Hillers Climb Closer to Another CIF Title With 9-1 Mauling of Mission Hills

Senior right-hander Joe Musgrove, with several pitches clocked at 94 mph, gave up no earned runs in 6 2/3 innings and hit a three-run homer Wednesday to lead Grossmont High to a 9-1 win over Mission Hills High of San Marcos in the opening round of the San Diego Section CIF Division I playoffs.

Juniors Robby Nesovic and Nick Rochester added home runs for the second-seeded Foothillers. Musgrove, who now has nine homers, improved his record to 7-3. He struck out 10.

Grossmont (24-6)—with five CIF titles in the past six seasons—hosts San Pasqual (24-7) in Friday’s second round at 3:30.

Frustrated by a scoreless game until the fourth inning—especially after leaving the bases loaded in the second—the Foothillers opened the floodgates in the fourth when Nesovic blasted a ball over the right-center field fence at Gizoni Field. Rochester had a solo homer in the sixth inning, and senior Jon Howarth stole home in the sixth. The host Foothillers collected  12 hits in the win.

James Earley’s Hillers had two errors to the Grizzlies’ one, but the North County team’s lone run, which was unearned, came too late.