Lions Tournament : Beeman Gets Hot Just in Time for Mt. Carmel

EL CAJON —  Chris Beeman, Mt. Carmel High School’s catcher, started the day hitting .140 and batting ninth in the lineup.

Beeman broke out of his slump Wednesday, going 3 for 3 with 2 home runs and 3 runs batted in as the Sun Devils beat Santana and the clock, 11-6, in the AAA division championship game of the 38th annual Lions tournament at Granite Hills High School.

Santana had advanced to the final with a 7-3 victory over Poway at Sweetwater High School in the morning. Mt. Carmel broke Monte Vista’s four-game winning streak with a 10-3 victory in the other semifinal.

Mt. Carmel (8-4) finished off Santana (9-3) at 5:15 and raced to the bus to get to the airport for a 7:15 flight to Las Vegas, where the Sun Devils will play five games in a tournament.

Mt. Carmel looked as if it wanted to finish the game in a hurry, scoring seven runs in the first inning.

Beeman had the big blow with a 415-foot, three-run homer over a 22-foot screen in center field.

“I haven’t been hitting the ball too well at all,” Beeman said. “I have been hitting too many pop flies. I didn’t think I hit the first one that hard, but it ended up going the farthest.”

Santana starter Joe Church lasted an inning, giving up 8 runs and 7 hits. With two out and a runner on second in the first, Church walked the next batter and then gave up four straight singles before Beeman hit his first home run to cap the seven-run inning.

Ron Kelly, who started the game in left field and wound up as the winning pitcher, hit a home run to left to open the second inning. Church then was replaced by Eric Dietrich.

Santana rallied for five runs in the second on only two hits, taking advantage of five walks.

Mt. Carmel starter John Finley walked three straight batters to open the inning, and reliever John Flant walked two more.

Kelly came on in relief with two out and the bases loaded and after Santana scored five runs to cut Mt. Carmel’s lead to 8-5.

Kelly, however, ended the threat by striking out Paul Newark.

Kelly was 3 for 4 with a home run, double and a single. He pitched 3 innings, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 3.

Beeman hit his second home run, a solo shot to open the fourth, off Flant to give Mt. Carmel a 9-5 lead. Beeman made the score 10-5 with a run-scoring single in the fifth. Mt. Carmel and Santana each added a run in the sixth.

“He’s been having trouble hitting, getting a lot of popups,” said Sam Blalock, Mt. Carmel coach. “He’s been working on that and today he got his hits.”