LJ baseball 4, Steele Canyon 3

A pumped-up Zach Sehgal (rear) hugs

Chris DeGuzman after Cole Dimich

drives in the two baserunners for

the go-ahead runs.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Junior Cole Dimich stroked a two-out, two-run single to left in the sixth inning to drive in the go-ahead runs as La Jolla came from behind on a windy day at Steele Canyon to defeat the host Cougars, 4-3, Tues., March 29. The game was the first for the Vikings in the City Conference Tournament that stretches over the next two weeks.

Starter Nick Ferenczy showed good stuff in allowing only one hit during his four innings, but he walked four. His bugaboo was wild pitches. It looked for a while like Steele Canyon could take home the contest without mounting any kind of offense against the right-hander, plating runners on wild pitches in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings to lead 2-1.

Centerfielder Stone Scoppettuolo continued his run productivity by doubling to straight-away center with two outs in the top of the fifth to tie the game 2-2 and relieve Ferenczy of the decision. He drove in Trenton Fudge, who had walked, on a run-and-hit all the way from first base.

Senior Johnny Agbulos, who has looked effective before, came on in the bottom of the fifth inning to take over pitching chores and held the Cougars to a single hit and a run. Agbulos looks like he has a live ball, generating good velocity from such a compact body.

The Vikings' (9-2) initial offense came in the second inning, when Garrett Brown dumped a dunker down the line behind first base, just inside the foul line, to send Dane Hansen home from second base. That gave La Jolla a 1-0 lead.

*  *  *

 

Ferenczy's sister, Kira, pitched for the La Jolla softball team the day before. She was sitting in the stands at Steele Canyon with their mother to watch Nick's start.

Scoppettuolo was sporting under-eye grease, as he usually does. An observer commented that he didn't have the "Tesla"-looking "T" this time under each eye. Instead, it formed M's. He replied, "It's for my uncle."

What a week

By Ed Piper

What a week it's been.

On Friday, I downloaded Windows 10. (Microsoft people: I'm not blaming Windows 10 for all my challenges.)

I couldn't write on my blog, so I thought this would solve my problems. I couldn't update Internet Explorer 7, which apparently now won't work with my blog. (I didn't think of Google Chrome.)

The moment I returned from Spring Training, my desktop--which prior to the trip had worked for three months the best it has ever worked--began freezing and shutting off on its own.

But whatever ailed the desktop before the download, ailed it afterwards as well. As my dad used to say about computers, junk in, junk out.

Finally, on Tuesday, I sent up flares for help. On Wednesday night, our friend, who works on our computer, deleted the partitions Windows had created on the computer, and reinstalled Windows 7. Voila. I can now process my sports photos without the desktop freezing. I can also resume writing you sweet prose.

*  *  *

What a three weeks it's been.

Three weeks ago, I drove to Spring Training in Phoenix for five full days. (See previous posts on buying game tickets in advance for the first time.)

I went to six games in five days at six different ballparks. The highlight this year was realizing I could visit baseball practice in the mornings--at least at some of the 10 parks--and visiting three of the remaining four parks to see major or minor leaguers working out.

That was fun, because, potentially, there is no charge for parking or for entrance into the training facilities.

It didn't work at Tempe Diablo Stadium, where the Angels have their Spring Training complex, with five diamonds in addition to the stadium diamond. The day I went--Tuesday, March 8, my departure day--the Angels had a home game and no players were out on the practice fields before the game.

I did hear what sounded like throwing and/or batting from inside an enclosed building around the two buttes that stand beyond left field of Tempe Diablo. But no way to see in.

It did work, kind of, at the A's facility in Mesa, where my housing for the five nights was. The A's had a 1 p.m. home game--again, it was my getaway day, March 8--so you couldn't approach Hohokam Stadium without paying for parking. Which I didn't want to do. Instead, now having mobile Internet for the first time in my life, I looked up information on the A's Spring Training facilities and located Fitch Park, down Center Street from the stadium.

There I walked and talked with another Spring Training attendee, this one a devoted A's fan, and watched minor leaguers going through training stations. It was just like the classroom: On this diamond, work on pickoffs and rundowns (it was a group of pitchers, I believe). Rotate after 45 minutes, and work on another specific set of skills on another diamond.

I wasn't watching major leaguers, which is what I went to Spring Training for. But at least I was up close, mingling, standing right next to the fence surrounding the field.

