San Diego’s march to a Southern Section championship was derailed by Glendale in the most confusing finish in the 20-season career of coach Mike Morrow.

“Bait and switch”  is a often-used political term for what happened to the Hilltoppers.

They were told by CIF boss Seth Van Patten that a victory over Norwalk Excelsior in their second playoff (semifinal) would result in a championship encounter the following week in Lane Field against Compton.

Days later coach Mike Morrow’s team was forced to a second playoff semifinal which they lost to Glendale, 3-2 (below).

STEADY DUO

All-Southern California Al Olsen and Chet Kehn were the  pitchers who delivered most of the Hillers’ success.

Olsen would spend much of 11 seasons pitching for the San Diego Padres and later was athletic director at San Diego State and a California senior tennis champion.

Morrow said of his lefthanded ace: “I never saw a high school pitcher with as much real stuff.  He puts something on each pitch. In the two years Olsen pitched for me I never saw him throw a straight fast ball.  It always has a hop or zip on it. He has wrapped his curve ball around more than one hitter’s neck.”

“Kehn has about the fastest breaking curve ball I ever saw,” added Morrow.

4/1/38

Lefthander Al Olsen gave up three hits and a run in the first inning to Alhambra, but recovered to strike out 15 batters and pitch San Diego to an 8-4 Coast League win over the visiting Moors.

Olsen also was 2 for 4 at the plate and scored two runs.  First baseman Ted Kerr added three hits..

—Burt Kenmuir allowed only four hits, but Long Beach Wilson scored the first half of a weekend sweep with a 1-0 win at Hoover in the afternoon before Wilson’s under-the-lights, dual meet victory in track.

—Sweetwater’s Boyd McGee shut out Point Loma on three hits, 6-0, in a Metropolitan League game on the Red Devils’ diamond.

—The brothers Galindo did it all in a 12-0 Escondido victory at Oceanside.   Adon (Don) Galindo handcuffed the Pirates on two hits, struck out nine, and  hit two doubles and a single.  Battery mate Ursulo had three hits, and first baseman Pete doubled twice and homered.

4/5/38

San Diego Padres owner Bill Lane allowed use of Lane Field to Hoover and San Diego for a night game, which was a preview for Hilltoppers pitcher Al Olsen, who later would go on to an 11-season career with the PCL San Diego Padres.

Olsen struck out 17 Cardinals, gave up two hits to third baseman Ed Neumeister, and hurled a 7-4 victory.

Olsen recovered from a shaky second inning when Hoover scored three runs on five walks, wild pitch, passed ball and Neumeister’s double.

The Coast League game drew an estimated 3,200 persons, according to The San Diego Union writer Mitch Angus.

—The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Devildogs overcame a 4-3 lead by San Diego with four runs in the seventh inning, driving pitcher Duane Pillette from the mound, and two more in the eighth for a 9-6 victory.

Manuel (Nay) Hernandez and Al Olsen each had three hits for the visitors.

4/8/38

John (Red) Keogh pitched St. Augustine to a 6-4 victory over the San Diego State freshmen at Central Elementary playground.  Keogh’s catcher was Benny Hemus, older brother of future major league player and manager Solly Hemus.

—Hoover beat Oceanside Junior College, 11-1, as pitcher Jerry Henlon, exiled for almost eight months in an eligibility beef with the CIF, went the distance on the mound for the Cardinals, allowing four hits.

Cardinals outfielder Doug Donnan led the way with three hits in three times at the plate.

—San Diego amassed 17 hits and won, 14-6, at Long Beach Wilson. Fred Martinez collected four hits and Chet Kehn went the distance on the mound despite giving up 13 hits.

—An eighth-inning base on balls deprived Escondido’s Adon (Don) Galindo of a perfect game. Galindo did not allow a hit and shut out Grossmont, 10-0.  Adon and his battery mate catcher and brother Ursulo each had two hits.

—Boyd McGee walked seven and hit two batters but pitched seven innings of Sweetwater’s 16-6 win at Oceanside.

4/9/38

Al Olsen and guest San Diego High pounded out 17 hits and defeated the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, 13-9. Olsen staggered the distance, giving up 12 hits, but shut out the Devildogs in the last four innings.

Chet Kehn and Stan Sharp homered or the Hilltoppers.

4/13/38

Three San Diego County squads were among the 43 schools entered in the Pomona 20-30 Rotary Club tournament, with Escondido, the defending champion, arriving a day earlier, followed by St. Augustine and San Diego.

Hoover and Sweetwater passed on the event.  The Red Devils cited a lack of players.

—Hoover was not idle, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on the base diamond when Bob (The Clown) Trometter* tripled in two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

*Trometter was better known later as Robert (Bull) Trometter, the no-nonsense and respected football coach of the Devildogs and the University of San Diego High.

4/14/38-4/16/38

San Diego reached the semifinals of the Pomona 20-30 Rotary Club tournament but fell to Long Beach Wilson, 3-2.   Wilson lost to Long Beach Poly, 8-1, in the championship game.

San Diego had advanced by defeating the Riverside Sherman Indians, 7-1; Pomona Fremont Junior High, 10-0, and Pomona, 15-2.

Manuel (Nay) Hernandez struck four singles, double, triple, and 2 home runs in the four games.

Defending champion Escondido defeated Azusa Citrus, 2-0, and Huntington Beach, 8-0, but lost to Long Beach Poly, 7-1.  St. Augustine, after 6-5 and 2-1 victories over Brea-Olinda and Bonita, respectively, dropped a 5-4 decision to Norwalk Excelsior.

4/22/38

Escondido’s Don Galindo gave up one hit and the Cougars claimed their second straight Metropolitan League championship, 8-0, over visiting La Jolla.

In five league victories this season, Galindo gave up one run and five hits in 45 innings, which included a no-hitter versus Grossmont.

—Point Loma won its first Metropolitan League game, 8-2, over Oceanside at Golden Hill playground.  The Pointers’ Chaffey Keiber struck out 10 and gave up four hits.

—San Diego took a two-run lead into the ninth inning at Long Beach Poly, but the Jackrabbits dealt the Hillers their first Coast League defeat, 7-6.

—Pitchers Jerry Henlon and Dell Oliver also homered and Alhambra was faced with a long ride home after the Cardinals, beginning with eight runs in the first inning, cruised to a 16-hit, 16-5 victory.

4/29/38

San Diego was silent for eight innings and then parlayed three hits, two errors, and walk in the top of the ninth inning for a 5-4 victory at Alhambra.  Sore-armed Al Olsen started for the Hilltoppers., but was relieved by Bill Morales, and Chet Kehn, who got the win.

—Point Loma struck 15 hits in a 19-6 Metropolitan League victory at Grossmont.  Chaffey Keiber pitched the victory and Peebles, Paul (Red) Isom, and Mathis combined to contribute 10 hits for the Pointers.

5/1/38

San Diego’s Al Olsen and Manuel (Nan) Hernandez were honored with other high school and collegiate athletes between games of a Hollywood Stars-L.A. Angels Pacific Coast League doubleheader at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.

Olsen was named most-valuable player in the district, according to Bill Schroeder of the sponsoring Helms Athletic Foundation, although the honor of the first CIF Southern Section player of the year went to Long Beach Wilson’s Bob Lemon.

