California: Poway Powers Past Vista With Three-Game Sweep

The top baseball ranking in the San Diego CIF Section is up for grabs between a handful of teams. Primary contenders in this rush are Poway and Vista.

Defending champion Poway, which has captured two of the past three Division I championships, is once again in the driver’s seat.

That’s because the Titans swept a three-game series from second-ranked Vista.

With one inning left in the opener of Saturday’s (April 25) doubleheader joust with Vista, the Titans appeared on the brink of defeat in the first game. Eventually, the Titans got three straight singles to chase home the tying and go-ahead runs for a 6-5 victory over Vista in a battle of teams ranked among the state's best. That comeback provided the spark for a sweep for Poway (18-2) over the 17-5 Panthers.

An eight-run first inning in the nightcap propelled Poway to an 18-2 pummeling of the Panthers.

More Baseball:  Millikan’s scoreless streak ends, but Rams get last word

The Millikan Rams’ string of scoreless innings in the Moore League was halted at 43 when Long Beach Poly scored four runs in the second inning of Friday's (Apr. 24) game at Blair Field in Long Beach. Nevertheless, Millikan improved to 7-0 after beating the Jackrabbits, 8-4.

Son of former major leaguer lights it up

Westview senior Angelo Cianfrocco, son of former San Diego Padres slugger Archi Cianfrocco, slugged three home runs and chased in six runs, helping the Wolverines sweep to victories over Oceanside and Valley Center. Cianfrocco is batting .377 with five home runs and 21 RBI.

Baseball extra: For South El Monte pitcher, the sauce et tu

Senior pitcher Jimmie Saucedo threw a three-hitter and hit two triples, guiding South El Monte to a 12-2 romp over Rosemead in a Mission Valley League game. Saucedo was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Softball: Parker’s McIntyre is base of the aces

Amye McIntyre, Parker

File Photo By Kirt Winter

Other Top Performances

— Damien's Matt Whitehouse pitched a no-hitter in a 14-0 win over Santa Maria St. Joseph. Whitehouse had 17 strikeouts, all in the first 19 batters of the game. The only batter that reached base was on a strikeout/passed ball.

— Edison sophomore Henry Owens pitched a no-hitter against Fountain Valley in a 7-0 victory. Owens is now 6-0. Tanner Phillips hit a grand slam in the first inning.

— Mira Mesa’s Justin Bellez, who has attracted pro scouts’ attention as a pitcher, went 4-for-4 in a win over Patrick Henry with a game-winning home run. On the mound he registered 11 strikeouts.

— Junior Andrew Katz hit for the cycle to help Patrick Henry pound Scripps Ranch 15-3 in a SDSCIF Eastern League game.

— Ramona’s Jackson Willeford drove in seven runs with a double and a home run as the Bulldogs smothered San Marcos 17-7 in a SDSCIF baseball game.

— Robert Refsnyder of Laguna Hills hit his eighth home run of the season to claim the Orange County lead.

—  Valhalla junior center fielder Kaitlin McGinley posted a .909 batting average (10-for-11) in triumphs over Grossmont South League rivals Helix, Steele Canyon and Monte Vista.

— Downey sophomore center fielder Staci Rodriguez was 10-for-17 with five runs scored, five RBI and a pair of home runs in the five-game Righetti Softball Tournament.

— Jasmine Vogel and Sage Wolf each went 5-for-5 and combined for eight RBI as Vista Guajome Park drubbed the San Diego Jewish Academy 17-5.

— Granite Hills’ Jenny Lahitte pitched her sixth career no-hitter as the Eagles hammered Helix 11-0.

Coming Attractions

The championship of the Metro Conference Baseball Tournament will be held later than planned when Montgomery faces off against Chula Vista Saturday (May 2) at Bonita Vista at 10:30.

On the horizon is the five-game regular season set at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. On Friday, May 8 Cathedral Catholic will face rival St. Augustine at 4 and Vista takes on Carlsbad at 7.  On Saturday, May 9, the lineup is as follows: Canyon Crest vs. Francis Parker at 10; Bonita Vista vs. Chula Vista at 1; and Central Union vs. El Centro Southwest at 4.

Dickens Dealings

To play in any major league venue has to be special for a high school athlete considering the majority of these youngsters won’t set foot in such an arena without purchasing a ticket.

A year ago 10 high school baseball teams showcased their talents in a weekend set at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. It doesn’t get much better than this for all concerned. Open seating for a $5 ticket allows the patron to sit wherever he or she would like sit. For the early arrivals, we’re talking front row, which for a big league game costs $57 if you can get it. Scalpers usually get $100 minimum for such seats, considering most of the ducats are corporate-owned on a season to season basis.

Players, of course, don’t pay a dime. But there are the strictest of rules. No spitting sunflower seeds on the playing surface or inside the dugouts. That privilege is reserved for the pros.

High school athletes, in the past, never received such an opportunity. But the current administration of the San Diego CIF was approached by the Padres with the invitation, and commission Dennis Ackerman jumped at the chance.

Obviously the players involved are in awe.

“The first couple of pitches I was pretty nervous,” La Costa Canyon reliever Tyler Korn told the San Diego Union-Tribune last year. “Standing out there on top of the mound looking in and seeing how high the stands go up, that was a little intimidating.”

Grossmont High graduate Kyle Secciani noted the size of the field.

“We are used to playing in a very small park, so as an outfielder there is so much more ground to cover,” Secciani recalled. “You have to worry about making longer throws, and taking better angles to the ball.”

Those who will participate in the Petco Party in May will no doubt incur similar memories of those previously privileged to do so.