EL CAJONEL CAJON — To apply an exclamation to a long and arduous season, Granite Hills rallied for five runs with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday to pull out an improbable 6-5 win over Riverside Arlington in the inaugural year of the Southern California Championships.
Spencer Davis lined a single up the middle just past a diving shortstop to drive in the tying and winning runs in front of a rambunctious crowd at Granite Hills. One batter earlier, Austin Smith stayed with a two-strike change-up to lift a two-run single to left-center field for runs three and four. One batter earlier, James Taylor was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the first run.
Smith, a senior left-hander, then came into pitch the seventh and struck out the first two batters before a soft grounder to shortstop Cameron Sos was scooped on the infield grass and thrown to first baseman Tanner Vielguth for the final out.
“It feels amazing,” said Davis of the biggest hit of his career. “I started rough at 0-for-3, but I just kept thinking of it as a normal at-bat. I was so happy when it got through, and I knew Austin was going to score.”
Over the last three weeks, No. 1-seeded Granite Hills (28-10) went 8-1 combined in the playoffs to win the San Diego Section Division I championship and now the Division III SoCal final over No. 2 Arlington (23-11).
Also, three Eagles were invited to and won the Padres All-Star Game on Thursday at Petco Park. Smith was 2-for-3 at Petco, junior Grant MacArthur won both the home run derby and the MVP after going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and senior Noa Ponciano did not pitch because he was slated to start against Arlington.
Ponciano (9-4) got the win. He breezed through the first six batters in only 14 pitches but then gave up a season-high five runs over six total innings with six strikeouts.
“Great teamwork,” Ponciano said. “I trust in my team. I trust in my defense. I trust in Austin getting those last three outs. I wanted him to get it.”
Smith, who is headed to play at UC San Diego, was locked in, not having pitched in nine days. “I knew I needed three outs, and I knew I could do it. My arm was fresh.”
His last pitch set off a wild celebration.
“This was definitely the most exciting, the craziest, most packed and loudest crowd I’ve ever seen at Granite Hills,” said Eagles coach James Davis, after his 20th season at Granite Hills.
“It’s been a long, fun run this season. It’s always great when you win it.
“Gritty team. We were down by two or more runs in four of the (playoff) wins.”
After Arlington scored four in the third on a two-run homer by Ryan Cole and a two-run single by Jake Khasaempanth, the Lions added one more in the fourth on a single by Tre Minisee.
In the bottom of the fourth, Vielguth hit his second home run in two games to make it 5-1.
In the bottom of the sixth after a suspect called strike 3, Sos began the rally with a sharp single to center. After another strikeout, junior catcher Cody Macias (2-for-2, HBP) ripped his second double to left field, and junior Alex Gibaud loaded the bases by getting hit.
Arlington coach Tim Kleveno called on his third pitcher who promptly nailed Taylor (2-for-2) on the shoulder. Smith (2-for-4) and Davis did the rest with their pair of clutch singles.
“It was shocking,” Kleveno said. “It was stunning. It wasn’t lack of effort. Their guys just went out and hit good pitches. My hat’s off to them. That’s a great team that never quits.”
