San Diego Section Baseball : Dunckel’s Catch Saves Fallbrook

EL CAJON —  A game that was supposed to feature offense turned into a pitching and defensive duel Thursday as Fallbrook upset top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Granite Hills, 2-1, to advance to Saturday’s San Diego Section 3-A baseball semifinals.

But Fallbrook (20-8) needed a spectacular catch by Bill Dunckel, an All-County wide receiver on the Warriors’ football team, to get to the semifinals.

With two out in the bottom of the seventh, Granite Hills’ Shawn O’Coyne hit a shot to dead center. Dunckel, running backward, caught the ball before falling on his back.

“I thought it was right to me, but it kept going,” Dunckel said. “I just reached up and grabbed it.”

Fallbrook had taken a 2-1 lead in the top half of the inning, but could have scored more runs if it hadn’t been for an outstanding defensive play by Granite Hills third baseman George Bishop, who went high into the air to snag a line drive by Scott Hainline with two out and runners on first and second.

Fallbrook is one team that is taking advantage of the San Diego Section’s playoff expansion from eight to 12 teams in various sports. Fallbrook’s football team finished third in the Palomar League and would not have qualified for the section playoffs in past years. But the Warriors received an at-large berth and went on to win the section title.

‘We’re using that as a model,’ said Dunckel.

Three weeks ago, the Fallbrook baseball team was in fourth place in the Palomar League. But the Warriors rallied, defeating league champion and top-ranked Orange Glen and fourth-ranked Mt. Carmel the final week of the season to move into third. Fallbrook received an at-large berth to the section playoffs.

Mark Ringkamp (10-3) allowed Granite Hills, the county’s highest scoring team, just four hits.

The Eagles (21-7) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Curt Southworth hit a 350-foot home run to right field.

Granite Hills’ starting pitcher, Mike Raskind (10-2), allowed just one hit through the first five innings.

But Fallbrook pinch-hitter Jason Rusk hit a ground rule double to right field leading off in the sixth. Rusk eventually scored on a ground out by Ty Barksdale.

Fallbrook scored the winning run in the top of the seventh. Dunckel opened the inning with a double to left. He moved to third when Ringkamp flied to right and then scored on a single to right by Cory Conrad.

3-A Mount Carmel 21, Madison 5--Already leading, 13-5, Mount Carmel (22-6) scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to bury No. 4-seeded Madison (15-11). Ron Kelly went 4 for 4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. John Tejcek was 3 for 3 with two RBIs.

Grossmont 7, Chula Vista 1--Grossmont (22-7) scored four runs in the top of the first to beat No. 3 Chula Vista (17-8) and secure a spot in the semifinals. Pitcher Roy Netter held Chula Vista to three hits and drove in two runs with a single in the first. Mike Rendina’s double accounted for Grossmont’s first. Doug Davis had RBI singles in the first and third. Losing pitcher Anthony Garcia allowed six runs in four innings of work.

Santana 3, Orange Glen 2--Darrin Forster singled in Tim Barry in the top of the fourth inning with what proved to be the winning run as Santana (20-7) eliminated No. 2-seeded Orange Glen (20-7). After giving up an RBI single to Frank Escalante in the first, Santana pitcher Bill Reed tied the game with a double that scored Jason Cabral. Orange Glen scored again on two Santana errors in the second, but was shut out after that as Reed allowed just one hit and struck out 13. Santana took the lead on a solo home run by Scott Oliver.

2-A Mission Bay 6, San Diego 3--Sean Rees (6-2) pitched a two-hitter, walking five but striking out 10, as No. 1-seeded Mission Bay (19-7) beat visiting San Diego (18-9-1). Darren Seslar singled in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning, in which Mission Bay scored four runs.

Escondido 4, La Jolla 1--Jason Hobbs was the catalyst for each of Escondido’s runs and Mike Scales scattered seven hits in 6 innings. Escondido (14-11) scored single runs in the first and fourth innings and two in the sixth. La Jolla (15-11-1) scored its lone run in the sixth when Kevin Kraus’ doubled, David Jennings singled him to third and Brad Raulston had a sacrifice fly.

University 10, Christian 4--After Christian scored four runs in the bottom of the second to tie the score, 4-4, Duke Gonzalez (6-2) relieved for starting pitcher Matt Siesel and shut out host Christian on three hits the rest of the way. USDHS (19-8) took a 5-4 lead when Brian Boyd scored an unearned run on a two-out throwing error by Christian third baseman Chris Waymire. USDHS’ Tom Stilinovich led off the seventh with a solo home run.

Clairemont 8, Castle Park 0--Lowell Ellis’ run-scoring triple in the fourth broke open a scoreless game at Castle Park. Clairemont (15-11-1) took a 5-0 lead. Winning pitcher Rick Doane hit a three-run home run in the fifth. Mike Giordano added a two-run homer in the seventh. Doane was 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Castle Park (21-7) the second seed, had just three hits.