High School All-Star Baseball : 3-A Team a Winner in New Format : Powell, Rendina, Parade of Pitchers Roll Past 2-A, 7-2

By the sixth inning Saturday, there was no mistaking that the county all-star baseball game between players from division 3-A and 2-A high schools was just that--an all-star game.

Some of the 3-A players who had already played took advantage of the snack bar’s location next to the visitor’s dugout in mid-game. The 3-A team was on its seventh pitcher. And they were winning.

Sponsored by the San Diego County Baseball Coaches Assn., the game was switched from the traditional city-county format. This year, the coaches decided to make it 3-A against 2-A and play it in the afternoon instead of the traditional night game, which interfered with proms.

For the record, the 3-A team defeated 2-A, 7-2, behind the hitting of Patrick Henry’s Cory Powell and Grossmont’s Mike Rendina.

“We wanted to try something different,” said Gordy Thompson, the association president and Granite Hills coach. “We’ll evaluate it.”

Unfortunately, two of the county’s top pitchers did not really pitch because the section 3-A final was played Thursday, the 2-A championship Wednesday.

Rick Navarro, who was 14-0 and led Helix to the 3-A title, did throw the first pitch--literally. He started the game, threw a strike to the first batter and then was replaced by teammate Damon Luban. Ironically, the batter was Sean Rees, who pitched Mission Bay to the 2-A title. Rees played first Saturday.

Pitchers had things their way until the fifth, when the 3-A team scored four runs to break a 1-1 tie. The key hit was a two-run single by Powell, who went 2 for 5 and had the game-winning run-batted in. He was named the 3-A most valuable player.

Cesar Gutierrez of Castle Park was 2-A MVP. He made a fine defensive play at third to rob Rendina of a hit, was 2 for 3 and pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits and picking two runners off base.

Rendina, who led the county with 10 home runs this season, hit a bases-empty homer 405 feet over the center-field fence in the ninth inning off Gutierrez. Rendina was 2 for 4, had a walk and pitched a scoreless eighth inning.