High School Baseball : Lee’s Homers Lead Mt. Carmel Past Poway, 10-1

With its spotty play, Mt. Carmel High School, long a standout in San Diego County baseball, had assigned itself Down-This-Year status in 1988.

After Friday’s game, Sundevil Marcus Lee should be assigned Throw-Him-Junk status as Mt. Carmel handed host Poway its first Palomar League loss, 10-1.

In his first at-bat, the left-handed Lee sliced a two-strike fastball from John Uglow (2-3) for a run-scoring double.

Next time up, he saw an outside fastball. Lee hammered it to the left of and beyond the 390-foot sign in center for a home run.

Lee struck out in the next inning, the fifth, but a fellow left-hander, reliever Brian Rodems, sent him another fastball in the seventh.

Lee got it all. The ball went about 410 feet, this time to right center, for a two-run home run.

By the time that ball stopped rolling, people likely had forgotten that Lee’s teammate, winning pitcher Ron Kelly (3-2), had hit a homer--his fifth this year--a triple and a single.

But brilliance is expected of Kelly, a two-time all-league outfielder. “He’s as good a hitter as we’ve had,” said Sam Blalock, the 13-year-old school’s only coach.

At first glance, maybe Lee’s effort should have dropped jaws. About midway through last season, Blalock sent him to the junior varsity, then coached by current Poway Coach Rudy Casciato. “He had a terrible season,” Blalock recalled.

Moreover, Lee dislocated two fingers in the opener this season. “I was looking ahead to Legion ball this summer,” Lee said.

“It’s not a surprise, after seeing him hit balls in practice,” Blalock said of Lee’s turnaround. “I just wish I had seen it all year.”

The victory boosted No. 8-ranked Mt. Carmel to 14-10 and 4-2 in the league. No. 9 Poway, which beat Mt. Carmel in the league opener, is 11-6 and 5-1.