5/2/38

San Diego clinched its second consecutive Coast League title and 10^th in the last 11 years, 11-3, over Hoover.

The Hilltoppers greeted Cardinals pitcher Jerry Henlon, who transferred from San Diego at the start of the school year, with a five-run outburst in the first inning.

Bert Kenmuir relieved Henlon and gave up two more runs as the Hillers totaled seven on four hits and two errors.

Pitcher Chet Kehn went the distance for San Diego and stranded 13 baserunners while allowing eight hits.  Del Oliver hurled the final eight innings for Hoover, allowing four runs and eight hits.

About 10 donkeys, used in softball games, roamed the outfield, according to Mitch Angus of The San Diego Union. The asses generally were not intrusive except when Cardinals leftfielder Jim Moore found himself in their midst chasing a triple by Mel Skelley.

Originally scheduled at Lane Field, the second Hoover-San Diego game was moved to Hoover and the Monroe Avenue diamond.  The change was necessitated because of a Lane Field boxing card and installation of a ring.

5/3/38

St. Augustine’s Ed Vitalich gave up one hit at Golden Hill Playground enroute to the Saints’ 5-0 victory over Point Loma.  The safety was a single in the last of the seventh inning by the Pointers’ Peebles.

5/6/38

John (Red) Keogh homered and the battery of Ed Vitalich and Benny Hemus led St. Augustine to a 5-1 victory over the Naval Hospital team, 5-1, at Golden Hill Playground.

5/14/38

Visiting San Diego collected 11 hits off Don Galindo and took advantage of seven errors to defeat Escondido, 4-0, in the opening round of the CIF playoffs on the Cougars’ diamond.

Manuel (Nan) Hernandez’ home run, followed by Al Olsen’s triple and Tony Angeles’ base hit gave the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Olsen singled in Hernandez an inning later.

Olsen worked his way out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning and gave up three hits in his nine inning complete game.

5/15/38

Ed Vitalich took a two-hitter into the bottom of the ninth inning, tied with San Diego, 3-3, but the Hilltoppers’ Hal Summers doubled and scored on Freddie Martinez’ single for a 4-3 loss for the St. Augustine hurler.

Chet Kehn gave up four hits and was the winning pitcher.

5/24/38

First baseman Ted Kerr was named winner of The San Diego Union trophy as most-valuable player on the San Diego High team.

Kerr led the Hilltoppers with a .328 batting average and was cited for being a leader in citizenship, scholarship, and sportsmanship.

5/28/38

Gamesmanship prevailed in the semifinals playoff game at Lane Field.

San Diego defeated Norwalk Excelsior, 10-5, as “petty squabbles enlivened the game from the spectators’ viewpoint,” wrote Mitch Angus of The Union.

Section commissioner Seth Van Patten assigned the two umpires after Excelsior said it would not play in San Diego with umpires from the San Diego association.

Plate arbiter Sugar Cain heard complaints from both dugouts.  Base umpire E.Y. Johnson also was under fire.

Excelsior pitcher Carl Barnes dug virtual gopher holes in front of the mound rubber.  Hilltoppers pitcher Al Olsen would take his time to cover the holes when he took the mound each inning.

Other than nine bases on balls, Barnes also was charged with a hit batter and six wild pitches, which provided the Hillers with two runs.

Olsen gave up eight hits and weathered a storm in the third inning, when the Pilots took a 5-0 lead on four hits, including a bases loaded triple by Bob Whitts.

The victory sent the Hilltoppers into next week’s finals against Compton.

6/1/38

CIF honcho Seth Van Patten informed the Hillers that they would have to play a “second” semifinal playoff game.   No published reason was given other than that San Diego officials were baffled.

The game would be against Glendale at Brookside Park in Pasadena, with the winner advancing to a championship game against Compton.

6/3/38

The “second” semifinal was disastrous.  Glendale scored a 3-2 victory over San Diego.

Four errors, lack of hits with men on base, and carelessness on the base paths doomed the Hilltoppers, whose runners were picked off base three times.

Losing pitcher Al Olsen gave up four hits in his final game (Olsen would graduate in Jan. 1939) and the Hilltoppers ended their season with an 18-4-1 record.

Granite Hills shook off a tie with Monte Vista, one of the the poorest teams in the County.  The deadlock had prevented the Eagles from a championship tie with Helix in the Grossmont League, but the Eagles went on to win their first San Diego Section title.

3/11/77 

Granite Hills, a preseason No. 2-ranked in the San Diego Section, stumbled in its season opener, losing, 6-4, to less regarded Clairemont.

The Eagles committed four errors in the first three innings and Clairemont, it its third game, took advantage with a 4-3 lead.

The Chieftains’ Byron Eiler followed with a home run in the fourth inning.

—A two-run double in the eighth inning by Vince Angarola broke a 3-3 tie and was the impetus for No. 7 Carlsbad’s 7-3 win over Poway.

—Jeff Mallon allowed only two hits, tripled in the tying run, and scored the winning run on an error in the top of the seventh as No. 9 La Jolla beat  San Dieguito, 2-1.

3/18/77

No. 1-ranked Bonita Vista managed one hit, a run-scoring single by Dave Kinsell, and struggled to a nine-inning, 4-4 tie with Monte Vista in a season opener that was called because of darkness.

—Crawford opened with a 6-0 shutout of Santana, behind the five-hit pitching of right hander Charlie Burkhead and the hitting of catcher Brent Wittmayer, whose home run cleared a 20-foot embankment and 10-foot fence in right field.

A news report declared that Wittmayer’s drive was a not-to-be-believed, paltry 300 feet.

“We’re going to have to scratch and scramble all year, but should have good pitching,” said Colts coach Jerry Tooze.

—Patrick Henry’s Jim Peterson gave up four hits and shut out No. 3 Helix, 3-0, and No. 4 Madison moved to 3-0 with a 3-1 win over Castle Park.

5/11/77

Bob (Rags) Ragland’s no-hitter in a 6-0 win over Marian pushed Bonita Vista closer to the Metropolitan League championship.

—Helix’ Greg Morton struck out 19 El Cajon Valley batters and allowed two hits, but it took Paul Springs’ squeeze bunt that scored Scott Demchak for the game’s only run in the last half of the seventh inning.

—University won its ninth in a row, 9-5 over La Jolla and Kearny claimed a fifth straight, 8-5 over Morse.

5/13/77

David Martinez’ two hits and a triple play helped University to a 5-1 victory over Serra that kept the Dons one game ahead in the Western League.

—Brian Graham’s triple, double, and two singles led Granite Hills to a 6-3 win over Santana and Grossmont beat El Capitan, 6-3.

The winners remained tied for the Grossmont League and El Capitan coach Ed Olsen was not a happy camper, ejected for arguing an interference call on a Vaqueros batter.

—Tim Ellis’ fifth-inning home run was the difference in Kearny’s 4-3 win over Clairemont and maintained the Komets’ one-game lead in the Western League.

5/17/77

Rich Desmond’s two-out single scored Ed Armijo in a 1-0 victory over Mission Bay that allowed the Dons to win the Eastern League championship.

