High School Roundup : Helix Wins Low-Key Title Rematch

The pregame hoopla and speculation never made it to the field.

The intensity, memories and rivalry you might have expected to be involved in Friday afternoon’s baseball game between Helix and Santana high schools--a rematch of last season’s San Diego Section 3-A title game--were sorely lacking.

Instead, it was a more-than-routine, less-than-spectacular nonleague game that Helix won, 5-2. Helix, which competes in the new Grossmont 3-A League, extended its Grossmont Conference winning streak to 20 games by beating Santana of the 2-A league for the fourth consecutive time over two seasons.

As a merged league, where games between 3-A and 2-A don’t count on a team’s league record, coaches are finding that putting a fire into a player is as crucial as putting the ball into play.

“It’s really hard to get up for these games,” Santana Coach Jim Saska said, “because it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t count.”

Helix Coach Jerry Schniepp said motivation can be a problem: “Playing Santana is always a good rivalry, but you do have to find a way to get your kids up for every game.”

Helix looked “up” enough, especially in the fourth inning when the Highlanders scored three of their runs to take a 3-1 lead.

Jason Ledford (two for three, two runs scored) led off the inning with a double to the fence in left-center and scored on Rich Haar’s infield single. Haar scored once and had two RBIs.

Rob Ippolito, who was batting .604 going into the game, then got his only hit of the day, coaxing a pitch into left-center and advancing Haar to third on a hit-and-run. Haar scored when Santana’s catcher misfired to second while trying to catch Ippolito on a steal attempt. Ippolito wound up on third, then scored on a wild pitch.

“We were being patient,” Schniepp said. “We got a lot of clutch hits, a hit-and-run when we had to, a sacrifice fly when we had to. And our baserunning created some problems for them.”

Tom Weinbrecht scored both of Santana’s runs, hitting a bases-empty home run in the third, then in the fifth bunting safely, stealing second, advancing to third on a sacrifice and scoring on Darrin Forster’s double down the third-base line.

“We had a couple of defensive lapses,” Saska said, “and we didn’t hit the crucial pitches. But Helix is a good team. They played their game. They didn’t beat themselves. They put the ball in play when they had to.”

Garry Maler (4-0) went the distance for Helix, with six strikeouts and no walks.

“Garry was the difference today,” Schniepp said. “This is the best performance he’s ever had. He kept them out of their game.”

Santana’s Matt Hill (2-2) was replaced by Paul Newark in the fifth and charged with the loss.

Helix finished its scoring in the fifth inning when Scott Young doubled to left-center, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder’s choice. Ledford singled, took second on a throwing error and scored on Haar’s RBI double.

Grossmont 2-A League

Valhalla 6, Grossmont 4--Tony Clark hit two home runs for Valhalla (9-6-1, 2-0). Clark’s first home run was in the fourth inning with the bases empty. He added a three-run homer in the fifth. Clark (2-0) gave up four runs, struck out five and walked four on the mound. Teammate Stacy Hamm was four for four.

Grossmont 3-A League

Granite Hills 9, Mt. Miguel 4--Five players had two hits apiece for visiting Granite Hills (11-4, 2-0). Brian Giles hit his fifth home run of the season for Granite Hills, a two-run shot in the sixth. Ryan O’Coyne (5-1) went the distance. Bryan Smith hit a grand slam in the fourth for Mt. Miguel.