It worked the best at Camelback Ranch, which is the Dodgers' and White Sox' training complex. I went two different mornings. At 9 a.m., the complex opens--even on game days. You can park for free, right near the entrance to the practice fields. There is a nice walkway to the fields, where I stood against the backstop, with only a short distance away Yasiel Puig, Dave Roberts, the Dodgers' new manager (a former Padre), Corey Seager, their star shortstop prospect, and all the rest.

That was probably the baseball highlight of my trip.

My sister's family, who are not particularly baseball fans, drove from Wyoming to be in Mesa for a shooting competition my nephew was taking part in. He is an expert marksman. So, we all met at Peoria Stadium on Friday night (March 4) to see the only night game scheduled during our respective stays in the Valley of the Sun.

The outfield grass, where we sat, surprisingly was wet. My niece, always the planner, made sure the family brought a blanket to sit on. The temperature in the air was perfect, in the 70's, with not a person in sight wearing a coat.

*  *  *

What a four weeks it has been.

It all started with my purchasing my first smartphone. (Kyle and Reagan Jetter's mom couldn't believe I had never had a smartphone before, when I told her at a lacrosse game this week.)

I started slowly, but going from a mere cellphone to a smartphone is quite a leap. That fed right into my Spring Training trip, which began exactly a week later. To negotiate the 101 Loop and the 202 and all the other intertwining freeways in the greater Phoenix/Tempe area, I used Google Maps for the first time.

Fantastic. It reroutes you within a few seconds, when you miss a turn or when construction means a street on the scheduled route is blocked.

One thing using Google Maps does is chew up tons of data, so I was freaking out and calling in to increased my data amount for the month more than once.

It also uses up tons of the battery's charge, and having just bought the phone, I didn't have a charger to use in the car. (And being a rarer phone, an off-brand, it wasn't one I could pick up a charger for at the local store. You know, come to think of it, I probably could have.)

LJ construction: On schedule

By Ed Piper

A couple of parents have told me that the construction taking place in Edwards Stadium, they've been informed, is on schedule and possibly aimed for completion for use of the playing field in August 2016.

I don't have any official confirmation of that, but the McColl family is a pretty reliable source of information.

On the same note--of the upgrading of the La Jolla High athletic complex--the newly-renovated softball field is beautiful. The new surface is good, though Viking batters noted they have to make an adjustment in the batter's box in doing their footwork on artificial turf instead of the former dirt.

The entire field is now artificial surface, with the pitching circle and plate no longer natural. The baseball field at Muirlands Middle School had a similar upgrade last year.

One improvement that will have to be made on the softball field is the open-ended dugouts for both teams. Someone not knowing softball or forgetting safety considerations designed the new dugouts without fencing on each end. That means that a ball coming directly off the bat can come flying into a dugout and conk someone on the head.

What Coach Anthony Sarain and his staff have done temporarily is to lash up their mobile pitching and hitting backstop to block off the visitors dugout along the first base line. The home dugout is still open, requiring Viking players to sit down the bench a distance to avoid danger.

LJ baseball 4, Parker 2

Scoppettuolo deals against Parker.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Stone Scoppettuolo hit two fastballs for home runs over the gate in left field at Francis Parker's baseball field and then completed the game on the mound for starter Nick Hammel to propel La Jolla to a 4-2 win over host Parker in the Lions Tournament Wed., March 23.

The six-foot senior, announcing his arrival on the Viking varsity, didn't recall the exact counts that he smacked his pair of homers on. But he displayed plenty of presence of mind as he took over for Hammel in the sixth inning in the annual tourney.

Coach Gary Frank's contingent has been playing well early this season, seizing the championship of the Bully's East Tournament Sat., March 20, with a win over Santa Fe Christian.

LJ softball 6, Point Loma 5

By Ed Piper

Point Loma's softball team led 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, but La Jolla came back to win a thrilling 6-5 victory at home in the Monarch Classic Wed., March 23.

The come-from-behind triumph, against traditional powerhouse Point Loma, marks a real turning point for the Viking softball program. Last year, La Jolla was the upstart team, riding the talents of new and returning players to a winning season for the first time in several years.

Now Coach Anthony Sarain's talented squad is building on the successes of last year. The Pointers, though not enjoying one of their stellar years so far, are still a valid measuring point for a team's strength or weakness.

In 2015, La Jolla came from behind to win a 7-6 decision on a grand slam by Stephanie Alvarez in the bottom of the seventh inning. Point Loma, in overlooking the traditionally weak Vikings, had started a pitcher who was not their number one hurler.

