Ippolito Hangs In, Helix Beats El Capitan

The seventh-ranked El Capitan baseball team looked as if it had everything it would need Wednesday when it played host to No. 8 Helix in a Grossmont 3-A League baseball game.

For starters, the Vaqueros had won six consecutive games and nine of their past 10. El Capitan also had a team ERA of 1.87.

For inspiration, the Vaqueros had center fielder Jeremy Ellis, who two weeks ago underwent an emergency appendectomy.

But what El Capitan did not have on its side was pitcher Rob Ippolito and history.

Ippolito struck out four of the last five batters he faced to lead Helix to a 5-1 victory--its 16th in the past 18 meetings between the two teams.

The victory was doubly important for Helix (13-4, 3-0), which took over sole possession of first place over El Capitan (11-5, 2-1). First, the Highlanders came back after having their 21-game winning streak over Grossmont Conference teams halted by Grossmont, 12-1, Friday. And, perhaps more important, Ippolito pitched a strong sixth and seventh innings.

The book on Ippolito was that he had been tiring after the fifth this season.

“We knew he’d tire after five innings,” said Steve Vickery, El Capitan coach. “I told the guys that it’s a 21-out game, and we just have to hang in there.”

Jerry Schniepp, the Helix coach, was also keeping a close eye on his starter.

“He’d kind of run on empty after the fifth,” Schniepp said. “He was tired in the sixth and seventh, but he just sucked it up.”

With one out in the sixth and runners on first and second thanks to a walk and an error, Ippolito struck out the No. 4 and 5 batters to end the inning.

In the seventh, Ippolito (6-1) struck out the first two batters and got Mike Farrell to pop up to the catcher to end the game.