Foothills Christian hands Central first playoff loss, forces decisive rematch
Knights top Spartans 4-2 in Division IV semifinal as Central looks to bounce back in double-elimination bracket
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) - The Central Spartans suffered their first loss of the CIF San Diego Section Division IV baseball playoffs on Friday, falling 4-2 to Foothills Christian in a semifinal matchup at Hal Church Field.
Despite the loss, Central remains alive in the double-elimination bracket and will host the Knights again on Wednesday with a trip to the championship game on the line.
Foothills Christian broke through in the top of the fourth inning after a bases-loaded balk brought home the game’s first run. Moments later, Johannes Jansen Granillo lined a two-run single into left field to extend the Knights’ lead to three. Foothills Christian added another run later in the inning for a 4-0 advantage.
The Spartans answered in the bottom of the fourth. David Madero opened the frame with a hard-hit fly ball to right field that was dropped in windy conditions, allowing him to reach third base. Later in the inning, Hury Luna delivered a two-run hit to the outfield to cut the deficit to two.
That would be as close as Central would get against Foothills Christian pitcher Jack Morgan, who tossed a complete game while striking out five and allowing two runs.
Central coach Gene Martin said the Spartans strayed from their approach offensively.
“I think if we have better plate approaches, we kind of swung at some pitches that we didn’t need to swing at,” Martin said. “We got out of our game plan and we didn’t execute in key situations. Fundamental baseball — that’s what got us here. Putting the ball in play and hitting the ball hard.”
Martin praised his team’s resilience after falling behind early.
“The fact that we came out and fought — we got down, but we didn’t quit,” Martin said. “They battled. Their pitcher threw well and got a lot of ground balls, but we put the ball in play and swung the bat well. They just happened to score a few more runs than we did.”
Windy conditions affected both teams throughout the afternoon, with several fly balls carrying unpredictably.
“It made it a little difficult for both teams,” Martin said. “Both teams had to play in the same conditions. It is what it is. We have to take it how it comes.”
The Spartans are expected to turn to senior pitcher Chris Curiel in Wednesday's rematch.
“I think Chris can go out and give us a decent performance on the mound,” Martin said. “As long as we can keep the game within reach, I think we have a good shot to win this. We put ourselves in this position for this reason.”
First pitch for the elimination game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday at Central High School. The winner will advance to the Division IV championship, while the loser will see its season come to an end.
