High School Baseball Roundup : Breaks, Walks Help Grossmont

Grossmont High School’s 10-5 victory over Granite Hills Wednesday was a game the Foothillers needed to win . . . and one sixth-ranked Granite Hills needs to forget.

Grossmont (7-5-1) figured to challenge for the Grossmont 2-A League title this season but had had its ups and downs entering the nonleague game against Granite Hills (11-5), which is in first place in the Grossmont 3-A League at 2-0.

And Granite Hills looked as if it would take advantage of its .326 team batting average as Brian Giles and Shane Spencer hit solo home runs in the top of the first inning to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Instead, it was Grossmont that took the advantage, combining a pair of errors in the first inning alone and 11 walks overall with just seven hits to score its 10 runs.

“The last couple of games, it seems we did not get the breaks,” Grossmont Coach Jeff Meredith said. “Today we got some breaks.”

It started getting its breaks early, cashing in on two throwing errors and three singles to take a 3-2 lead after the first inning.

Granite Hills tied the game, 3-3, in the third on a lead-off single by John Fenn, a walk and two wild pitches.

Grossmont, however, went ahead for good in the fourth. Catcher Todd Cady, who threw out two runners in the game, came up with the bases loaded and two outs and ripped a single to right to give Grossmont a 5-3 lead. Kent Smith, who was three-for-four with two doubles, followed with a two-run double and Grossmont led 7-3.