In the most recent victory, Point Loma had no excuses. La Jolla didn't give the Pointers any, scoring a single run in the bottom of the fourth and three in the fifth. The Vikings pushed over two runs in the bottom of the seventh for their second straight comeback win over Point Loma at home.

LJ baseball 10, Otay Ranch 4

By Ed Piper


Johnny Agbulos pulled a bases-loaded triple to right-center field to power a six-run fifth inning and break open a 4-2 game as starter Nick Hammel threw five innings of two-run ball to lead La Jolla to a 10-4 win in the Bully's East Tournament at home Thurs., March 17.


Agbulos, after his batting heroics, proceeded to close the game on the mound, allowing one earned run through the final two innings against the Mustangs.


Hammel, a triple-sport athlete playing his third straight sports season this school year, struck out three without giving up a walk during his stint. The 6'2" righty also plays guard on the Viking basketball team that reached the CIF Finals, and linebacker on the La Jolla football team.


Unfortunately, Matthew Brumbaugh, the catcher for Otay Ranch, injured his glove hand on a rare catcher's interference call after the La Jolla rally and had to be removed. In crouching in the catcher's position behind the batter, he was hit by a swinging bat and appeared to break the pinkie finger metacarpal bone, according to observers. He could potentially be sidelined for six weeks to two months.


The burly 190-pounder is only a sophomore, so he will have two more seasons to shine at Otay Ranch.

Spring Nationals: '68 Camaro

 

Joe Witte shows his redone 1968 Camaro SS at the

Spring Nationals car show in Scottsdale, Arizona.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

This is the "before" photo, what the Camaro looked

like when Joe bought it: undriveable, in bits

and pieces.

 

By Ed Piper

A fringe benefit of attending baseball Spring Training in the Phoenix/Tempe area in March was catching up with friends Cathy and Joe Witte. We met when Cathy and I were classmates in graduate school years ago. Joe was showing his remade 1968 Chevy Camaro SS, a blue-with-black gem among the muscle cars at the 1,400-car Spring Nationals show at WestWorld in Scottsdale.

It was a beautiful, sunny day on March 5. The Goodguys-sponsored event, held just off the 101 North Loop, was large, with over 2,500 cars displayed in different categories. In addition to Witte's car and the other muscle cars, we saw jalopies and gangster-looking cars--all in immaculate condition--going back to earlier decades.

This was my first big car show, so regulars probably know the routine. Vehicles could not be newer than 1972, and they included hot rods, customs, classics, and trucks.

What gave me a bit of a surprise was the warm-up for the "Nitro Thunderfest," scheduled for 1 p.m. A bit earlier, about noon, a roar began near the 101 freeway. I remarked on it. Joe said, "Oh, they do a nitro blast." Several cars were revving up, making a racket, to show off.

LJ baseball 5, Calexico 6

La Jolla blew a three-run lead after five innings to go down to a 6-5 defeat to visiting Calexico in the annual Bully's East Baseball Tournament Thurs., Feb. 10.

Senior Trenton Fudge pitched the first five innings, giving up two earned runs. Coach Gary Frank's team led 5-2 at that point.

Fudge struck out five, walked one, and gave up four hits.

But the Vikings gave up four runs in the top of the sixth, and La Jolla batters weren't able to produce any runs to mount a comeback.

Right-hander Carlos Arellano, who is Calexico's starting shortstop, came in to fire some 85-mph fastballs that the Vike hitters couldn't solve in the closing innings. He is a commit to New Mexico State next year as an infielder, but Calexico coach Jerry Niebla said the Aggies may also give him a chance to pitch.

La Jolla (1-1) next plays in the tournament Sat., Feb. 12, at 11 a.m. against Central High of El Centro on its Muirlands home field.

LJ track: Opening meet

By Ed Piper

The newest edition of "The Roberson Show" debuted in La Jolla's opening meet of the season at San Diego High Thurs., Feb. 10, as sisters Satori, Sakura, and Sierra Roberson ran three legs of the 4x400-meter relay in a time of 4:03. Teammate Madeline Fike covered the other leg.

Sierra, a freshman, is the new kid on the block, recording a 12.71-second time in the 100 meters to lead Viking sprinters, in addition to her opening leg on the relay.

Satori, the wizened senior of the three, threw the discus 85'3" to lead La Jolla throwers. The basketball center, who plans to enroll at Grossmont College in culinary arts in the fall and play for the Griffins basketball team, also ran the 300-meter hurdles in 48.38 seconds, besides taking the baton from Sierra in the second leg of the 4x400 relay.

