LJ baseball 1, Patrick Henry 4

By Ed Piper

There was no pomp in the visitors' dugout. There was plenty of circumstance, that being the finality of the end of La Jolla's baseball season as the Vikings absorbed a 4-1 loss at the hands of host Patrick Henry in Henry's newly refurbished facility bordering on Navajo Road in San Carlos Tues., May 7.

Gray skies indicated the somber mood of play--from La Jolla's side, at least; Henry's players whooped it up after the victory--as ace Koa Scott lasted into the bottom of the fourth inning.

With Coach Gary Frank's team sitting at 14th in the CIF Power Rankings in Division 3, he said just before opening pitch that there was "a small chance" of advancing into the postseason, "if we win and certain teams lose."

The Vikes (5-7 in the City League, 14-13 overall) forgot their bats, though, being no-hit and blanked through the first four innings by junior right-hander Max Jones. Finally, Scott took it into his hands with a blast on one bounce to the right-centerfield wall for a double in the top of the fifth. The two Patriot outfielders vying for the ball collided, one getting up with a limp as coach and athletic trainer went out.

Scott, now having switched places defensively with sophomore Luke Brunette at first base, the lefty taking over on the mound, moved around to score the visitors' only run. The only other La Jolla hit came off left fielder Devin Brown's bat.

Jones, with an extreme overhand motion seemingly throwing every pitch as hard as he could, looked like a world-beater in completely smothering the Vikings' non-hitters. He went the distance, didn't hit any jams, and walked only one while striking out eight. He fashioned the near-masterpiece on 87 pitches.

Henry's dogpile on the middle of the field after the game, though painful for the visitors to watch, was thoroughly appropriate, as Coach Sheldon Watkins' squad (10-1) set themselves up for the outright league title ahead of University City (9-2). All the Patriots have to do is beat lowly San Diego (4-7, 7-19 overall) at SDHS Thurs., May 9. UC plays at last-place Mission Bay (0-11, 4-22) the same day.

This is Watkins' second year as head coach of the green-and-gold, converting a 10-17 season last year into a 20-6-1 turnaround in 2019.

On MaxPreps, Patrick Henry is ranked number one in Division 3, with a 14.0 rating ahead of San Pasqual (12.8), Valhalla (12.6), and others. University City is ranked sixth, with a 10.8 on MaxPrep's algorithm.

La Jolla is 13th in MaxPrep's rankings (prior to Tuesday's loss), on the strength of a 6.3 rating and 5.1 strength of schedule (the potency of opposing teams the Vikings had to face). Henry's strength of schedule is 6.0. The highest in Division 3 goes to Mira Mesa, with a 10.0 strength of schedule calculation.

Henry, as a team, is batting .301. Team ERA is 2.34. Six regulars are batting above .300. Leadoff hitter Tomas Gagliano, who celebrated Senior Day after the game, has stolen 13 bases while being caught three times.

Jones, a 5'9" junior (who looks shorter), is the ace of the staff with a 7-0 record. The win over the Vikings was his first complete game of the season. He has 74 strikeouts in 65 innings. He has issued 39 bases on balls, which is high. But opposing batters are hitting only .177. He has hit five batsmen, and thrown four wild pitches.