2-A BASEBALL QUARTERFINALS : San Diego Accepts Assistance

As with runs, perhaps there should be two categories for victories, earned and unearned. San Diego High’s 5-4, 2-A quarterfinal defeat of Coronado High Thursday in the San Diego Section playoffs definitely would be the latter.

The game at San Diego High was like a post-meal conversation between a couple of buddies, each trying to pick up the tab.

“I’ll get this one.”

“No, I insist. It’s my treat.”

But instead it was:

“Please, you go on to the semifinals.”

“No we insist, our season stops here.”

San Diego was first to relent, accepting Coronado’s offer of four runs (all unearned) in the bottom of the fifth and cashing them in for the victory two innings later.

The Cavers came to their senses only after spotting the Islanders a 1-0 lead in the second via two errors and later allowing them to take a 4-1 lead in the fifth by virtue of two wild pitches, a walk and a triple from cleanup batter Joel Franklin, which came with two on, two out and first base vacant.

Why so sloppy?

“It’s the playoffs,” said Tom Lopez, San Diego coach. “And it’s tension, and the worst thing you can do is play with tension.”

Maybe that explains why San Diego (19-7) had such trouble getting by the second-place team in the Harbor League, which carries 2-A affiliation only because there’s no such thing as 1 1/2-A. San Diego isn’t through with Harbor teams yet--it faces surprising Clairemont in the semifinals Saturday at Grossmont College at 2 p.m. Clairemont tied Coronado for second in their league.

By giving up the lead to Coronado, San Diego simply allowed itself to fall into a familiar pattern.

“All we’ve done all year is keep pulling back,” said shortstop/pitcher Josh Stepner.

Just last week, the Cavers erased an eight-run deficit in beating Madison for the Central League title.

This time their comeback began when freshman Jacques Jones grounded a ball to the left side of the infield that was booted for an error by shortstop Jason Fledderjohn. Alfredo Flores then hit a fly to left, but Chris Bright misjudged it and it went over his head.

That put runners at second and third. Both scored when Stepner grounded a single into center. Stepner later scored, advancing a base at a time via a wild pitch, a passed ball and another wild pitch.

The winning run was scored by Kian Sly, who was intentionally walked by starter Joel Franklin, took second on the passed ball and scooted to third on a wild pitch. He scored on Claudio Moreno’s sacrifice to left.

In other 2-A quarterfinals:

Clairemont 7, Oceanside 6--Clairemont’s James Gertenslager went two for three, including a two-run triple in the third. Craig Goodwin’s sacrifice fly in the sixth was the game-winner for Clairemont (17-13). Angel Torres had three hits, including two bases-empty homers, for Oceanside (21-9-1).

San Pasqual 9, Mission Bay 7--Dave Vejtasa and Eric Marsh each hit home runs and also had two RBIs apiece, and Chris Hancock went three for four with an RBI for San Pasqual (15-10-1). Bobby Cummings (5-2) threw four innings for the victory. Marlon Gardingera had two RBIs for Mission Bay (19-8). San Pasqual will play Grossmont at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grossmont College.

Grossmont 5, Escondido 3--Shortstop Greg Layson drove in the tying run with a single, and first baseman Scott Brennan drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single for top-ranked Grossmont (27-2). Grossmont’s Todd Cady hit his 10th homer and got his 60th RBI in the fifth inning. Jerry Singleton gave Escondido (16-11) a 2-0 lead in the third with a two-run homer.