HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : La Jolla Victory Adds to Mira Mesa’s Troubles

Having lost three standouts to graduation, third-ranked Mira Mesa never claimed the road to a possible third consecutive 3-A San Diego Section title would be smooth.

La Jolla (4-2) made the road rougher in an opening-round game of the City Conference Tournament Tuesday, as the Vikings defeated the Marauders, 4-1.

Taking a 1-1 tie into the eighth, sophomore David Myers led off with a single. Mira Mesa turned two La Jolla sacrifice bunt attempts into base hits. John Zuanich followed with an infield hit that brought in the Vikings’ go-ahead run. Jason Green tripled to the left-center fence, which scored the final two runs.

For Mira Mesa (7-2), Jason Payne came in with bases loaded and one out in the fifth and didn’t give up any runs--he struck out six--in 2 2/3 innings. Mira Mesa’s run was unearned.

In other City Conference Tournament games:

Mission Bay 14, Coronado 3--Ninth-ranked Mission Bay scored in every inning as the Bucs (3-3) powered past the Islanders (4-3). Adam Stuart picked up three hits in three at-bats, drove in three runs and scored twice and Ivan Espinoza went two for three and had two RBIs for Mission Bay.

St. Augustine 7, Lincoln 3--The Saints scored five runs in the top of the sixth to win the game, shortened after six innings because of darkness. Dominic Giammarinaro was two for three for St. Augustine. Lincoln fell to 2-4.

Kearny 6, Crawford 4--The Komets (4-4-1) scored four unearned runs on four hits and two Colt errors in the second inning, which proved the difference. Jason Slyh (1-0) pitched four innings, striking out six and walking one for the victory. Eddie Feistel was three for four with two RBIs. Crawford is 2-4.

Nonleague

Montgomery 7, Helix 1--The No. 1 Aztecs, 3-A finalists a year ago, improved to 6-0 behind a three-hit, 10-strikeout performance by sophomore Oscar Robles, who was two for four. Alex Placio added two hits for Montgomery. No. 7 Helix fell to 3-3.

Julian 2, Holtville 1--Graham Koonce lifted Julian (3-2) with his arm and bat. Koonce (2-1), who had 16 strikeouts Thursday against Borrego, struck out eight in seven innings, had two hits and scored the winning run on Frank Stewart’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Holtville is the defending 1-A champion.

San Marcos 5, Chula Vista 4--Kyle Scott picked a nice time to come out of a hitting slump with a four-for-four day capped by a 400-foot home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The Knights improved to 2-4. The Spartans are also 2-4.

Rancho Bernardo 1, El Capitan 0--Rancho Bernardo’s Mike Walter struck out 10 and allowed three hits as he went the distance. Teammate Pete Kelaher was two for three and had the game-winning RBI at the top of the fifth--a two-out single to center field. Tenth-ranked El Capitan dropped to 3-3; Rancho Bernardo improved to 3-3.

Granite Hills 11, Point Loma 3--For No. 8 Granite Hills (4-2), Mike Smith stole two bases and went two for three with three RBIs.

Army-Navy 4, Midway Baptist 4--Before the game was called in the ninth because of darkness, Jon Taylor struck out 17 and walked four and knocked in three RBIs for Midway Baptist (0-3-1). Wayne Sandstrom went three for four for Army-Navy.

Oceanside Pirate Tournament

Fallbrook 5, Rancho Buena Vista 4--Four of Fallbrook’s five runs in the third were unearned, as RBV had two of its four errors in that inning, in a semifinal game at RBV. Buddy Christensen doubled and had a bunt single for Fallbrook (3-1-1). The Longhorns are 3-2-1.

Softball

Hilltop 7, Morse 0--Senior Tanya Contreras threw a one-hitter, striking out two, as the defending 3-A champion Lancers improved to 2-0. Soida Barajas was two for three to pace Hilltop. Morse is 1-1.