The win gave Uni a two-game lead with one to play over St. Augustine and Mission Bay.

5/18/77

Kearny lost to Point Loma, 4-1, but backed into the Western League title; Crawford and Madison lost to miss tying for the championship, and those two plus Clairemont and Henry deadlocked for second place.

5/19/77

Eastern League vice principals voted for Madison as the circuit’s second San Diego Section playoff team, casting a stink eye at Clairemont, Crawford, and Patrick Henry, which tied the Warhawks, each with an 8-6 loop record, behind Kearny’s 9-5.

5/20/77

Madison (18-6) was ranked No. 1in the Evening Tribune’s Final Top 10.  Bonita Vista (17-5-1) won the honor in The San Diego Union.

STANDINGS

*TIE GAME

WESTERN LEAGUE

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
University	12	2	.857	—	16	6	.727
St. Augustine	10	4	.714	2	12	10	.522
Mission Bay	9	5	.643	3	14	8	.636
La Jolla	8	6	.571	4	14	10	.583
Hoover	8	6	.571	4	12	9	.571
Lincoln	4	10	.286	8	6	15	.286
Mira Mesa	4	10	.286	8	5	15	.250
Serra	1	13	.071	11	3	19	.143

EASTERN LEAGUE

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
Kearny	9	5	.643	—	14	10	.583
Madison	8	6	.571	1	18	6	.750
Clairemont	8	6	.571	1	13	9	.591
Patrick Henry	8	6	.571	1	14	7	.667
Crawford	8	6	.571	1	13	9	.591
Point Loma	6	8	.429	3	11	13	.458
Morse	6	8	.429	3	12	10-1*	.543
San Diego	3	11	.286	6	9	14	.391

AVOCADO EAST

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
San Pasqual	10	2	.833	—	16	8	.667
San Marcos	10	2	.833	—	15	7	.682
Poway	8	4	.667	2	9	11	.450
Escondido	7	5	.583	3	12	10	.545
Mt. Carmel	5	7	.415	5	11	13	.458
Orange Glen	1	11	.091	9	3	15	.167
Ramona	1	11	.091	9	1	21

AVOCADO WEST 

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
Torrey Pines	11	1	.909	—	18	4	.818
Carlsbad	9	3	.750	3	16	6	.727
San Dieguito	7	5	.583	4	13	9	.591
Oceanside	5	7	.417	6	9	10	.474
Fallbrook	4	8	.333	7	12	9	.571
Vista	4	8	.333	7	6	13	.316
El Camino	2	10	.167	9	4	13	.235

 METROPOLITAN LEAGUE

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
Bonita Vista	16	2	.889	—	17	5-1*	.761
Marian	12	6	.667	4	13	9	.591
Mar Vista	11	7	.611	5	14	10	.583
Hilltop	10	8	.556	6	12	10	.545
Montgomery	9	9	.500	7	10	12	.455
Coronado	8	10	.444	8	11	12	.478
Chula Vista	7	10-1*	.417	8 ½	12	11-1*	.520
Sweetwater	7	11	.389	9	9	14	.391
San Diego Southwest	5	13	.278	11	8	15	.348
Castle Park	4	13-1*	.250	11 1/2	4	17-1	.250

GROSSMONT LEAGUE            

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
Helix	11	5	.688	—	14	9	.609
Granite Hills	10	5-1*	.656	½	16	7-1*	.688
El Capitan	9	7	.563	2	11	11	.500
Grossmont	9	7	.563	2	10	12	.455
Valhalla	8	8	.500	3	11	11	.500
Mount Miguel	8	8	.500	3	10	12	.455
El Cajon Valley	7	9	.438	4	10	12	.455
Santana	6	10	.375	5	9	15	.375
Monte Vista	3	12-1*	.219	7 ½	6	13-2*	.333

5/21/77

2-A PLAYOFFS

San Marcos 3, @Torrey Pines (18-5) 2, @Warren Junior High.

The day’s upset hinged on one play.

The Knights’ Bob Schmautz singled in runners from second and third and kept running after the throw to the plate got past the Falcons’ catcher.  Schmautz then drew a wild throw sliding into third base and scored, giving San Marcos a 3-1 lead.

University 7, Madison (18-7) 0, @University of San Diego.

Uni pitcher Mike Thomas allowed two hits, both to leadoff hitter Dennis Brickel.

Kearny 10, St. Augustine (12-11) 2, @USD.

The Komets put together nine hits and seven runs in the third and fourth innings after the Saints took a 1-0 lead.

Carlsbad (16-7) 5, @San Pasqual 6, 10 innings.

El Capitan (11-12) 1, @Helix 2. 

Run-scoring singles by Larry Hayes and Phil Strom in the first inning were enough for Dave Ciampoli, who stopped the Vaqueros on four hits.

Hilltop (12-11) 3, @Bonita Vista 10.

Mar Vista (14-11) 4, @Marian 5, nine innings.

Granite Hills 3, Grossmont (10-13) 2-0.

Lefthander Bill Demo gave up six singles, did not allow a runner past second base, and won his ninth game for the Eagles.

5/23/77

QUARTERFINALS

Helix-San Marcos, @Palomar College, postponed, rain.

San Pasqual-Granite Hills, @Grossmont College, postponed, rain.

Bonita Vista-University, @Hoover, postponed, rain.

Kearny 10, Marian (13-10) 7, @San Diego.

Kearny scored three times to break 7-7 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and shortstop Jimbo Harris, the Komets’ football quarterback, singled twice, doubled, and walked.

5/24/77

Bonita Vista 2, University (17-7) 0, @Hoover.

San Marcos 3, Helix (15-10) 2, @Palomar College.

Jack Thomas pitched the victory and drove in the winning run.

Granite Hills 9, San Pasqual (17-9) 4, @Grossmont College.

1-A SEMIFINALS

Francis Parker (15-1) gave up two runs in the first inning, but moved on with a 5-3 victory over visiting Mountain Empire.

5/25/77

Army-Navy 1, @Christian 9.

The Patriots gave up a run but Dave Carpenter pitched a no-hitter.

5/26/77

SEMIFINALS

Kearny 5, San Marcos (17-8) 2, @Palomar College.

A throwing error by Bonita Vista attempting to complete a double play opened the door for Kearny to break 1-1 tie in the seventh inning.

“We didn’t have a lot of hits today, but we hit the ball hard at people, so I’m not discouraged (by) our offense today,” said Komets coach Jack Taylor.

Granite Hills 5, Bonita Vista (19-5-1) 1, @Southwestern College.

Henry Coleman was touched for five hits and the Barons did not score on the Granite Hills right-hander until an Eagles error with two outs in the seventh inning.

“I had good control of my curve today and I was able to keep the ball outside,” said Coleman, who had been tagged with all losses in Granite Hills’ 11-5 league record.

Coleman’s teammates gave him a two-run lead in the third inning.

“Some of the games I’ve lost have been 0-0 in the late innings, but with these hitters I knew they could explode at any time,” Coleman said of Granite’s 22-hit attack, led by a single and double by Shawn Davidson that was responsible for three runs.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1-A

Christian 2, Francis Parker (15-2) 1, at University San Diego.

