 (11)--Damon Chase squeezed home Joe Smithey with one out in the bottom of the 11th to lift No. 3 Helix (15-2, 8-0). Rick Navarro pitched 10 innings and struck out 9, allowing only Matt Smith’s two-run home run that put El Capitan (8-9, 3-5) ahead, 2-0, in the second. Damon Luban (6-1) replaced Navarro and pitched the 11th for the victory.

Granite Hills 3, Grossmont 1--Mike Raskind pitched a two-hitter for Granite Hills at home, allowing both hits when Grossmont (10-7, 5-2) scored its run in the fourth. John Fenn and Mike Checci hit bases-empty home runs for Granite Hills (10-6, 4-3), which was held to five hits by three Grossmont pitchers.

METRO CONFERENCE

Montgomery 3, Bonita Vista 2--Arturo Golembiewski’s bases-empty homer in the fifth inning helped visiting Montgomery (11-6, 4-2) move into a second-place tie with Bonita Vista (13-6, 4-2) and idle Chula Vista in the Mesa League. Alberto Candelaria’s two-run double gave Montgomery a 2-0 lead in the second. Omar Ramirez (4-0) pitched a three-hitter for the win.

Castle Park 4, Marian 3--Joe Carillo went the distance, striking out 14 to lead fifth-ranked Castle Park (17-3-1, 5-1) at home. Marian led, 3-0, before Castle Park rallied for one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth. Cesar Gutierrez singled with the bases loaded and no out in the seventh for the winning run. Gutierrez was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Chris Sykes went 2 for 2. Marian is 3-14-1, 1-6.

PALOMAR LEAGUE

Fallbrook 4, Mt. Carmel 3--Jeff Lawrence’s one-out bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh lifted Fallbrook (12-6, 4-2). Mt. Carmel, ranked No. 8 in the county, took a 2-0 lead on Ron Kelly’s home run in the first. Fallbrook tied the game on a two-run home run by Cory Conrad in the second. Jamie Willcox pitched a three-hitter for the victory.

Poway 5, Orange Glen 4--Trailing, 4-1, seventh-ranked Poway (11-5, 5-0) rallied for four runs in the fifth inning to win at home. Matt Taylor hit a two run homer in the third to give Orange Glen (6-13-1, 0-5) its lead. But with the bases loaded in the fifth, Bill Bertsch singled to drive in two runs, and Greg Sorrell tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Bertsch advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored the winning run on a two-out single by Ed Cornblum.

Vista 7, San Dieguito 0--Herbie Weston struck out eight en route to the shutout as Vista (9-10-1, 3-3) won at San Dieguito. David Strojny drove in three runs and Mark Webster knocked in two. San Dieguito is 1-10, 0-4.