The Bonita Vista Barons are still taking it one game at time, according to head coach Vince Gervais. With that, the Barons have moved one game closer to repeating as Mesa League champions.
Bonita Vista’s latest step forward was a huge one — a 6-1 victory over the visiting Eastlake Titans Wednesday in the first of a crucial two-game series between the east side rivals.
The teams rematch at Eastlake on Friday, with the Barons now holding a two-game lead over the Titans in the league standings.
Three games remain in league play.
Again, the Barons (7-0 in league play, 16-9 overall) won by playing “small ball” — or as Gervais prefers to call it, “the game of baseball.”
“We put the ball in play,” the BVHS coach said. “We hit behind the runners. We played the game of baseball. We got runners on, we were able to move them over and we got them in.”
The loss put a damper on the Titans’ championship fortunes, though did not eliminate them entirely. Eastlake (5-2 in league) has had better success in non-league play this season, having entered Wednesday’s game 21-5 overall. The team’s latest trophy was last Saturday’s Metro Conference tournament title when the host Titans employed a 14-hit attack to subdue Hilltop 11-3.
BV starter Alex Quiros (4-2) limited Eastlake to just four hits – all singles — while registering a modest three strikeouts. The Titans did not score until the hosts had racked up a 6-0 lead on Eastlake starter Daniel Kopas.
Alexis Ayala and Raymon Campillo each went 2-for-3 to help power the Barons’ nine-hit attack. Quiros helped his own cause with two RBI.
The hosts did all their damage in two innings — the second and third frames.
Quiros singled in one run and another scored on an error before Mitch Lara singled for Bonita Vista’s third run in the second inning.
Four consecutive singles produced two runs in the third inning before Quiros drove in the final run on a safety squeeze.
Alex Hanono hit a sacrifice fly to score Andrew Calica for Eastlake’s only run.
The Barons have bounced back from an admittedly poor showing at the 61st Lions tournament. “It’s a tribute to the kids’ hard work,” Gervais said. “We have played a challenging schedule and the kids have persevered through it. The early season games are to prepare us for league play. We want to be playing at the top of our game for league. We’ve got to continue to work hard to continue to improve.”
Mesa League Standings
Bonita Vista 7-0
Eastlake 5-2
Otay Ranch 3-4
Hilltop 2-4
Mater Dei Catholic 2-4
Chula Vista 1-6
Titans roll past Lancers, 11-3, to claim Metro tourney title
The annual Metro Conference baseball tournament, which began in March, finally turned up a winner as the Eastlake Titans defeated the visiting Hilltop Lancers, 11-3, in last Saturday’s championship game.
The conference tourney title was the first for the Titans in the match-up of two Mesa League squads.
Eddie Campain and Josh Palet combined to pitch Eastlake (21-5) past Hilltop (11-13). Campain did not allow an earned run while Palet (4-1) picked up the win with four innings of relief, striking out eight batters.
The Titans broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Eastlake, which started the season ranked seventh in the section, smashed out 14 hits. Andrew Calica drove in two runs while Alex Hanono rapped out three singles and scored twice.
