CHULA VISTA – Last weekend, the Grossmont College baseball team upset the No. 3 seed Riverside City College in a best-of-three series.
This weekend, the Griffins road to Fresno stayed local as they are traveling to Pacific Coast Athletic Conference mate Southwestern. The Jaguars are the No. 15 seed and due to the unexpected exits of the "higher" seeds, get the hosting duties.
The final team in the Super Regional this weekend is the No. 19 seed College of the Canyons (24-17), who are the first opponent for the Griffins (23-17).
With research on both Grossmont and Canyons' ends, it is believed that the contest on Thursday was the first ever between the Griffins and Cougars.
Griffin Ace, and University of Hawai'I commit, Kyle Dobyns got the start. The sophomore righty was not as brilliant as he usually is, going seven innings of work, throwing just over 110 pitches, allowing six runs on 10 hits.
Canyons scored a single run in the third, and four more in the bottom of the fifth.
Grossmont scored a pair of runs to avoid the shutout in the top of the sixth as the visiting team.
The Cougars would score another two runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game on ice at 7-2.
Well, someone forgot to tell the Griffins that they were supposed to roll over and play dead.
The Cougars brought in their first baseman Jake Schwartz (2-2). Schwartz faced five batters and could not get a single out.
Nevan Noonan started the inning off by reaching on an error. He advanced to second on a passed ball and Noah Lane singled to shortstop to put runners on first and second. Juan Nunez doubled to left centerfield bringing in Noonan and advancing Lane to third, 7-3 Cougars. Nicholas Rocha drew a pinch-hit walk to load the bases up with no one out. This is when Schwartz entered.
Broadie Romero singled to left field scoring Lane, 7-4. Luke Mansy singled to right to bring in Rocha and Nunez, to bring it to 7-6 Cougars. Ethan Caschetta singled to left to bring in Romero and move Mansy to second, all tied up at 7-all. Luke Denos doubled down the right field line to bring in Mansy and the eighth, and final, run of the day.
There were some folks at the ballpark that thought the double down the right field line was foul. There were some that thought they saw the first baseman touch the ball before the ball went by the bag. Either way, it was the game winning hit!
Skyler Agnew was intentionally walked to load the bases up, again, with no one out. This is when Canyons pulled the first baseman, turned pitcher and returned him to first. The second reliever of the inning came in and shut the door down on any other run possibilities.
Caleb Harris (4-1) allowed a hit and that is when Bradley Barkley came in to close the door on the Cougars. Barkley went strike out, fly out, single, ground out for his ninth save of the campaign.
Grossmont will be back on the field today, Friday, May 12 at 11:00 a.m. when they play Southwestern.
Southwestern would end up playing Canyons in the night cap on Thursday and lost 6-5. Meaning Grossmont is in the drivers seat in this double-elimination tournament.