Dan Besieger scored from second base on a fielder’s choice for the winning run in the seventh inning.

2-A

Granite Hills (20-7-1) 8, Kearny (17-11) 4, @USD.

A seven-hits, five-run sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie for the title-bound Eagles.

Mike Vint doubled, Gary Hanson walked, and Duane Antijuntti, Pat Jackson, Glenn Stemmer, Dale Hanson, and Brian Graham singled to close out the scoring. Gary Hanson had tied the game in the fourth inning with a two-run, 380-foot home run.

The hand shake was a vise grip.

I first shook that hand in September, 1964, when Eddie Olsen was hired to manage the Billiard Den, a trendy, new watering hole and pool parlor at 58^th Street and El Cajon Blvd.

I last saw Eddie months before he passed recently at age 89 and the handshake had not lost any of its strength. That was a reflection of Olsen, direct, sometimes blunt, but always honest.

He left with a legion of friends from an almost lifetime of baseball.

ORGINALLY A PADRE

Olsen was in the game from as a pre-teen serving as a ball boy and bat boy and working in the clubhouse for the Pacific Coast League San Diego Padres.

He played baseball for coach Walt Harvey at La Jolla High and earned all-Southern California second team honors as a first baseman and occasional pitcher. The 1953 Vikings ousted San Diego High for the City Prep League championship and advanced to the CIF finals, bowing to Compton, 5-2, and posting a 24-4 record.

Eddie played professional baseball for seven years and served a stint in the Marine Corps before going into coaching, first at Morse High, then as head coach for nine seasons at El Capitan High.

Olsen moved in 1982 to Grossmont College, where his teams posted a 516-373-7 record in 22 seasons before he retired in 2004.  He was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2008.

The numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 seeds were eliminated in the first round of the San Diego Section playoffs.

Only third-ranked Hoover survived and the Cardinals were ousted in the quarterfinals.

That left the door open for No. 6 seed Madison, which edged No. 12 Crawford, 1-0, for the championship.

Probably most disappointed was Clairemont and coach Ernie Beck, whose top-seed Chieftains took a loss to 16th-ranked Torrey Pines, a second-year school with a 12-10 record from the nascent Coast League.

LEGENDARY COACH

Beck held the County record of 454 victories when he retired after winning his first San Diego Section title in 1984 .

Beck also holds the unique distinction of championships in two of the state’s CIF sections. He coached second-year, no-seniors Clairemont to the Southern Section Class AA title in 1960, the last year of San Diego teams’ participation before the first season of the San Diego Section in 1960-61.

5/11/76

Three league leaders met defeat and two league leaders moved closer to clinching championships.

—The San Diego Union No. 1-ranked Hoover was beaten by Crawford right-hander Curtis Burkhead for the second time, 4-1.

—Tim Muser limited Western League No. 1 Madison to four hits as Clairemont scored a 3-2 victory.

—Metropolitan League leader Mar Vista lost a five-run lead and was defeated by Hilltop, 6-5, moving the Lancers to a half-game lead over the Mariners in the Metropolitan League.

—La Jolla took a two-game lead with three to play in the Coast League, 3-2, in eight innings over Mission Bay.

—Grossmont didn’t play but picked up a half game in the Grossmont League and led by three games with three to play.

5/12/76

Writer Henry Wesch compared Montgomery’s Fermin Singson to the fast-working San Diego Padre Randy Jones when Singson needed just minutes more than an hour to blank Hilltop, 2-0, and gain a tie with Mar Vista (9-3) for first in the Metropolitan League.

Singson gave up three singles and raised his record to 9-3.

Mar Vista stayed apace the Aztecs with a 13-3 win over Chula Vista.

—Patrick Henry scored two runs in the ninth inning to edge St. Augustine, 4-2, in the makeup of a rained-out contest.

—Don Slater’s seventh-inning squeeze bunt scored Scott Brazil and Bonita Vista walked off with a 1-0 victory over Sweetwater.

5/13/76

Steve Dergonc drove in seven runs with a grand slam home run batting lefthanded and three-run homer batting righthanded and Madison won a Western League rout over visiting University, 16-3.

5/14/76

Lee Guetterman’s two-run home run and three-hit pitching resulted in a 7-0 Avocado League victory by Oceanside over Fallbrook that knocked the Warriors out of first place, a game behind Carlsbad, 5-0 winner against San Marcos.

5/17/76

El Capitan scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Grossmont, 6-5, in a game interrupted by a bench-clearing beef, which saw eight players ejected, four from each team.

5/18/76

Patrick Henry stayed alive in the Eastern League by overcoming a 6-1 lead with six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, shocking Morse, 7-6, to remain one game behind Hoover with one to play.

–La Jolla clinched the Coast League title with a 3-2 victory at San Dieguito.

5/19/76

Clairemont and Patrick Henry earned ties for the Western and Eastern League championships, respectively.

The Chieftains, given an opportunity when Kearny edged Madison, 2-1, rallied for four runs in the seventh inning to defeat San Diego, 5-2.

Coach Ernie Beck’s team also was given the league’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs after defeating league leader Madison twice during the regular season.

—Patrick Henry, aided by three errors, rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning to top Hoover, 10-8, but the Cardinals became the Eastern’s top seed in the playoffs after a vote of league representatives following the game.

5/21/76

Championship of the Lions Baseball Tournament, played on April 15, was decided 36 days later, when Kearny’s Bart Bass pitched a 5-0 victory over Clairemont for the Lions 3-A crown.

Bass was working on a one-hit, 11-0 lead when play was halted after a rainstorm hit Smith Field on the San Diego State campus in the fourth inning on April 15.

Five innings were required for the contest to be considered official.

Bosses agreed to replay the final in toto following the last regular-season game.

STANDINGS

AVOCADO LEAGUE

                        LEAGUE                                                                                          OVERALL

TEAM	WON	LOST	PCT.	GBL	WON	LOST	PCT.
Carlsbad	12	2	.857	—	21	4	.840
Fallbrook	12	2	.857	—	17	6	.737
Oceanside	10	4	.714	2	15	6	.714
San Marcos	9	5	.643	3	17	7	.708
San Pasqual	4	10	.286	8	8	11	.421
Vista	4	10	.286	8	10	13	.435
Escondido	3	11	.214	9	6	17	.261
Orange Glen	2	14	.143	3	15	.167	.833

EASTERN LEAGUE

                       LEAGUE                                                                                           OVERALL

TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	Pct.
Hoover	11	5	.688	—	20	6	.769
Patrick Henry	11	5	.688	—	15	9	.625
Crawford	9	7	.563	2	17	10	.630
Morse	6	10	.375	5	6	16	.273
St. Augustine	4	12	.250	7	7	16	.304
Lincoln	3	13	.188	8	4	17	.190

WESTERN LEAGUE

                       LEAGUE                                                                                     OVERALL

TEAM	WON	LOST	Pct.	GBL	WON	LOST	PCT.
Clairemont	12	4	.750	—	18	7	.720
Madison	12	4	.750	—	21	6	.778
Kearny	11	5	.688	1	16	9	.640
Point Loma	10	6	.625	2	13	9	.591
University	5	11	.313	7	10	14	.417
San Diego	2	14	.125	10	5	15	.250

OTHER LEAGUE FINAL STANDINGS AND FINAL OVERALL RECORDS NOT PUBLISHED.

