PREP BASEBALL: Poway dances its way to prom with section title after beating La Costa Canyon

By JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Sunday, June 1, 2008 12:27 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- The were late to the prom ---- very late.

But the members of the Poway High baseball team and their dates were surely wearing smiles late Saturday night when they got there.

The top-seeded Titans broke open a close game with four runs in the fourth inning and went on to beat La Costa Canyon 8-3 in the CIF San Diego Section Division I championship game at Tony Gwynn Stadium, setting off a huge on-field celebration.

The victory was the fourth of the season for Poway over Palomar League foe La Costa Canyon.

With their dates already in formal wear at the ballpark, several of the Poway players hoped to take quick shower and head over to the Western Metal Supply Co. building at Petco Park, arriving just before midnight.

Part of the problem for the Titans and their dates was that the game started at 8 p.m., an hour later than scheduled. The other problem was a slow game in which 10 Titans and two Mavericks drew walks.

Leading 2-1 after three innings, Poway (31-6) scored four runs on three hits in the fourth inning. Dillon Dooney reached on an error to start the inning. Alex Dickerson, who entered the game 9-for-11 in three previous games this week, followed with a single to right and Josh Anderson walked to load the bases.

Jason Brunansky drove in one run with a single to left, and senior Donovan Dooney's double scored two more as the ball just eluded the dive of left fielder Grant Jochem. Tommy Simis' sacrifice fly drove in the final run of the inning.

"What a great way to go out," said Donovan Dooney, who had four RBIs. "Honestly, I can't even tell you what pitches I hit. Everything is a blur.

"This is definitely the biggest thrill of my baseball life. And I love it."

Five La Costa Canyon pitchers had a hard time finding the plate. Only three of the 10 walked batters scored, but they set up all three Poway rallies ---- in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

LCC broke through in the third when Mitch Tybroksi legged out an infield single, stole second base, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball. The Mavericks could have had more, but Brunansky made a great catch against the left-center-field fence on Phillip Evans' drive.

"That catch could have changed the game," said Poway coach Bob Parry. "To run as far as he did and catch the ball against the wall ... that was great."

Poway answered in the bottom of the inning when Anderson singled and Donovan Dooney and Austin Wynns walked to load the bases. Then, with catcher Danny Bethea set up outside, Max MacNabb's fastball hit the backstop screen as Anderson scored to tie the game. Simis walked to load the bases again and, on a full-count pitch, MacNabb miss badly to walk Steven Halcomb and force in the go-ahead run.

"The game didn't play to our hand," said LCC coach Justin Machado. "This isn't the way we play.

"It was tough luck to not be on on this day. It's hard to dig yourself a hole and then try to come back against the Yankees.

"When we went up 1-0, we took the momentum away. There was a moment there where Poway could have pressed.

"We had two outs the next inning and let them score two runs. We let it affect us too much."

La Costa Canyon, seeded No. 10, made the game interesting with two runs in the fifth. MacNabb started a one-out rally with a single and Tybroski walked. Evans followed with a double to the fence in right-center field, driving in two. But the rally died there as Evans was thrown out at third on a final relay from right fielder Dickerson to shortstop Halcomb to third baseman Dillon Dooney.

Poway got the runs back in the bottom of the inning against LCC ace Garrett Hughes. Dickerson drew a one-out walk, and Brunansky was safe on catcher's interference with two outs. Donovan's blooper to right fell in among three players to score a pair.

Left-hander Drew Leininger (8-0) drew the start for Poway, pitching 4 1/3 innings before being replaced by Joe Rosan.

"I tried to pound the zone and throw strikes," Leininger said. "But the adrenaline was really pumping. I tried to tone it down, and think I did. But the walks early were because I was too pumped up.

"This team set goals for the season, and the biggest one was to be in this game.

"After we stumbled to Rancho Bernardo (in the first round of double-elimination play), we got on a roll and the momentum carried us.

Saturday's four-game finals drew a crowd of 3,917.

The championship was Poway's second in three years. The Titans beat Fallbrook 6-2 in 2006.

La Costa Canyon was shooting for its third title in six years after beating Rancho Bernardo in both 2003 and '04. 

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.

       

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.