San Diego, CA
Huge First Inning Boosts Dirtbags Past San Diego State
The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2024 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.
It’s not everyday that you see a team holding a five-run lead while being outhit 3-2 in the first inning. But on Tuesday night at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field the Dirtbags were that team.
Long Beach State batted around in the first inning against visiting San Diego State, using four walks and three hit-by-pitches in an empathetic seven run first inning en route to the win, 12-5.
“It’s a part of what we’ve been stressing to our offense as a whole,” said Dirtbags coach Bryan Peters. “There was a stretch two or three weeks ago when we were easy outs, didn’t have any plate discipline, and we weren’t making the pitchers work at all. It’s good for us to be able to see the fruits of our labor, being able to have better plate discipline, make better swing decisions, be tougher outs, make the guys work and put up tougher fights. It wasn’t necessarily smash, smash, smash, but it was good quality at bats, taking walks, getting hit by pitches, and scoring some runs in bunches and I think it was a bunch of good quality at bats wrapped up together which is good for us.”
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After giving up two in the top of the first, the Dirtbags started a rally of their own with two consecutive walks and a HBP to load the bases. LBSU then scored three runs with an RBI single from Jack Hammond alongside RBI’s from Armando Briseno and Nick Marinconz, before a huge two-RBI double from Justin Roulston. LBSU added another run off an HBP to conclude their seven run first inning.
Coming into the game Roulston had been in the mix at left field with trouble seeing the field in his sophomore season, but came up big delivering his two-RBI double in the first to give LBSU their first and final lead. He had totaled just four RBI coming into Tuesday, and said it was nice to come up big for the Bags’ and contribute to a huge opening inning.
“It’s been a little struggle coming into the lineup getting some at-bats off the bench and I know I haven’t been getting the results that I wanted,” he said. “But I just kept on working my swing out and I knew that big swing was gonna come eventually. I just thought, ‘see the ball, hit ball,’ keep it simple. I think that’s the best thing to do in baseball.”
After two scoreless innings the Dirtbags added insurance runs from Armando Briseno’s RBI sac-ground in the fourth while Cole Santander hit an RBI double alongside an Alex Champagne RBI sac-fly in the fifth. LBSU added two more in the sixth from back-to-back RBI doubles by Santander and John Newman Jr..
Newman went 1/2 at the plate with two RBI while Kyle Ashworth reached on all six of his at-bats and added three runs, meanwhile Cole Santander swung 2/4 at the plate with three runs and three RBI.
“Ashworth has been doing it all year long,” said Peters. “He’s a really tough at-bat, he puts up a tough fight and the pitcher has to work his butt off to get him out. Now Santander is one of the ones who was making it easy as it can be on pitchers a couple weeks ago. So to see Cole one, be willing to make adjustments, two, put it into play, and three, turn it into good quality at bats was good. It was something that we knew he was capable of and we’re perfectly timed to get him back to having good at bats and good decisions. He’s lining up good plate discipline with good swings, and you put those things together and he’s a dangerous hitter.”
“It felt great tonight,” added Santander. “We’ve all been working super hard so to be able to get that to pay off is great.”
With SDSU’s young roster of 18 freshmen, the Bags were able to pick on a young defense and forced a pitching change before the final out of the first inning. On the other end, Peters made sure to keep a fresh arm on the mound for LBSU spreading work between pitchers Van Larsen, Nathan Morris, Nick Williams, and Jonathan Largaespada.
“We had to be really strategic with how many arms we were able to use,” he said. “We wanted to put everyone in a position to succeed so we used the guys that were fresh and used the guys who were good matchups for the game today while also being able to save a bit for the weekend series at the same time. So the guys we used were very strategic and they all did a good job.”’
After the first inning SDSU added three more runs in the fourth and fifth. Jake Jackson went 3/3 with a run and an RBI, meanwhile Shaun Montoya, Jacob Mccombs, and Brady Lavoie recorded a hit and a run each.
LBSU will look ahead to the weekend for their three-game series at home against UC Riverside starting on Friday at 6 pm.
“We have to keep learning,” said Peters. “There were some things in this game to celebrate, but definitely some learning opportunities. (After the game) I wanted to hammer the message that there are several things in this game that we could and should have done better. We pride ourselves on preparation, so let’s not get comfortable and let’s carry this into some success into the weekend.”
San Diego, CA
Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title
OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.
“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.
So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.
With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.
The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.
Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”
One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.
“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”
Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.
Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.
“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.
As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.
Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”
That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.
The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.
“She’s a great player,” said Brown.
“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”
Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.
“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”
Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.
Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.
About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”
Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.
“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.
Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.
“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”
San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA
Joan Endres – San Diego Union-Tribune
Joan Endres
OBITUARY
Born January 1939 in Cincinnati Ohio. Died February 14, 2026, in San Diego, California, with her sons at her side. Her beloved husband Dean passed away in 2010.
Joan was the only child of Thomas and Edna Palmer. In 1943, the family moved to San Diego, where Joan graduated from Helix High School in 1956.
In 1957 Joan married Dean Endres of San Diego, where they raised two sons. Joan followed her two great passions outside the home, the Arts, and Gardening. Both activities being a way to bring beauty to others and to the community.
Joan received a degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University, and afterwords worked at UCSD, for the Campus Architect.
As an artist, Joan worked in various media, especially ceramics. She was active in many cultural and arts organizations, eventually becoming President of the Combined Organization for the Visual Arts (COVA). Later she turned to gardening, with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca Community College and the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.
Joan is survived by her son Jeff and wife Katrin, grandson Jackson, and son Todd Endres, all of La Mesa, and sisters Alice Buck of Phoenix, Elaine Kennedy of San Diego, Nancy and husband Don Jones of Vista, Eva Budzinski of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and their children and grandchildren.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Joan in the near future. Those who wish to attend should contact celebratejoanuvart@gmail.com to receive details when they are confirmed. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a donation to the Water Conservation Garden or the Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN).
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