The Eastlake High School baseball team made history even before it stepped up to the plate in this year’s San Diego Section Open Division championship game, played June 4 at the University of San Diego’s Fowler Park, as the first baseball team from the Sweetwater Union High School District to play in an Open Division championship game.
Though the fourth-seeded Titans came up on the short end of a 5-2 decision against the third-seeded Cathedral Catholic Dons, the statement had been made: Eastlake had finally joined the ranks of the section’s elite teams.
Despite the runner-up finish, there is obviously much to be proud of if you are a Titan.
The team tied a school record with its 29th win of the season in a 5-1 semifinal victory against the fifth-seeded Grossmont Foothillers on June 2. Two days later, Eastlake paired up with the Dons in venturing to where no other district team had gone before.
Certainly the Titans were pumped up to play in the Open Division championship game after outlasting the Foothillers in two grueling elimination contests.
Cathedral Catholic (25-9) had four days rest entering the Open Division final after dispatching second-seeded Rancho Bernardo, 2-1, on May 31. The Titans had to recover on two fewer days rest, which one might suspect had a measurable effect on the outcome of the championship game.
Still, Eastlake played well. Only one inning got away from starter Julian Escobedo. That was in the third inning when the Dons scored four runs.
Cathedral added another run in the top of the fourth inning to lead 5-0. But the Metro-Mesa League champion Titans stormed back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to close to within three runs on the scoreboard.
Eastlake left eight men on base in the game, including the bases loaded in the second inning and two each in the first and fifth innings. The Titans also had one runner picked off base.
EHS head coach Dave Gallegos admitted the inability to score runs in the early stages of the game came back to haunt his team.
Quinn and Wyatt Hoffman, sons of former Padres Hall of Fame relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman, played a big role in the Dons’ championship game victory.
Quinn, a senior shortstop, drove in a run and scored a run. Wyatt, a junior second baseman, scored twice. Between them, the brothers rapped out four hits, stole two bases and scored three runs.
Cathedral Catholic received contributions throughout its lineup, starting with pitchers Connor Lunn and Preston Price.
Cole Mueller doubled in two runs in the third inning and a single by Nick Mastrini later scored Mueller. Quinn Hoffman drove in the Dons’ opening runner in the frame, which turned out to be his younger brother Wyatt, who had reached base on a one-out single.
Wyatt Hoffman scored in the next inning after he singled, stole second base and came around on a throwing error.
Eastlake scored its two runs on back-to-back doubles by Micah Pietila-Wiggs and Ben Ramirez and a single by L.J. Jones.
However, Price held the Titans (29-5) scoreless in the final two frames to secure the victory for the Dons.
This is the second consecutive year the Titans have finished runner-up in a division championship game. Eastlake placed second to Poway in last year’s Division I title contest.
Gallegos said that with a young club, the Titans have a good chance to make it to the title game again next year.
That would be three in a row. Could the third time finally be the charm?
CIF finals
In the Division I title game, played June 3 at USD, Granite Hills defeated Vista by a score of 4-2.
In the Division II final, played June 4 at USD, San Marcos defeated Scripps Ranch by a score of 9-2.
In the Division III final, played June 3 at USD, Coronado defeated Del Norte by a score of 5-2.
In the Division V final, played June 3 at UCSD, Hoover blanked the San Diego Jewish Academy 5-0.