5/24/76

2-A PLAYOFFS

PLAY-IN ROUND

Torrey Pines 4, @Oceanside (15-7) 3.

Bonita Vista 17, @Santana (12-11) 14.

Scott Brazil had three hits, including a three-run home run, drove in seven runs, and then picked up the victory with two shutout innings in relief after the Barons, trailing, 9-0, in the first inning and 14-12 in the top of the seventh, pulled out the victory.

Tom Tussell was four for five, doubled twice, and drove in four runs, and Dan Meza hit a 340-foot home run for the Sultans.

5/25/76

FIRST ROUND

Patrick Henry 8, @Fallbrook (17-6) 7.

Two-run home runs by Patriots Dave Miller, Mike Messina, and Jim Minerd were enough to offset John Christensen’s 4 for 4 that included a two run homer and run-scoring double.

Montgomery 1, @No. 5 La Jolla (20-4) 0.

Joe Williams’ fourth-inning home run backed Felmir Singson’s 10-strikeout, three-hit pitching.

Torrey Pines 3, @No. 1 Clairemont (18-7) 1.

John Kentera’s three hits and Steve Summers’ four-hit pitching marked the second-year Falcons’ seventh straight win and a stunning playoff loss for the top-seeded Chieftains.

No. 9 Bonita Vista 4, @No. 2 Carlsbad (22-4) 1.

Scott Brazil’s two-run single in the fifth inning provided the winning runs and Brazil’s three-hit pitching shut down the Lancers, whose run was on Brazil’s first-inning balk.

Crawford 5, @No. 4 Grossmont (15-8) 2.

The Colts moved on after Brent Wittmayers’ grand slam home run in the fifth inning.

Kearny (16-9) 3, @No. 3 Hoover 4.

Helix 6, @Mar Vista (16-7) 3.

Mission Bay (14-9) 3, @Madison 6.

Paul Wirkus’ three-run homer and Raymond Lane’s pitching advanced the Warhawks.

1-A CHAMPIONSHIP

Christian (12-6) 10, Francis Parker (11-7) 9, @El Capitan.

The Patriots stole nine bases and built a 10-3 lead, but five bases on balls, two errors, and a hit batsmen had them hanging on to a one-run lead after the Lancers crossed home plate with six runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Patriots pitcher Steve Stockwell weathered the baseball version of a Category Level 4 hurricane, striking out Patriots freshman John Mansfield for the final out with the bases loaded and the ball-strike count 3-2.

QUARTERFINALS

5/26/76

Torrey Pines 12, Patrick Henry (15-9) 3.

The Falcons continued to impress as former San Diego State football great Craig Scoggins’ club rode with first baseman John Kentera, who singled, doubled and tripled, scored three runs and knocked in a run. Paul Salgado and Bryan Bowen drove in three runs apiece.

Crawford 4, Montgomery (18-8) 1.

Leading, 2-1, Crawford scored four times in the sixth inning. Greg Smith and Ken Vasquez combined to hold the Aztecs to seven hits and Brett Wittmayer singled in two runs and scored on a wild pitch.

Helix 4, @No. 3 Hoover (20-6) 3, (8), @Southwestern College.

Chris Myers scored on Larry Fixen’s squeeze bunt in the eighth inning and the Highlanders ushered out the favored Cardinals.

Madison 12, Bonita Vista (18-7) 7.

Brent Hillenga and Steve Derganc hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and the Warhawks built a 6-1 lead after three innings against last year’s playoff runner-up.

5/28/76

SEMIFINALS

Madison 6, Helix (16-11) 3, @University of San Diego.

Raymond Lane (9-1) survived a three-run first inning and struck out 11 for the complete-game win.

The Warhawks were hitless for the first four innings against Al Knerr, who gave up a single to Lane in the fifth inning after a leadoff walk to John Nelson.

Dennis Brickel followed a squeeze play that scored Nelson with a triple that tied the score at 3-3.  Another squeeze, by Scott Fowler scored Brickel.

I had a sore back in practice yesterday and I didn’t think I would start,” said Lane, “but coach (Bob Roeder) likes to keep the rotation and he said I’d have to suck it up and go today.”

Crawford 5, Torrey Pines (15-11) 1, @Mesa College.

CHAMPIONSHIP

5/29/76

Madison (21-6) 1, Crawford (17-10) 0, @San Diego State.

“We’re the first Madison team that didn’t choke,” shouted centerfielder John Nelson.

“We’ve never had a team get past the second round before,” said coach Bob Roeder, “but this team never got down.”

Scott Fowler blooped a single down the leftfield line to score Dennis Brickel in the bottom of the sixth inning for the game’s only score.

The Colts, who had runners in scoring position in the first, fifth and sixth innings, could not get to Warhawks starter Rich Leahy, who worked out of trouble each time and gave up three hits.

The Colts’ Mike Martinez and Ken Vasquez almost matched Leahy’s gem and the Colts, seeded 12^th at the start of the postseason, drew praise from coach Jerry Tooze.

“Not many thought we’d make it (this far), but I did and you couldn’t ask for a much better game than we played,” said Tooze.

 

San Diego High won its third consecutive CIF championship under fifth-year coach Mike Morrow and posted a 19-3 record, according to Don King’s Caver Conquest.

The Great Depression was raging, unemployment was high, young men had time on their hands, and many played baseball.

Possibly without budget for travel beyond obligatory Coast League games, Morrow’s clubs played contests that did not count and several that apparently were official against local amateur clubs, including a team from University Heights playground and another called “Harding’s North Park.”

Morrow’s team wielded heavy lumber, with a combined batting average of .390 for five league games and four playoffs, led by Athos Sada’s .611, 22 hits in 36 at bats.

Table includes usual starters.

NAME	AT BATS	HITS	AVERAGE
Athos Sada	36	22	.611
Allan Storton	31	16	.516
Walter Bostrom	38	17	.447
Tony Galassio	40	16	.400
Irvine (Cotton) Warburton	38	15	.395
Ray Holt	34	11	.324
Bill Howell	51	16	.314
Cecil McElvain	14	4	.286
Roy Holt	39	11	.282
Bill Larson	18	5	.278

3/31/30

Following identical 8-6 victories over Calexico 3/28 and 3/29, St. Augustine won at Sweetwater, 8-6.

—Rod Luscomb slugged two triples and the University Heights playground squad defeated San Diego, 14-5, leaving coach Mike Morrow’s team with a 4-2 record and evening their series at one victory each.

—Sweetwater defeated San Diego High’s visiting second string squad, 5-4.

4/1/30

Fourteen St. Augustine players and coach Herb Corriere embarked on barnstorming tour of four games in five days, at Fallbrook, at Ventura, at Los Angeles Roosevelt, where former San Diego High star Coney Galindo was coach; and at USC Freshmen.

4/3/30

Johnny Funk hit a three-run home run and pitched a three hitter and George Albin had three hits as St. Augustine beat Ventura, 10-2.

—Tony Galasso set down the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on two hits and San Diego High amassed 15 hits in a 7-0 victory at Navy Field.

