Both the Eastlake Titans and Sweetwater Red Devils can be thankful the San Diego Section baseball playoffs feature a double-elimination format.
The Titans lost, 3-2, in a 10-inning thriller to visiting Grossmont on Tuesday. In a single-elimination playoff bracket, this would have knocked them out of the tournament. However, after not having previously lost in the section’s double-elimination bracket playoffs, Eastlake got a reprieve and will test the Foothillers once more in Thursday’s fourth-round Open Division affair. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at EHS.
The Titans (28-4) hope to give their seniors a graduation present as graduation ceremonies are also scheduled that same day.
Sweetwater (23-11) also took advantage of the section’s double-elimination playoff formula but in a reverse manner than did Eastlake. The Red Devils toppled top-seeded Bishop’s (17-13) by a score of 5-0 on Tuesday to hand the Knights their first loss in the tournament and force a Division IV semifinal replay on Thursday. The teams are scheduled take the field at 3:30 p.m. at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla.
Had the Titans won on Tuesday (or the Knights, for that matter), they would have advanced to Saturday’s division championship game.
The loss was particularly disappointing for Eastlake, which saw its 23-game winning streak come to an end.
“It was a game that we could have won, but we didn’t take advantage of our chances,” EHS coach Dave Gallegos said. “We didn’t execute.”
The fourth-seeded Titans appeared on their way to claiming a championship game berth after plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead against fifth-seeded Grossmont (23-11).
Julian Escobedo, Eastlake’s starting pitcher, reached base on a bunt single, then moved to third on a base hit by sophomore standout Micah Pietila-Wiggs. Ben Ramirez brought in one runner on a ground-out, with Pietila-Wiggs advancing to second base.
Casey Schmitt drew a walk to place two runners on base, and Pietila-Wiggs advanced to third base on a passed ball. L.J. Jones then brought in Pietila-Wiggs with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Titan lead.
Escobedo appeared to be moving along fine on the hill after getting out of a minor jam in the top of the first inning with a pair of strikeouts to end the frame. He allowed a lead-off single in the top of the second inning but also managed to end the frame scoreless.
Meanwhile, the hosts had a golden opportunity to break the game open in the bottom of the second inning when Brian Leonhardt and Bryan Reyes both dropped singles into center field. With two runners on and none out, designated hitter Grant Holman attempted advance both runners with a sacrifice bunt but instead popped up the ball to Foothiller pitcher Jayden Lombardo.
Escobedo then grounded out, with both runners advancing a base. Pietila-Wiggs then fouled out to end the inning in rather meek fashion.
As it turned out, the Titans’ inability to add an insurance run would cost them later in the game.
Both pitchers put down the side in the third inning, with Eastlake still nursing its 2-0 lead. But the game turned around on one pitch in the top of the fourth inning.
Escobedo issued a base on balls to Jesse Garcia and Lombardo followed with a home run over the left field fence to tie the score.
Adrian Hernandez took over in relief for Escobedo with two outs in the top of the fifth inning.
The Foothillers placed a runner on second base in the top of the sixth inning but could not bring him home. Ditto for Eastlake.
A double play closed out Grossmont in the top of the seventh inning after the Foothillers had led off the frame with a single.
The hosts then stepped up to the plate with a good scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh inning with a chance to walk off with a win. Holman singled with one out but the pinch runner was later caught stealing. That proved to be a killer as Escobedo followed with a liner down the third base line to reach second base. However, Pietila-Wiggs popped out to end the inning.
The teams matched each other with a scoreless eighth inning despite getting the lead runner on in both cases.
The Titans then went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning.
One had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before one of the teams finally managed to break the goose eggs in extra innings, and that team turned out to be the Foothillers.
Kaleb Tedokon led off the top of the 10th inning with a walk. Pietila-Wiggs then made a diving catch in left field to hold the runner there. However, Steve Ouellette followed with a single to center field to place runners at the corners of the basepaths. Adam Lopez then followed with a RBI single to push Grossmont ahead, 3-2, on the scoreboard.
Another great play by Pietila-Wiggs gunned down the runner trying to advance to third base for the second out of the inning.
Schmitt then relieved Hernandez on the mound and promptly uncorked a wild pitch to advance Lopez to second base. Calvin Farris, who had entered the game in relief of Lomardo in the sixth inning, then drew a walk to place two Foothillers on base.
Schmitt got out of the jam on a pop fly to center field.
The Titans still had a chance to snatch a victory from an apparent defeat in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Holman led off with a base hit to right field and Escobedo drove a bad-hop single up the middle. Pietila-Wiggs sacrificed both runners up a base, to second and third, with one out.
But the visitors countered with an intentional walk to Ramirez to load the bases in search of a force out at any base.
Schmitt, the Mesa League Player of the Year, stepped up to the plate with a chance to win the game but instead hit into a game-ending double-play.
“We had our chances but we left men on base,” Gallegos said. “We didn’t execute when we needed to.
“I told the kids we’re just going to have to start a new streak on Thursday.
A win on Thursday by the Titans would tie a single-season record for most wins – and also land the team in the section finals for the second consecutive season after placing runner-up in last year’s Division I finals.
Fourth-seeded Sweetwater successfully staved off elimination with a 4-3 win over visiting Chula Vista in last Saturday’s third round after dropping a 2-1 decision to Bishop’s in second-round play last Friday.
The ninth-seeded Spartans had staved off elimination with a 5-0 win at Southwest El Centro in second-round play after dropping a 3-1 match-up against Bishop’s in the double-elimination tournament opener.
Chula Vista (18-14) qualified for double-elimination play after blasting eighth-seeded Monte Vista, 10-1, in a play-in game on May 24.
Pitching has carried the Red Devils for much of this season and SuHi coach Paul Wapnowski has to hope it will carry his team to the division championship game.
San Diego Section Baseball Playoffs
Open Division
Thursday’s Fourth Round
Final score: Eastlake 5, Grossmont 1
Note: Eastlake advances to Saturday’s division championship game at the University of San Diego’s Fowler Park, 7 p.m.
Division IV
Thursday’s Fourth Round
Final score: (4) Sweetwater 3, (1) Bishop’s 0
Note: Sweetwater advances to Saturday’s division championship game at UC-San Diego, 3:30 p.m.
