SECTION PLAYOFFS : BASEBALL : Vidrios Helps Keep Crawford on Right Track

With two games left in the regular season, Crawford’s Sal Vidrios had pitched only 14 innings. The No. 4-ranked Colts, after all, had fared well with four-year starter A.J. Leighton (8-2) and junior Chris Townsend (9-0) doing most of the work.

But then Townsend went down with strained ligaments in his right, pitching elbow, and Leighton caught mononucleosis.

Suddenly Vidrios became the ace, the hope for Crawford’s San Diego Section 2-A playoff drive.

And he responded.

Vidrios pitched 13 of the Colts’ final 14 innings of the regular season, winning two games and allowing just one run.

Thursday against San Pasqual in the playoff quarterfinals, Vidrios survived a rocky first inning, settled down nicely and picked up Crawford’s third consecutive victory, 7-5, to advance the Colts to the semifinals Saturday at 11 a.m. against Carlsbad at Grossmont College.

In the other 2-A semifinal, Rancho Buena Vista will play Grossmont at 2, also at Grossmont College. Rancho Buena Vista advanced by upsetting defending 2-A champion and No. 2-ranked Mission Bay, 13-6, at Mission Bay.

San Pasqual (18-10) looked as if it would have an easy time with Crawford (23-4). In the first inning, the Eagles’ Jimmy Clayton led off with an infield single, and Chris Hancock sacrificed him to second. After Mike Escarcega walked, Kevin Herde homered to left center. Dave Vejtasa then doubled and scored on an error. The damage: four runs on three hits and two errors.

“I was nervous,” said Vidrios (4-0, 2.26 earned run average). “I had never pitched this type of game before. I was shaking. My legs were shaking.”

After that, Vidrios allowed just one run and five hits and struck out six. With runners on second and third in the sixth inning, he struck out the next two batters looking to end the inning. With runners at the corners in the seventh, he got Vejtasa (three for four with a run and an RBI) to fly to center to end the game.

“I think he was more nervous in the first inning than anything else,” said Roger Engle, Crawford’s coach. “He settled down fine after that.”

Manny Gagliano, a four-year starter who signed a national letter of intent with Oklahoma State Wednesday night, led the comeback in the bottom of the first. Gagliano tripled off the left-center field fence, 400 feet away, to drive in Eric Turner (double) and Josh Neil (single). Gagliano scored on Jeff Thrift’s single.

In the bottom of the third, with the score 5-5, Gagliano homered to left, his seventh, and Thrift scored on Todd Davis’ groundout. Gagliano, who also doubled, was a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

For the Colts on Saturday, Engle is hoping Leighton will be recovered enough to pitch. If not, “Who knows?” he asked.

Either way, Crawford has one of the most potent offenses in the history of San Diego County high school baseball. The Colts set section season records for runs (259) and doubles (72) and need just two hits Saturday to surpass Santana (304, 1988) in that category.