4/4/30

—Pacific Beach’s Army-Navy opened the season with a 9-6 win over visiting Sweetwater.

Coach Viggo Hansen announced an upcoming northern trip to Anaheim, Brea, Claremont Webb, L.A. Pacific Military, and Venice.

—Johnny Fink hit a three-run home run and allowed three hits as St. Augustine won at Ventura, 10-3. George Albin supported Fink with three hits and Fred Traynor, Tony Moreno, and Jimmy Aguirre added two each.

4/8/30

Athos Sada, who would become deputy chief of the San Diego Police Department and raised Eddie and Don Sada to be stars at Point Loma, had three hits as San Diego defeated the University Heights playground squad, 17-5.

4/9/30

St. Augustine scored a run in the eighth inning for a 7-6 win over Escondido at Golden Hill Playground.

4/15/30

After San Diego High defeated the University Heights Playground team, 9-7, in the City Stadium, coach Mike Morrow was faced with a scheduling question.  Some of Morrow’s players also were on the track team.

The baseball squad was scheduled for a Coast League opener against visiting Alhambra on April 26, the same day Cotton Warburton, Eddie Reed and others were scheduled to be part of the Hilltoppers’ aggregation in the Southern California track and field trials at Los Angeles High.

Morrow was willing to move the game with Alhambra to April 25, but if the Moors did not want to travel on that date, Morrow said he would take his team to Alhambra on April 25.

—St. Augustine won at Sweetwater, 8-2, as shortstop Frankie

Morehouse collected three hits.

—Army-Navy socked Anaheim for seven runs in the fifth inning and five more in the seventh en route to a 17-3 victory on the Pacific Beach diamond.

—Rod Luscomb hit two triples but San Diego defeated University Heights, 9-7, in the Hilltoppers’ final game before league play, improving their record to 10-2.

4/16/30

Frankie Morehouse singled, doubled, and hit a home run and St. Augustine topped Anaheim, 7-3, at Navy Field.

4/17/30

The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Devildogs shut out Escondido, 6-0, at Navy Field as Carl Parker had four hits in five times at bat, including a single, double, and two home runs.

4/22/30

Point Loma defeated Army-Navy, 5-2, on the cadets’ Pacific Beach diamond despite a home run, triple, and single by the Warriors’ second baseman Ritchie.

4/23/30

Brothers Pete and Steve Coscarart starred in the field as Escondido’s defense played a prevailing role in a 6-4 win over traveling St. Augustine.

4/25/30

San Diego opened defense of its Coast League championship by raining 17 hits on City Stadium and crushing Alhambra, 13-3, a day earlier than originally scheduled.

Home runs by Cotton Warburton and pitcher Tony Galasso highlighted the Hillers’ attack.

—Sweetwater (2-1, Point Loma) and Grossmont (11-6, Mountain Empire) of the Bay Division and Escondido (14-3, Oceanside), and Fallbrook (7-3, Ramona) of the Mountain Division won opening games in Southern Prep League play.

4/30/30

San Diego High coach Mike Morrow reached agreement to play Glendale on May 1 instead of May 2, so shortstop Irvine (Cotton) Warburton could compete in the Southern California track finals 440-yard run at Los Angeles High.

—Roy Holt had five hits and the San Diego varsity defeated the University Heights playground team, 5-4, for their fifth win against one loss versus skipper Rod Luscomb’s team.

—Host Mountain Empire evened its Southern Prep League Mountain Division record at 1-1 with a 4-3 win over La Jolla.

5/1/30

Sweetwater mustered two hits in a 9-0 loss to the San Diego State Freshmen.  Future Hoover football coach Pete Walker tripled twice for the Frosh and starting pitcher George Sunderman was 4 for 4 at the plate.

—Tony Galasso struck out 19 Glendale Dynamiters and gave up four singles as San Diego won the rescheduled Coast League game, 4-1.

The Hillers broke a 1-1 tie with runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Galasso was the offensive catalyst with four hits, including a home run.

Thirteen players plus coach Mike Morrow and manager Louis DePablo left at 7 a.m. for the 3-hour, 130-mile jaunt.

5/4/30

St. Augustine (19-5) concluded its season in Calexico, where the Saints divided two nine-inning games, losing, 8-7, on 5/3 and winning, 6-5, today.

The Saints, with a team batting average of .318, out hit the Bulldogs, 24-20, and their George Albin hit the game’s only home run.

Fred Traynor led he Saints with a .453 season batting average, 24 hits in 53 times at bat. Jimmie Loftus hit .439 and Frankie Morehouse .385.

–Ran played havoc with Southern Prep League teams, washing out four games.

5/8/30

Bill Howell singled in Roy Holt with the winning run from second base and Tony Galasso set down Long Beach Poly in the bottom of the ninth inning, and San Diego won a tense Coast League battle, 4-3.

Home runs by Irvine (Cotton) Warburton and Walter Bostrom had given the Hilltoppers a 3-0 lead after three innings.

A writer in a special dispatch to The San Diego Union declared the game was “one of the hardest fought contests ever seen on a Long Beach diamond.”

5/13/30

Escondido won the Southern Prep League Mountain Division with an 8-3 victory at Fallbrook.  Sweetwater maintained its lead in the Bay Division with a 4-3 win over Mountain Empire.

—It was determined before the season that the league champion would not participate in the CIF playoffs.

5/14/30

Flat and thinking ahead, San Diego dropped a 5-1 decision in City Stadium to Harding’s North Park team.

Roy Holt homered for the Hilltoppers in the ninth inning.

The game result was published in The San Diego Union as an official game, but perhaps was a scrimmage.

–Memorial Junior High defeated the Southern League Bay Division contender Sweetwater varsity, 13-5, on the National City Diamond.

5/16/30

San Diego earned a tie for the Coast League championship with a 9-2 win over the visiting Pasadena Bullpups.

Tony Galasso’s triple in the second inning usually was a home run in City Stadium but special ground rules were in effect for this game.

Galasso turned his ankle on the play and had leave the field.  Pasadena consented to allow Hilltoppers coach Mike Morrow to insert Cecil McElvain as a pinch runner but let Galasso return at the end of the inning to continue pitching.

5/20/30

Point Loma remained in contention with Sweetwater in the Southern League Bay Division with a 10-0 victory over Grossmont.

The Pointers have one loss and Sweetwater is undefeated.

—Erstwhile St. Augustine stars Reid Jaggers and Fred Traynor aided Harding’s North Park team, but San Diego scored a 5-3 victory in City Stadium.

5/22/30

Harding’s North Park team, coached by Rod Luscomb, won its second of three contests from the host Escondido Cougars, 4-3, as second baseman Lee Ramage, a future heavyweight boxing championship contender, had three hits in five times at bat.

5/23/30

Warren Bridgens hurled a near-perfect game, allowing one base runner and no hits, and Point Loma routed La Jolla, 20-0, in the season-ending game one week after Bridgens had measured Mountain Empire on one hit.

—Sweetwater claimed the Bay Division title with a 3-2, eight-inning win over Grossmont and will meet Mountain Division champ Escondido for the Southern League title.

Sweetwater had defeated Point Loma, 2-1, in the league opener, after which Point Loma outscored league foes, 58-2.

