Three Metro Conference teams earned top four seeds in this year’s San Diego Section baseball playoffs. The Metro-Mesa League champion Eastlake Titans received the No. 4 seed in the Open Division. Metro-Pacific League champion Hilltop received the No. 3 seed in the Division III playoffs while Sweetwater received the No. 4 seed in the Division IV playoffs.
Overall, nine South County teams qualified for this year’s multi-divisional playoff field.
Bonita Vista received the No. 9 seed in the Division I field; Metro-South Bay League champion Montgomery received the No. 9 seed in the Division II field. Mater Dei Catholic received the No. 8 and Olympian received the No. 11 seed in the Division III field. Chula Vista received the No. 9 seed in the Division IV field; High Tech High Chula Vista received the No. 7 seed in the Division V field.
Clash of the Titans
In first-round games on Wednesday, Eastlake recorded a 6-5 come-from-behind victory against fifth-seeded Grossmont in an Open Division match-up while Hilltop dropped a 5-2 decision in nine innings to sixth-seeded Mt. Carmel in a Division III contest and fourth-seeded Sweetwater edged fifth-seeded Southwest El Centro, 2-1, in another nine-inning contest in a Division IV game.
Ben Martinez rescued the Titans with a three-run home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning and sophomore Micah Pietila-Wiggs drove a pitch to the outfield wall to score teammate Julian Escobedo for the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The win was the 22nd consecutive for Eastlake, which next faces eighth-seeded La Jolla Country Day (20-9) in Friday’s second round. The Torreys recorded the shocker of the playoffs so far by taming top-seeded La Costa Canyon (23-6) and California Player of the Year Mickey Moniak by a score of 4-3 in Wednesday’s opening round.
Escobedo finished the game with three hits while Pietila-Wiggs scored two runs and drove in one run.
Grossmont (20-11) scored all three of its runs in the top of the third inning off Escobedo. Yaden Lombardo tripled, while Jackson Hulett, Jesse Garcia and Jaime Arreola followed with run-scoring singles.
Adrian Hernandez picked up the win in relief for the Titans, who improved to 27-3.
Hilltop, which finished 6-0 to win this year’s Metro-Pacific League title, trailed 2-0 in the first inning against the Sundevils (16-14). The Lancers (19-10) tied the game, 2-2, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning and the teams then went scoreless through the next five frames before the visitors rolled three runs across the plate in the top of the ninth inning to prevail.
Mt. Carmel out-hit Hilltop 9-8. Jacob Benson earned honors as the Sundevils’ player of the game after going 3-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Daniel Cope, who went 2-for-5 in the game, had two RBI while Jeremy Clark (1-for-4) drove in one run. Nick Kruth went the first seven innings for the Sundevils on the mound, yielding two runs on seven hits, while Jacob Andrada pitched the final two frames allowing no runs on one hit.
The Lancers will attempt to avoid an early two-and-out exit with a second-round game at second-seeded Escondido (23-7) on Friday.
Sweetwater defeated the visiting Eagles (18-10-1) on just four hits to improve to 19-12. The Red Devils will take on top-seeded Bishop’s (16-12) in Friday’s second round.
SuHi scored the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning after both teams each scored one run in the first inning to open the game.
All but Chula Vista lost in play-in games on Tuesday.
- Bonita Vista (16-13) dropped a 4-0 decision at eighth-seeded Santa Fe Christian (19-10) in a Division I contest.
- Montgomery (17-13) dropped a 3-1 contest to ninth-seeded Christian (18-10) in a Division II match-up.
- Mater Dei Catholic (9-21) dropped a 5-1 match-up against ninth-seeded Brawley (14-13) in a Division III game.
- Also in Division III, Olympian (14-14) saw its season end following an 8-4 setback at Mt. Carmel in a Division IV contest.
- High Tech High Chula Vista (16-11) dropped its opening-round Division V game at second-seeded San Diego Jewish Academy (18-5) by a score of 16-3 to drop to Thursday’s losers bracket game at third-seeded Tri-City Christian (12-12-1).
Chula Vista defeated eighth-seeded Monte Vista, 10-1, to advance to Wednesday’s first-round game at top-seeded Bishop’s. The Spartans dropped Wednesday’s game to the host Knights, 3-1, to drop to the losers bracket.
Chula Vista (13-17) will attempt to avoid elimination in Friday’s second-round match-up at Southwest El Centro.
CIF playoff schedule
Second-round games (both in the winners and losers brackets) are scheduled for Friday, May 27. Third-round play is scheduled for Saturday, May 28. Fourth-round play is scheduled Tuesday, May 31. For updates, visit the website at www.cifsds.org.
San Diego Section
Baseball Playoffs
Open Division
Second Round
Friday, May 27
(4) Eastlake 6, (8) La Jolla Country Day 5
Fourth Round
Tuesday, May 31
Grossmont-La Jolla Country Day third-round winner at (4) Eastlake, 3:30 p.m.
Division III
Third Round
Friday, May 27
(2) Escondido 6, (3) Hilltop 5
Note: Hilltop eliminated from tournament
Division IV
Seocnd Round
Friday, May 27
(1) Bishop’s 2, (4) Sweetwater 1
(9) Chula Vista 5, (5) Southwest El Centro 0
Third Round
Saturday, May 28
(9) Chula Vista at (4) Sweetwater, 11 a.m.
Note: winner advances to Tuesday’s fourth-round game at (1) Bishop’s; loser is eliminated from tournament
