HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : Granite Hills Stages Late Rally

Twice down to its final strike, the Granite Hills High baseball team managed an improbable comeback Tuesday, scoring three unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Mt. Miguel, 5-4, in a key Grossmont 3-A League game.

With the victory, Granite Hills (8-9-1, 2-0) moved into a first-place tie with El Capitan. Mt. Miguel, the surprise team in the league thus far, fell to 9-6-1, 1-2.

Granite Hills trailed, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

John Palmer led off the inning with a fly ball, but an outfield error allowed him to reach safely. A groundout moved Palmer to second, but then the next Eagle batter struck out.

The next two Eagles--Charlie Smith and Brian Reisenberg--both walked on 3-2 counts to load the bases.

On a 3-1 count, Jason Braun got Granite Hills’ only hit of the inning--a single to left--that drove in Palmer and Smith and moved Reisenberg to third.

A throwing error on a groundball hit to third by Mike Smith allowed Reisenberg to score the winning run.

Mike Smith had homered in the bottom of the sixth with one man on to pull Granite Hills within, 3-2. Mt. Miguel scored an unearned run of its own in the top of the seventh.

Ryan O’Coyne, who had 16 strikeouts a week ago, struck out 11 and yielded only three hits in picking up his fourth victory in five decisions.

Sean Phillips hit a two-run homer for Mt. Miguel in the third inning.

In other Grossmont 3-A games:

Helix 6, Monte Vista 5--Ray Diaz’ bases loaded single in the bottom of the seventh gave Helix (10-8, 1-1) its first league victory. Monte Vista, after a good nonleague start, is still looking for its first league win. The Monarchs are 7-7, 0-3.

Diaz, a senior left fielder, was three for four with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Winning pitcher Adam Bright (2-0) went the distance and struck out five.

Avocado League

Oceanside 4, San Pasqual 2--John Portugal threw a two-hitter with five strikeouts for Oceanside (7-9, 5-2), which moved into sole possession of second-place. Fred Warner, James Moore and Mel Douglas had two hits each to help Portugal.

San Marcos 6, Carlsbad 1--Ryan Dunne (4-0) allowed three hits in six inning to lead No. 8 San Marcos (12-3, 7-0). Brian Calloway singled to drive in two, and Justin Woodard doubled in Calloway to get the Knights started in the bottom of the first. Carlsbad fell to 7-11-1, 4-3.

Ramona 9, Rancho Bernardo 1--Mike Vanlaningham had three hits and Billy Mason and Cleve Berdzar had two hits each for Ramona (6-9-1, 2-5), which scored in the first five innings. Ryno Simpson had a bases-empty homer for the Bulldogs, and Marcial Castrejon notched his fourth victory without a loss. Rancho Bernardo fell to (4-13, 2-5).

Escondido 7, El Camino 5--Mike Frank went three for four with a homer and Jerry Singleton went four for four with an RBI for Escondido (6-10, 4-3). Mark Redman struck out 10 and posted his first victory. El Camino fell to 3-11-1, 1-6.

Grossmont 2-A League

Valhalla 10, Santana 6--Craig Woodard went two for four with three RBIs, including a solo homer in the fourth and Tavo Carrillo added a base-empty homer for Valhalla (11-7, 1-2). Santana fell to 11-4-1, 1-1.

Palomar League

Poway 7, Fallbrook 4--Third-ranked Poway (15-3, 6-1) remained in a tie for first and Fallbrook (9-6, 4-3) remained in fourth. Jabe Marsh of Fallbrook and Brock Marsh of Poway each hit bases empty homers. The difference was shortstop Steve Thompson, who went three for four, and Miles Kelly, who struck out five and won his sixth decision without a loss.

Torrey Pines 6, San Dieguito 0--Brian Hochleutner (2-5) threw a six-hit shutout with six strikeouts and two walks for Torrey Pines (6-11, 3-4). Jason Withrow led the Falcons’ hitting attack by going two for four with four RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Matt Tranchina, Mike Staffieri and Bo Ginsberg added two hits apiece for Torrey Pines. San Dieguito fell to 2-13, 1-6.

Mt. Carmel 2, Rancho Buena Vista 0--Mt. Carmel leadoff hitter, shortstop Armando Sanchez, gave pitcher Scott Tebbetts all the runs he would need in the bottom of the first, keeping the seventh-ranked Sundevils (13-5-2, 6-1) in a first-place tie with Poway and Vista. Sanchez singled, went to second on a balk, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

Mt. Carmel scored another in the fourth--Larry Lehman’s triple drove in Andy Owen.

Tebbetts, who entered with a 0.83 ERA, threw a three-hitter. Left-hander Jim Perez also had a three-hitter for Rancho Buena Vista (7-10, 1-6).

Vista 3, Orange Glen 2--Rodney DeLeon struck out 10 and threw a three-hitter for Vista (11-7-1, 6-1). The Panthers’ Aaron Rounsifer went two for three with two stolen bases and two runs scored and Vinnie Valdovinos had the game-winning hit on a base-loaded single to left in the sixth. Orange Glen fell to 8-7, 1-6.

Citrus League

Midway Baptist 5, Calvin Christian 2--Junior Jon Taylor pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10, giving him 58 strikeouts in 37 innings and a 6-1 record for first-place Midway Baptist (10-3, 5-1). Teammate Larry Watkins, a sophomore first baseman, was three for three with two RBIs.

Coastal League

Santa Fe Christian 7, Julian 6--Keith Galloway went two for four with a triple and two RBIs and Deric Shires picked up the win in relief and went two for three with two RBIs, including the game-winner on suicide squeeze. Julian fell to 8-2, 4-1. SFC improved to 5-7, 2-3.

Nonleague

El Capitan 1, El Cajon 0--Sophomore left-hander Matt LaChappa (5-2) struck out seven of the first nine El Cajon batters en route to a 14-strikeout, three-hit shutout. He walked only one and picked off two of the four baserunners he allowed. To complete his day, LaChappa scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Andy Cleveland. El Capitan improved to 11-8, El Cajon fell to 3-12.