EL CAJON – So far this year, there have been 81 extra-inning games out of the 1,498 games that have been played in the CCCAA this year. None of those nearly 1,500 games have gone longer than the game that the Griffins and Jaguars played on Tuesday, April 18th.
Southwestern (19-15, 13-7 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference) won the State's longest game (so far) by a 10-7 score in 16 innings. Grossmont's (15-15, 8-10 PCAC) longest game since 2012, prior to Tuesday was a 14-inning contest between the Griffins and Palomar on April 21, 2012.
The Jaguars got things going in the third inning. Southwestern would end up scoring two runs on a couple of hits and a sacrifice.
Glen Huggins of Southwestern was cruising through four innings, but a crack or two in the armor. Noah Lane led the fifth off with a double. Braeden Ross sacrificed him to third and Ethan Caschetta grounded out to bring in Lane and cut the Jags lead to 2-1.
An inning later, Luke Mansy launched a curveball to straight away right to tie the game up at 2-all.
Grossmont took their first lead of the day in the seventh, when Caschetta singled up the middle to drive in Lane who singled to open the frame.
SWC retook the lead at 4-3 when they hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning.
Nevan Noonan opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a triple down the right field line. Brodie Romero singled to drive him home and tie the game up at 4-all. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Romero was lifted for pinch runner Spence Carswell. Carswell would score on a Juan Nunez single to give the Griffins a 5-4 lead.
Enter Griffin closer Bradley Barkley (0-2). Barkley was the Griffin MVP on this day, as he came out of the 'pen and did indeed close out the game, albeit seven innings after he intended for it to be over. Southwestern pushed across a run in the ninth to tie it up at 5-all. Grossmont hit into three double plays on the day, the one that hurt the most was the one in the bottom of the ninth to push the game to extra-innings.
The teams went scoreless for four innings when both teams scored a pair of runs in the 14th inning. Southwestern scored their runs via a ground-rule double and a bases loaded walk. The Griffins scored on a Luke Denos two-run homer to right field.
By the time Barkley reached the top of the 16th inning, he was just flat out tired. A closer doesn't usually throw more than 20 pitches. Bradley threw 68 over the eight innings he threw for. Southwestern took advantage of that fact and ended up hitting a three-run homer.
Grossmont will be back on the diamond on Wednesday as they play a postponed game against San Diego Mesa. The game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Noel Michelsen Field.