Brennan Wilson led off Friday’s Monterey Bay League tilt against visiting Seaside with a bouncing hit up the middle into centerfield. The unassuming base knock was the spark to what evolved into an explosion of offense in a Cougars’ 19-0 romp of the Spartans in five innings.
Wilson was the first of 41 batters the CHS sent to the plate in four innings. No fewer than eight Cougars had a plate appearance in each of those innings. CHS twice sent 12 batters to the dish. Ten different players contributed to the Cougars’ 15 hits in the game. They also drew seven walks and benefited from five Seaside errors.
Meanwhile, CHS starter Travis Hill allowed little leeway to Spartan hitters. Hill struck out six in a one-hit, four inning performance to land the win.
The contest was drastically different than the two squads’ first meeting of the season, just two days prior, where CHS escaped with a 6-5 victory in extra innings.
On Friday, it was 4-0 CHS before an out was recorded in the first frame. Nate Davis officially opened the scoring frenzy, earning a bases-loaded walk. Ryan Fredricks followed with a two-RBI double and Nadar Elaskary lifted an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Cougars scored eight times in a 40-minute second inning. Bryant Cid, Patrick Valdez, Brandon Pickens, Fredricks and Wilson had an RBI each.
A relatively quiet third inning had the Cougars adding two runs. Jordan Rios-Jimenez poked a RBI single to chase in Travis Sammons, and Jose Chavez trotted home on an error to make it 14-0.
Cid and Fredricks each collected their third hits of the afternoon in a five-run bottom of the fourth. Fredricks, along with Robert Driscal, Mario Talamante, delivered the run-producing hits.
CHS (6-3 overall) is off to a 3-0 start in MBL play. The Cougars start a home-and-home series with Pajaro Valley on the road Monday. The Grizzlies are in Gilroy on Wednesday.
• Gilroy High’s struggles continued Friday as the Mustangs sunk to 1-7 in the Tri-County Athletic League with a 5-4 loss to North Salinas.
• Mission College handed the Gavilan College baseball team a 6-3 setback in Coast Conference cross-division action Friday in Gilroy. Jose Cortez and Johnny Cox had a pair of hits each for the Rams (13-10 overall, 6-5 conference.
Gavilan is home to Ohlone College on Tuesday.
VOLLEYBALL
The Gilroy High boys volleyball team was knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten by Watsonville on Friday night.
The Tri-County Athletic League Coastal Division Wildcatz played ungracious hosts to the Valley Division Mustangs in a three-set sweep 25-19, 25-12, and 25-9.
GHS will try and get back on the right track against Pajaro Valley on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Gilroy.
TRACK AND FIELD
For the third league meet in a row, the Gilroy High boys shot put and discus throwers swept competition. The latest installment came Thursday against Alisal.
Alfredo Mireles (43 feet, 5 inches), Ian Morlang (40-feet, 1/2-inch) and Austin Boyd (39-feet, 9 inches) finished first through third in the shot put, while in the discus Scott Vogel paced the Mustangs with a throw of threw 130 feet, 2 inches for first. Morlang (120-feet, 10 inches) and Boyd (115 feet, 1/2 inch) rounded out the top three in the event.
Returning Central Coast Section finals participant Sarina Sandoval is taking form in the early stages of the season and finished first in the shot put Thursday. First-year thrower Jazmine Villanueva placed second in the shot put and third in the discus.
On the track, the trio of Chelsey Kalata, Samantha Una Dia and Savannah Silacci continued strong. Kalata won both the 110-meter and 200-meter dash, Una Dia topped the field and clocked a 16.9 second hand time in the 100-hurdles and Silacci shaved seconds of her time in a first-place 800 effort.
Next up for GHS is the annual Avis Kelley Invitational hosted by the Mustangs on Saturday at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
