Grossmont Rallies in Extra Inning to Qualify for CIF Baseball Title Game

The Grossmont High baseball team wasn't about to pack it in after falling behind 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning in Thursday's elimination-round game against Torrey Pines. The winner would earn a berth in the Division I championship game, and title games have become a habit for the Foothillers.

"All these guys have been here for, oh, I don't know how long," said Grossmont coach Jim Earley. "They don't panic. They never do."

Eric Eckley certainly didn't. The junior second baseman capped a three-run rally with a run-scoring single to right that lifted Grossmont to a 4-3 victory and a short road trip to SDSU's Tony Gwynn Stadium for Saturday's 7 p.m. showdown with top-seeded Rancho Bernardo.

RB is the defending Division I champ while Grossmont (26-7), the reigning Division II champion, moves up a level after six straight appearances in the D-II title game, with five championships during that stretch.

Winning pitcher Robby Nesovic, who went the distance to raise his record to 11-0, appeared headed for his first loss after giving up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. The teams had battled to a 1-1 tie through the regulation seven innings.

But Nesovic cashed in a leadoff walk for the Hillers with a booming one-out double to center to cut the Torrey Pines lead to 3-2. The Falcons (26-11) then intentionally walked Joe Musgrove, and with two outs, Alex Connor grounded a ball sharply to the right side of the infield. The ball appeared to hit the lip of the outfield grass and glance off the upper body of Torrrey second baseman Michael Mullen, giving Nesovic time to score from second with the tying run.

Eckley ended things moments later with his liner to right that plated Musgrove without a throw.

"I was looking for a fastball away that I could drive," said Eckley. "I told myself just stay on top of it. Once I saw it would fall, I just had to remember to touch first base. You've got to show some heart in this game, and we did."

Earley, in his third season as Grossmont head coach after a stint assisting his mentor Rob Phillips, marveled at the comeback.

"I've been doing this for 20 years, and that's about as great a game as I've been involved with," he said. "It would have been easy for these kids to to get down when they fell behind and just play out the string and say it's been a good season."

It has been, but now it's even better.