Bulldog baseball sweeps three-game series

By Bill Tamburrino

Watching Ramona High’s baseball team play Mission Vista High School is like listening to Sirius Radio: the hits just keep on coming.

Ramona opened Valley League play by sweeping a three-game series over Mission Vista. The Bulldogs got dominant pitching and a season’s worth of hits in the league opening series.

Joel Mitchell had a week to remember at the plate. The senior first baseman/designated hitter hit four home runs in the series and has hit five home runs in the last four games.

“Most coaches would rather have strong pitching than strong hitting. This week we got both,” said coach Dean Welch. “Our pitching staff was excellent and our bats were torrid. None of the hits that our starters gave up were hit hard and there were only four of those.”

Ramona blasted 19 hits in a 15-1 road victory over Mission Vista on April 8. Mitchell led the attack, hitting two home runs, scoring two runs and driving in five runs. He was one of seven Bulldogs who enjoyed multiple-hit games. Gage Canning and Zach Sherman collected three hits apiece. Canning went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and scored two runs with a double and a stolen base. Sherman was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs.

Tanner Williams, Carl Schwettman, Blake Workman and Jordan Farhat all stroked two hits apiece. Williams had a triple and a stolen base. Workman and Schwettman blasted doubles. Farhat stole three bases. Jonathan Doulgeropoulos, Todd Roberts and John Mackay had one hit apiece.

Workman was dominant on the mound. He pitched five innings and did not give up an earned run and struck out five as he limited the Timberwolves to two scratch hits. Sherman pitched two innings in relief and struck out four.

In his home debut Kyle Wilson pitched five innings of one-hit shutout ball in a 12-4 win on April 10. He struck out eight and only allowed one base runner who reached on an infield single with two outs in the fifth. Wyatt Jeffers finished the game and gave up four runs on five hits.

Ramona ripped 12 hits. Mitchell hit a double and a home run and drove in three runs. Tyler Vargas and Williams each had a double and a single. Canning, Sherman, CJ Broussard, Schwettman, Roberts and Mackay each singled in the game.

The final game of the series, April 12, was a lot more of the same as Ramona beat the Timberwolves 18-0 on the road.

The Dawgs stroked 19 hits. Mitchell hit his fourth home run of the series in a 2-4 outing with four RBIs. Canning collected four hits with a triple, a double and an RBI. Sherman also had a four-hit outing with a double and three RBIs. Both Canning and Sherman had as many hits in the game as Mission Vista had in the entire series. Roberts had two doubles and two RBIs and Farhat had a two-hit day. Williams, Workman and Schwettman each collected singles.

Broussard had a 3-for-five outing but his pitching was the highlight of the game. The senior right- hander was almost perfect as he only allowed one Timberwolf to reach base and that was an infield single. Broussard struck out a season-high 10. Dylan Spacke came in as relief and fired two shutout innings with three strikeouts.