The Pointer baseball team hasn’t lost a game since March 13, and the team’s power surge at the plate continues.
The 12-game winning streak, marred only by a March 19, 10-inning tie with Clairemont, has left the team alone in first place in the Eastern League and lifted the team to fourth in the 20-team San Diego CIF Div. II standings.
Another major accomplishment came last Thursday when the Pointers defeated Bishop’s 9-4 in a Lions Tournament semifinal game in the morning before coming back to defeat Coronado (of Henderson, Nev.) in a thrilling 7-6 game the same afternoon to win the championship of the 6A Division.
In the title game, Anthony Hall clubbed a two-run home run to open scoring but the Cougars came back to take a 5-4 lead after six innings. In the top of the seventh, they added another run for a 6-4 lead but the Pointers came back in their final at bat to score three runs for the win, moving the team’s record to 17-4-2.
Besides Hall’s HR, RBI’s went to Duce Gourson (2), Ben Berry, Tanner Shinkle and Jeffrey Barber (one each). The Pointers also pounded 11 hits including doubles by Shinkle and Barber.
A quartet of relief pitchers held the Cougars in check for 4.2 innings until their teammates’ bats came alive in the final frame. Hunter Otjen (2.1 innings), Hayden Tregidga (0.2), Hunter Greif (0.2) and Joe Innis (1.0) faced 22 batters yielding only two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out five.
Home run totals have continued to rise for the suddenly powerful Pointers. With a total of 12 hit to date, leaders are Otjen, Gourson and Hall (three each), RJ La Rocco (with two) and Barber with one. Amazingly, Gourson is only a sophomore while the others are juniors.
Among thrilled coaches was veteran assistant Kyle Harvey whose name was omitted in the last edition of the Beacon.