BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Poway Tops USDHS, Advances to Title Game

There were moments in Thursday’s game when USDHS Coach Dick Serrano would turn his back to the field and take a long stroll away from the third-base coach’s box. It was quite clear Serrano was frustrated. Why wouldn’t he be? His Dons stranded 14 runners and were the beneficiary of five Poway errors. They lost to the No. 2 Titans, 8-2, in a Hilltop-Moose Tournament game at the University of San Diego.

“I have a young team,” Serrano said after No. 6 USDHS (3-2) dropped its second game in a row. “I told them when we play a team that is supposed to be good we look for something to go wrong. But I’m scheduling nothing but tough teams. I want to get our guys mentally tough and acting like winners.”

Something went wrong in the top of the first, when Ian Hamilton (1-1) walked the first two batters then yielded a two-run triple to Brock Marsh. Poway (5-0) scored three times. The Titans added two runs each in the third and fifth innings and advanced to the tournament championship game Saturday.

Left-hander Scott Tittrington (2-0) pitched five innings, allowing six hits while striking out five, for the victory. But the Dons had him on the ropes in each inning. Hamilton struck out seven in five innings, but he couldn’t stay out of trouble. Poway center fielder Miles Kelly went three for four with a triple, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. To top it off, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Miles stole two bases.

“I feel like I’m in a groove,” said Kelly, who is batting .571. “I’m just trying to hit the ball up the middle. A lot of guys on the team are hitting the ball well right now.”