5/24/30

Athos Sada homered, doubled, and singled and Bill Howell had three hits; Cotton Warburton had a home run and single; Tony Galasso gave up three hits and San Diego, starting slowly scored 15 runs in the final three innings and claimed its third straight Coast League title, 22-0, over last-place Santa Ana.

The Hilltoppers, who had 18 hits, also received two safeties each from Allan Storton, Walter Bostrom, Bill Larson, and Roy Holt.

1. Higashi of Santa Ana earned some dubious distinction.

He started the game in left field…

…and then shifted to third base…

…and then shifted to the pitcher’s mound…

…and pitched long enough to walk three consecutive batters…

…and then shifted to second base…

…and then finally relocated to right field, where he finished the game.

5/26/30

A CIF semifinals playoff home game against Calexico for San Diego High 5/30 or 5/31 was nixed.

The board, which governs the property in South Balboa Park, declared that the City Stadium grass field was to be resurfaced today.

Hilltoppers coach Mike Morrow tried to book Navy Field but learned that it was scheduled for games May 29-31.

Various other area locales were not considered worthy of such a game’s import and it looked as if the Hilltoppers, trying to win their third consecutive title, would have to go to the Imperial Valley.

5/27/30

Calexico agreed to a Thursday, May 29, contest at Navy Field. The Bulldogs would have been unavailable May 30-31, Morrow learned. Graduation and assorted weekend events and gigs were on the desert school’s weekend calendar.

6/2/30

After much burning of telephone wires and shouting voices between San Diego and the Imperial Valley, another agreement was reached and Calexico arrived San Diego today for a playoff tomorrow.

6/3/30

Calexico took advantage of Tony Galasso’s wildness to jump into a 4-0, first-inning lead, only to see San Diego score six runs in its first en route to a 13-4 CIF first-round victory at Navy Field.

Home runs by Athos Sada, who also tripled in two runs in the first, and Galasso were part of the Hilltoppers’ 14-hit attack.

6/7/30

Tony Galasso gave up two singles and struck out 13 and won a CIF semifinals playoff at Huntington Beach, 4-0.

Roy Holt’s homerun in the second inning gave San Diego a two-run lead.  Holt’s twin brother, Ray, got on base later with a two-base hit.

6/10/30

San Diego reached the Southern California finals by defeating Colton in a second CIF semifinals playoff, 9-1, at Navy Field.

Colton, behind, 7-0, mounted a mild threat in the fifth inning but Hilltoppers catcher Cecil McElvain threw out a runner at second base and Cotton Warburton’s throw back to McElvain doubled up another Yellowjacket, thwarting an attempted double steal.

6/15/30

Los Angeles Cathedral, rested and ready, was coached by Mike Pecarovich, future University of San Diego football coach.

San Diego, in its fourth playoff, more than any other playoff team, defeated the Phantoms, 9-0, for their third consecutive championship.

Tony Galasso gave up two hits and struck out 13 and helped himself with two hits and two runs scored.

Jerry Bartow ended a 14-season run at Hoover with his third San Diego Section championship and with an overall record of 226-119 (.656) then headed off to Southwestern College, where the Apaches won more than 900 games in the next 39 years before Bartow retired in 2014.

Until Ted Williams Field was built on the Hoover campus in 1967, the Cardinals, like other city schools, played baseball in a football stadium, with peculiar boundaries and ground rules.

Bartow took advantage of the at least 500 feet to the leftfield fence, which bordered Monroe Avenue, by creating a more reasonable distance for home runs.

The Hoover coach installed hurdles borrowed from the track team as a leftfield “fence”, moving them forward or backward depending on the prowess and power of his opponent’s hitters.

According to Wikipedia, Bartow‘s stepfather was Carl Mays, 207-126 in a 15-year major league pitching career and who was on the mound when Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman was beaned by a pitch in 1920 and succumbed from a fractured skull the next day.

5/13/75

Joe Vido walked, stole second base, and scored on Kyle Montague’s single to give Coronado a 4-3 win over Poway that ended the Coast League-leading Titans’ 13-game winning streak.

—Don Moyer restricted Helix to five hits and drove in seven runs with a single and grand-slam home run in El Cajon Valley’s 11-4 victory.

—Roger DePriest of San Diego pitched a complete-game, 17-inning contest at Madison, but came away with nothing to show.

The Western League squads played to a 2-2, no-decision.  Umpires called the game because of  darkness.

Mike Free pitched the first six innings for the Warhawks and Rich Leahy the last 11.

5/14/75

Poway was on a two-game losing streak, 10-2 victim of San Dieguito, whose John Lazerich cuffed the Titans on six hits

—Hoover moved closer to an Eastern League championship, winning, 12-4, at Crawford.

Daryl McGee’s leadoff home run in the sixth inning broke a 4-4 tie and opened a five-run outburst for the Cardinals, who also were supported by Johnny Davis and Dexter Redd home runs.

5/16/75

Clairemont wrapped the Western League championship, scoring four runs in the last three innings to win at Kearny, 5-4.  Hoover claimed the Eastern League championship, 7-1, at St. Augustine.

—Vic March’s seventh-inning home run was the difference in El Capitan’s 6-5 win over visiting Grossmont and left the Vaqueros with a 12-3 Grossmont League record, a half game better than the Foothillers. Winning pitcher Jay Hostetler hit a two-run home run.

“I wouldn’t go so far as calling it a grudge match,” said El Capitan coach Eddie Olsen in response to an observation from Bill Polk of the Evening Tribune, “but I’ve never seen this bunch so high spirited as they were after reading Gray’s remarks in the press.”

Grossmont coach Bill Gray had said that if Grossmont played El Capitan 10 times a season “we’d win probably win eight out of 10 times.”

Gray refused to talk to writers after the game (“I have nothing to say”) and responded with a terse “no comment”, to questions.

5/20/75

Dave Holston allowed one hit, hit a home run and pitched Poway to the Coast League championship, 6-0, at La Jolla.

—Rain played havoc in the Avocado League, postponing three games.  A four-way tie for the championship could necessitate play-in games to determine the three teams to represent the loop in the playoffs, which were to begin in five days.

—Ken Pryce hurled a no-hitter and Ken Rutar drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mar Vista edged Hilltop, 1-0.

—Castle Park jumped Bonita Vista on the road and its 16-5 win tied the Barons for first in the Metropolitan League, each with a 9-4 record.
A two-run, first inning by the Barons evaporated when the Trojans erupted for 10 runs in the third.
Castle Park’s 15 hits included two doubles, two triples, and home runs, by Mark Snyder, Steve Thomas, and Tony Yaptangeo.

5/21/75

Patrick Henry defeated Morse, 2-0, on Steve Sherman’s five-hitter, forcing a playoff the next day for an Eastern League playoff berth.  The teams ended the regular season with 8-8 loop records.

—Dexter Redd was 5 for 5 and Kirk Tronerud allowed five hits in Hoover’s 13-0 victory over Lincoln, giving the Cardinals with a 13-3 league record.

5/22/75

SAN DIEGO SECTION 1-A CHAMPIONSHIP

Francis Parker sophomore Lee Carson struck out 10 and allowed four hits in pitching the Lancers to a 6-0 victory over Christian.

