HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Clutch Hit Brings Title to USDHS

David Sanchez of USDHS, the county’s second leading hitter, on the county’s second-ranked team, hadn’t had what you’d call a banner day.

Visiting Mission Bay made some great defensive plays, but nonetheless, in his first three at bats Sanchez flied to right, was intentionally walked and flied to left.

We now join Sanchez in the bottom of the seventh, with USDHS trailing Mission Bay by a run at USD’s Cunningham Field. There is one out. The bases are loaded. And reliever Tom LaFever and Sanchez, who is batting .406, have worked to a full count.

On the line is the City Western League championship, which Mission Bay had won the past seven years. Mission Bay began the season 1-7, but surged and sat one game behind USDHS going into this league finale.

Mission Bay Coach Dennis Pugh and LaFever chat briefly, then Sanchez digs his bat into a fastball, a single to left, and USDHS defeats Mission Bay, 7-6.

So was Sanchez, who upped his season RBI total to 42, a nervous wreck or what?

“No, not in that kind of situation,” he said. “I knew we could do it. I was confident. I was just thinking how our club has been hitting really good all year and that we could do it.”

Said USDHS Coach Dick Serrano: “Technically, he’s the leading hitter in the county.”

Sanchez, a junior, stressed that the victory is little more than a stepping stone to the playoffs.

“It was an important game, but like coach says,” said Sanchez, “we just have to take them one game at a time, play our hardest and take them one game at a time.”

With the victory, USDHS (24-4, 11-1) squirmed its way out of a league tie and won the title outright. Mission Bay (14-10, 9-3) finished two games out. Last year, Mission Bay won the league title with USDHS finishing one game back.

“They played the way a championship team is supposed to play,” said Pugh. “They didn’t quit. They played like they knew they could do it.”

For a while, Mission Bay thought it could too, and almost did. The Bucs jumped to an early 3-0 lead which USDHS quickly erased with a four-run third inning. In the fourth, Mission Bay scored three times, USDHS scored once, and the Bucs led, 6-5.

USDHS’ Gavin Millay, who relieved Tom Shanner after 1 1/3 innings, gave up four runs and five hits and went two for four, including a double.

Mission Bay starter Pat Betancourt gave up successive singles with one out in the seventh before Pugh pulled him.