Roundup : La Jolla Beats University City in Crawford Baseball Tournament, 9-6

The baseball teams at rival high schools La Jolla and University City met for the first of four times Thursday in round two of the Crawford tournament at La Jolla.

“When you get us together, it’s going to be intense, but it was pretty relaxed today. It wasn’t cutthroat,” La Jolla Coach Dick Huddleston said after his team won, 9-6.

La Jolla and University City tied for third place last year, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Mission Bay.

“Actually, Mission Bay is the stronger rival,” Huddleston said.

La Jolla (2-0) scored five runs in the fifth inning for a 9-5 lead. The final two came on Willie Barnett’s two-out double. Relief pitcher Jorge Romero, whose single brought in the go-ahead run in the fifth, gained the victory.

University City, which is coached by former La Jolla Coach Alan La Mont, scored four runs in the third for a 5-4 lead. The Centurions (0-2) and La Jolla each had five errors.

In other second-round action of the Crawford tournament:

Crawford 3, Serra 2--A.J. Leighton allowed two runs in the first inning but allowed none the next six to pace Crawford at Serra.

Craig Ambrose scored the winning run in the seventh inning on Josh Neil’s sacrifice fly. Leighton, a junior right-hander, allowed three hits, walked four and struck out five.

In other action Thursday:

St. Augustine 6, Hilltop 3--Mark Strawbridge went the distance on the mound and was was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs at the plate to lead visiting St. Augustine (1-1). Hilltop (0-2) rallied for three runs in the final two innings. St. Augustine’s Jim Bitler was 2 for 4 with a single and a double and scored twice.

Hilltop Tournament

Granite Hills 5, Chula Vista 4--Brian Giles and Jeff Waymire each homered to lift Granite Hills (2-0). Waymire hit a two-run homer in the third and Giles hit the game-winner, a solo shot, in the fifth. Starter Todd Holverson (1-0) went four innings for the win. Chula Vista dropped to 0-4.

Mission Bay 7, Poway 1--Right-hander Scott Kuhl struck out nine batters to lift Mission Bay (2-0), which benefited from seven errors. Kuhl allowed only three hits but walked five. Poway is 0-2.

Mt. Carmel 11, El Capitan 0--Mark VanAelstyn was 3 for 4 with a triple and solo home run to pace visiting Mt. Carmel (2-0). VanAelstyn also scored three times. Steve Finley (1-0) pitched all seven, allowing four hits. El Capitan dropped to 1-1.

USDHS 8, Escondido 3--Tony Moeder hit a bases-empty home run as visiting USDHS gained a 5-0 lead en route to victory. Winning pitcher Matt Sissel (1-0) allowed four hits in seven innings, but one was a two-run homer to Andy Martin.

GMC Tournament

Coronado 5, San Diego 4--Coronado rallied for three runs in the seventh for the victory at San Diego.