DIVISION 3-A BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Identity Problem Can’t Stop Mar Vista From Defeating Vista

Mar Vista traveled 60 miles to Vista for a quarterfinal baseball game Thursday, but it wasn’t toting the South Bay stigma of inferiority.

That’s because it didn’t even carry an identity.

“I’ve never even heard of Mar Vista,” said Vista starter Steve Chatham. “I don’t even know where Mar Vista is.”

Pssssst --Imperial Beach.

Chatham does know where Mar Vista will be going--to the San Diego Section 3-A semifinals. The Mariners broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the sixth en route to a 5-0 victory.

So much for the North County’s domination.

“In our South Bay league,” said Alex Santana of the Metro Conference, “we’ve been playing unbelievable teams every game, and they’ve really helped us prepare for the playoffs.”

Mar Vista (19-8-2) isn’t even the top team from the Metro Conference. The Mariners finished second to Montgomery. Right behind in third was Bonita Vista. All three have advanced to Saturday’s semifinals. Mar Vista will play Bonita Vista.

“I know we have a lot of good ballplayers in the South Bay,” said Mar Vista starter Ricky Quinones. “We just don’t get as much credit as North County schools.”

Quinones did his part in reversing that trend. He matched Chatham by going through the first four innings without giving up a hit. When he left with one out in the sixth, he had yielded only one base hit.

But Quinones had spells of wildness, including one in the fourth when he issued consecutive walks.

Two strike outs and a fly ball later, he was out of a mini jam.

Chatham, a sophomore, wasn’t as lucky. The only batter he walked unintentionally in 5 2/3 innings came around to score.

Actavio Romo got that walk, moved to second on a single by Shawn Simmons, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Quinones. There was more to come. Bobby Rector was intentionally walked, and Carlos Quinones (no relation to Ricky) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Andy Merino then greeted Chatham with a hard line drive to the warning track. Center fielder Jerry Butkiewicz chased it down, but the ball glanced off his glove, and Merino had a bases-clearing double.

Chatham blamed himself for the loss and pointed out one play on which he felt the game hinged: In the bottom of the fifth, he stranded a runner on third by grounding out to third.

“I was kind of bummed out when I couldn’t get that base hit,” Chatham said. “And it carried over to my pitching. . . . I’m disappointed because the seniors on this team (Butkiewicz, Aaron Rounsifer, Brian Field and Doug Enger) became like my brothers. They were someone I could look up to all the time, and tomorrow morning I’ll wake up and we’ll never even practice together again.”

Vista finished 25-5-1.