The Otay Ranch High School baseball team used four pitchers and scored 13 runs Wednesday at Hilltop to remain undefeated in Mesa League play.
The Mustangs’ 13-8 win over the Lancers built on a season opening two-game sweep of the Montgomery Aztecs to hike Otay Ranch’s league record to 3-0.
The Mustangs are 12-8 overall entering Friday’s rematch with Hilltop at Otay Ranch High School.
“We’re getting solid pitching, good defense and, if we can stay hot with our hitting, we should be able to contend for the league banner,” Mustang assistant coach Rocky Gracio said.
Matt Brumbaugh and Osvaldo Tovalin led Otay Ranch in the hitting department in Wednesday’s victory.
Brumbaugh went 3-for-4 with a double and home run while collecting six RBI and two runs scored.
Tovalin went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored.
Amari Riley went 2-for-2 and scored four runs.
Octavio Corona, who pitched three innings and gave up four runs (three earned) and struck out four batters, received credit for the win. Aleck Avalos pitched one inning and struck out three hitters while Omar Lopez pitched two frames and allowed three earned runs.
Felix Canizales pitched the final inning without allowing a run.
The Mustangs scored three runs in the third inning and broke the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. The Lancers scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 5-4 contest in favor of the visitors.
Otay Ranch eventually built an 11-5 lead in the game. Hilltop rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull to within 11-8 on the scoreboard.
Wednesday’s loss was the first in league play for Hilltop, which opened league play with a two-game sweep of San Ysidro.
The Lancers (2-1 in league, 11-9 overall) swept the Cougars (0-3 in league, 7-13 overall) by scores of 8-2 (in an away game on April 19) and 1-0 in eight innings (at home last Friday).
Around the league
Eastlake defeated Montgomery, 4-1, in a game played Monday at Petco Park. The Titans scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and limited the Aztecs to one run in the top of the third inning.
It was a pitchers game, with Eastlake rapping out just four hits and Montgomery collecting just three hits. The Aztecs committed two errors while the Titans committed one error.
Grant Holman went the distance for Eastlake, allowing just the three hits. Jose Cerda, who took the loss, pitched six innings.
Cerda finished the game with 104 pitches while Holman got the job done on 81 pitches.
Fidel Alvarez scored Montgomery’s lone run.
Eastlake improved to 4-0 in Mesa League play, 20-3 overall, after defeating host San Ysidro, 13-3, on Wednesday. Ricky Tibbett, who hurled four innings, picked up the win.
Eastlake routed visiting Sweetwater, 15-1, in a non-league game played last Saturday. Mason Thompson, braced by an 11-hit attack by the Titans, earned the win by pitching four innings.
Montgomery got back in the win column – and picked up its first league win – after taming host Bonita Vista, 5-1, on Wednesday. The Aztecs (1-3 in league, 12-10 overall) scored a pair of runs in each of the opening two innings to just out to an early 4-1 lead.
Jose Cerda drove in two runs while Jorge Martinez allowed one run in a complete game effort to pick up the win.
Alex Verdugo drove in the only run for Bonita Vista, which dropped to 0-3 in league play, 8-12 overall.
Veteran head coach Manny Hermosillo lists Jose Cerda, a senior infielder-right hand pitcher, sophomore catcher-outfielder Juan Cerda, senior third baseman-right hand pitcher Jorge Martinez, junior outfielder-left hand pitcher Iran Torres, senior outfielder-right hand pitcher Michael Quintana Roo and senior first baseman Reyes Murillo as the team’s impact players in 2017.
Junior right hand pitcher-third baseman Hernan Gomez has been the team’s impact newcomer.
Hermosillo lists his team’s strengths as its pitching, with adequate defense.
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Despite changing leagues (from the former Metro-South Bay League to the Mesa League), he still expects his team to post a winning season against what he referred to as “tougher competition.”
Metro Conference
Baseball Standings
Mesa League
Eastlake Titans 4-0, 20-3
Otay Ranch Mustangs 3-0, 12-8
Hilltop Lancers 2-1, 11-9
Montgomery 1-3, 12-10
Bonita Vista 0-3, 8-12
San Ysidro 0-3, 7-13
Wednesday, April 26
Eastlake 13, San Ysidro 3
Otay Ranch 13, Hilltop 8
Montgomery 5, Bonita Vista 1
Monday, April 24
Eastlake 4, Montgomery 1
Saturday, April 22
Eastlake 15, Sweetwater 1
Friday, April 21
Eastlake 7, Bonita Vista 1
Otay Ranch 7, Montgomery 1
Hilltop 1, San Ysidro 0
Wednesday, April 19
Eastlake 7, Bonita Vista 2
Otay Ranch 1, Montgomery 0
Hilltop 8, San Ysidro 2
South Bay League
Chula Vista Spartans 5-2, 16-7
Castle Park Trojans 3-2, 13-7
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 3-2, 8-14
Mar Vista Mariners 3-3, 10-11
Olympian Eagles 304, 13-10
Southwest 3-4, 12-11
Sweetwater 1-4, 8-11
Wednesday, April 26
Mater Dei Catholic 11, Chula Vista 10
Castle Park 4, Sweetwater 3
Olympian 5, Southwest 1
Friday, April 21
Chula Vista 5, Mar Vista 1
Mater Dei Catholic 5, Southwest 4
Olympian 3, Castle Park 2
Wednesday, April 19
Chula Vista 5, Mar Vista 1
Mater Dei Catholic 6, Southwest 3
Castle Park 4, Olympian 3