Dave Cook was 3 for 3 with three runs batted in for the Southern League Coastal Division champions.

—Pete Parsons’ two-run home run gave Santana an 8-7 win over El Cajon Valley.  Parsons’ hit overcame a Braves lead in the bottom of the 18^th inning, following continuation of an earlier contest that was suspended after 16 innings.

Santana then won the regularly scheduled nightcap at El Cajon, 3-1, to finish with an 8-8 Grossmont League record.

—Mike McEwen’s home run in the fourth inning was the significant blow in a 5-3 Granite Hills victory over Grossmont that coupled with El Capitan’s 3-1 win over Valhalla gave the Vaqueros the Grossmont League title.

5/26/75

SAN DIEGO SECTION PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

Patrick Henry (13-12) 0, @Hilltop 1.

Writer Bill Polk described the Hilltop Lancers as being “engulfed by an air of spellbound euphoria” after their victory and as a “gutsy squad of suburban lads who could hardly believe the scoreboard after the final out.”

Willard McPherson’s first-inning triple scored Eric Linderman and was the difference in the game, played in one-hour and nine minutes.

The Lancers’ Jerry Caposs (6-4), backed by an outstanding defense, gave up five hits and kept the defending CIF champion Patriots at a distance, winning a duel with Steve Sherman (7-5), who allowed only two hits.

Point Loma (14-9) 0, @San Dieguito 1.

Webber’s home run in the sixth inning and Lazarich’s one-hit pitching provided another suburban team with victory over a city squad.

5/27/75

REGULAR-SEASON STANDINGS

EASTERN

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
Hoover	13	3	.829	—	18	5	.783
Crawford	9	7	.563	3 ½	15	8	.652
Morse	8	8	.500	5	14	9	.609
Patrick Henry	8	8	.500	5	12	11	.522
Lincoln	6	10	.375	7	8	15	.348
St. Augustine	3	13	.171	10	4	19	.174

WESTERN

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
Clairemont	13	3	.829	—	18	4	.778
Kearny	11	5	.688	2	15	6	.714
Point Loma	10	6	.625	3	14	8	.636
Madison	8	7	.533	4 ½	12	12	.500
University	6	10	.375	7	10	13	.435
San Diego	1	14	.067	13 ½	2	15	.118

GROSSMONT

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
El Capitan	13	3	.829	—	18	6	.750
Grossmont	12	4	.750	1	16	6	.727
Granite Hills	9	7	.563	4	10	10	.500
Santana	8	8	.500	5	16	9	.640
Monte Vista	7	9	.438	6	12	10	.522
Mount Miguel	7	9	.438	6	11	11	.500
El Cajon Valley	7	9	.563	6	11	12	.478
Helix	6	10	.375	7	9	14	.391
Valhalla	3	13	.171	10	6	14	.300

METROPOLITAN

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
Bonita Vista	10	4	.714	—	16	7	.696
Castle Park	9	5	.643	1	14	8	.636
Hilltop	9	5	.643	1	12	10	.522
Montgomery	9	5	.643	1	11	8	.579
Mar Vista	8	6	.571	2	10	11	.476
Sweetwater	4	10	.286	6	5	17	.222
Chula Vista	4	10	.286	6 ½	7	14	.333
Marian	3	11	.214	7	4	17	.190

AVOCADO

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
San Marcos	10	4	.714	—	15	7	.682
Vista	10	4	.714	—	15	7	.682
Fallbrook	10	4	.714	—	11	9	.550
Carlsbad	9	5	.643	1	15	9	.625
San Pasqual	6	8	.429	4	11	11	.500
Oceanside	6	8	.429	4	11	12	.478
Escondido	4	10	.286	6	5	17	.223
Orange Glen	1	13	.071	9	5	16	.238

COAST

	LEAGUE				OVERALL
Team	Won	Lost	Pct.	GBL	Won	Lost	Pct.
Poway	16	2	.889	—	19	4	.826
San Dieguito	12	6	.667	4	15	7	.682
Mission Bay	12	6	.667	4	14	9	.609
La Jolla	10	8	.556	6	10	12	.455
Coronado	8	10	.444	8	10	12	.455
Torrey Pines	4	14	.222	12	4	21	.160
Ramona	1	17	0.56	15	1	19	0.46

 Hilltop (13-10) 0, @Clairemont 8.

Steve Blackman’s no-hitter, plus his three-run homer in the sixth inning, elevated the Chieftains to their first postseason victory since 1971.

The Blackman (8-1) home run was his sixth and he drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.

Grossmont 2, @Vista (15-8) 0, 12 innings.

Losing pitcher Rick Somers went the distance and struck out 13, but was beaten by Charlie Prokop’s run-scoring single.

Castle Park 7, @Poway (19-5) 2.

Poway outhit Castle Park, 4-2, but committed eight errors.

Fallbrook (11-10) 3, @Hoover 4.

Granite Hills (10-11) 0, @Kearny 5.

Mission Bay (14-10) 3, @Bonita Vista 4, 8 innings.

Tony Camara’s home run sent the game into extra innings and Camara won it with a run-scoring single.

Crawford 4, @San Marcos (15-8) 3.

San Dieguito (16-8) 1, @El Capitan 2-1.

Jay Hostetler’s walk-off home run in the last of the seventh inning augmented the five-hit pitching of Mike Finch.

5/28/75

QUARTERFINALS

El Capitan (19-7), 2, Crawford 8, @Grossmont College.

Crawford’s Alvin Edge struck out 12 and was reached for only two hits.

Bonita Vista 7, Kearny (16-7) 3, @Mesa College.

Grossmont (17-7) 6, @Clairemont 8.

 Hoover 3, @Castle Park (15-9) 0.

5/30/75

SEMIFINALS

Crawford (17-9), 3, Bonita Vista 7, @University of San Diego,

Hoover 5, Clairemont (21-5) 1, @Mesa College.

Brad Griffith pitched a four-hitter and the Cardinals broke open the game with four runs in the sixth inning.

Tye Waller doubled in two runs in the big sixth and Hoover outfielders Dexter Redd, John Wells, and John Davis made several defensive plays.

“I think we’ve all got the playoff fever,” Hoover coach Jerry Bartow said of the Cardinals’ advance to the big game for the sixth time in nine seasons.

“The guys have played errorless ball, they’re hitting well, and we’re getting great pitching,” said Bartow.  “Griffith…mixed his pitches well.  He stayed cool even when they were hitting shots to the outfield.”

5/31/75

CHAMPIONSHIP

Hoover (22-5) 11, Bonita Vista (19-8) 4, @San Diego Stadium.

The Cardinals won their 11^th straight and first title since 1969 as Kirk Tronerud (12-2), who was severely spiked on his non-pitching hand the day before during the celebration after the semifinals win, scattered five hits.

The Barons mustered a leadoff triple by Don Slater in the first inning, but Tronerud was backed by five extra base hits, three doubles and two triples, against losing pitcher Wally Hirst (10-3).

“We’ve been telling people that we had a great ball club all season but a lot of folks didn’t believe us because we stumbled a bit against Western League teams,” said Bartow.