Sakura, a speed merchant who as a junior ranks among the Western League's top sprinters, focused on the 200 meters and 1600 meters in her individual events. She pulled a time of 24.9 in the 200, 5:37 in the latter. She hopes to ride her running skills to a college scholarship after next year.

Deyna Roberson, the girls' older sister, returns as the team's hurdles and sprints coach. Her son, Miles, a kindergartener, roamed the infield at historic Balboa Stadium as his aunts burned their speed for spectators to enjoy in the first team meet of the season. La Jolla did send individuals to participate in the Mt. Carmel meet Saturday.

Kayla Sabo, a 5'8" sophomore, who also cheerleads for the Vikings, competed for the first time in her life in the triple jump and came away with a best of 30'3". Assistant coach Roger Karnopp said with her strength and athletic ability Sabo has the potential to develop into a fine triple jumper.

Sabo also led Viking long jumpers with a best leap of 15'0.25".

Coach Paul Byrne, who teaches at Muirlands Middle School, returns for the second year as La Jolla head coach, providing continuity and stability and a calm head to the boys and girls track programs.

LJ softball 13, SD Southwest 1 (5 innings)

By Ed Piper

Linda Brown cracked a three-run homer in the fifth inning off the top of the left field fence, pushing La Jolla over the 10-run threshold for an early finish to a 13-1 thrashing of visiting Southwest (San Diego) Wed., Feb. 9.

The big news for the Vikings, though, was freshman Kyra Ferenczy, a new addition to the team along with catcher Hailey Ramos. Ferenczy, filling the pitcher's spot vacated by the graduation of four-year starter Katya Sarain, showed some pop in her swing as she sprayed line drives up the center of the diamond in her at-bats.

"I think we have more consistency through the lineup than last year," said coach Anthony Sarain, Katya's father.

LJ b soccer 1, Serra 1 (OT) (LJ wins by kicks)

Viking goalie Tai Nguyen lies on the ground after

blocking Serra's Richard Gaeta's kick in a shootout.

La Jolla won the shootout 6-5 to advance to the

CIF finals Saturday. (Photo by Ed Piper)



By Ed Piper

In a dramatic finish to over two hours of soccer, La Jolla goalie Tai Nguyen blocked the sixth of Serra's kicks in a shootout after a 1-1 tie through overtime Wed., March 2, placing the Vikings boys team in the CIF finals for the first time in 18 years.

"It's La Jolla's first time in the CIF finals since 1998," said senior defender Noah Shen, who booted in the third of the Vikings' kicks past Conquistador keeper David Gasca. "The kicks...I wouldn't say it's fun. It's nerve-wracking."

La Jolla (6-8-5) squares off against Lincoln (10-7-6), which upset number-one seed Preuss, in the Division 4 championship game Sat., March 5, at Olympian High at 11 a.m.

Coach Marcos Gonzales' team's win makes two LJHS teams qualifying for the finals two nights in a row: The Vikings boys basketball team beat West Hills the night before, 51-44, to go into the Division 2 championship Friday night at 6 p.m. at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus.

La Jolla, which in a strange twist was playing its home game on the road at Serra due to construction on Edwards Stadium, sent its first five kickers to face Gasca after a 15-minute overtime failed to result in a goal for either team.

First, seniors Davor Ivanov, Gilberto Hinojoza, and Shen successfully delivered as their turns came. Then junior Jack Barone, who returned after being out with an injury for most of February to score the Vikings' lone goal in their quarterfinal win over Crawford Saturday, knocked his kick in. He was followed by sophomore Marco Furlanis.

Meanwhile, the Q's were shooting bullets, too, not missing against Nguyen in the first five kicks of the FIFA-style shootout.

Captain Andrew Estrella, who scored the Vikings' only goal in regulation time on an assist by Cesar Canton in the sixth minute of the second half, had been pulled from the game--twice--due to cramps in both calves. Otherwise, the junior would have been among the first five in the shootout for La Jolla.

With the two teams' tied in successful kicks, 5-5, after staying knotted through two halves plus the overtime, Viking junior defender Takunai Nishikawa took his place in front of the goal for the next kick. He put it in past a diving Gasca.

Finally, as Serra's Gaeta prepared for his kick, Nguyen raised both arms to the sky and said something. He blocked Gaeta's attempt, and the Viking squad raced from midfield to mob Nguyen and celebrate their win.

Said Nguyen amid the hoopla, "First one to make that mistake. We'll pounce on that!" He had said before the game that the key to which team won would be which one made fewer mistakes.

LJ b BB 51, West Hills 44

By Ed Piper

Reed Farley took command of the game in the second quarter, finding the outside shooting touch he had been missing all season, and Morgan Albers became physical inside down the stretch to help protect the lead La Jolla had built up earlier, as the Vikings basketball team upset number-one seed West Hills on its home court 51-44 Tues., March 1 to sail into the CIF finals for the first time since 2010.

La Jolla will face Country Day for the Division 2 championship Friday night, March 4, at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Game time is 6:07 p.m.

Farley, the 6'4" junior point guard who has been a starter since his freshman year, caught fire to take La Jolla from a 12-11 deficit at the start of the second quarter to a 32-15 bulge by the end of the half, a 21-3 blitz that the favored Wolf Pack never overcame.

After hitting a three-pointer in the opening quarter, a good sign for him, and forcing the tempo by repeatedly pushing the ball up court against a cold-shooting Wolf Pack, Reed was everywhere on offense in the second period. He went especially high on a jumper for the 15-12 lead, then he immediately canned another three.

The sandy-haired history buff, on the Vikings' next possession, drove, scored, and was fouled. Though he missed the free throw, his team was up 20-12 and now led by eight points after a one-point deficit at the end of the first quarter, a nine-point turnaround all within the span of two minutes.

With 2:45 left in the half, Farley didn't hesitate before shooting another three, as La Jolla continued to pull away, leading by 11. Wolf Pack coach Jeff Armstrong immediately called a timeout.

Fast forward to the third quarter. The hosts, who under the pressure of the semifinals hadn't played like the number-one seed in the initial two stanzas, recovered to score six baskets to La Jolla's one to start the second half to fight their way back into the game, drawing within seven at 34-27. They were led by seniors Bryce Parsons and Miguel Nava, both sporting long locks, the one blonde, the other dark.

Albers, who had made a nifty pass inside to teammate Alex Pitrofsky for an assist at the end of the second quarter, began to really make his presence known near the end of the third quarter. Repeatedly slipping behind the defense against the Wolf Pack's press, he scored on a left-handed layup at 37-27. He then forced another timeout by Armstrong with a bucket the next time down the court.

In the fourth quarter, as the possibility of a trip to the finals loomed closer and the tension rose before large contingents from both schools, the 6'4" Albers--a three-year member of varsity--was fouled on a drive and made one of two free throws. The senior forward was fouled again with 3:23 left in the game. This time he made both free throws. La Jolla led, 48-34.

Albers made another layup in crunch time and grabbed a key rebound to secure the ball after missing a free throw with 24 seconds left. The Vikings led by eight. They gave up a meaningless basket at the buzzer to win by the final margin of seven.

"It pissed me off this year coming off the bench," said Albers, who had been a starter part of his junior season, in a forthright moment after the game. "I used it as motivation."

"We call him 'Savage'," said teammate Tony Coan of the mild-mannered Albers.

Farley was aided on his hot shooting hand by his mother Kara's doctoring earlier in the day. She popped a blood blister on the middle finger, which still showed the effects of the earlier swelling.

"It is no mystery why West Hills is the number-one seed," said LJHS coach Paul Baranowski before the game. But the Wolf Pack repeatedly misfired on shots in the first half, and the Vikings' torrid streak in the second quarter pinned West Hills' collective ears back. Outside of their six-basket skein to start the third quarter, they never completely regained their footing. At least partial credit for that goes to La Jolla's effective defensive execution, which Baranowski said would be a key.

Pitrofsky himself once again became a vending machine dispensing points as the 6'6" center was the beneficiary of timely passes from Farley and Albers, besides making his own aggressive drives to the hoop.

It wasn't a one- or two-man show by La Jolla, by any means. Eddie Parker blocked a layup attempt by Parsons, West Hills' star, after a Viking turnover in the final period. He also teamed with Farley to surprise the Wolf Pack to score on a long inbounds pass over the press to start the quarter. The senior guard earlier in the game contributed to the Vikings' 21-3 tear in the second quarter by scoring on a drive all the way to the basket from the point.

Forward Charlie Gal, a sophomore who has a lot more time to play for La Jolla, bulled his way in for some points. His fellow human earth mover up front, Daniel McColl, helped start the Vikings up with some early aggression.