Crescenta Valley baseball is one rally short versus Oxnard

GLENDALE — En route to winning a co-Pacific League championship, the Crescenta Valley High baseball team turned in its share of memorable rallies, including in the title-clinching season finale the week prior.

Unfortunately for the host Falcons, there was no such comeback Thursday afternoon.

Crescenta Valley fell behind after the first half-inning and never recovered, losing to visiting Oxnard, 7-0, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs at Stengel Field.

With the defeat, the Falcons capped their season with a 20-8 overall record, while Pacific View League runner-up Oxnard (16-11) earned a berth to Tuesday’s second round to face Damien.

“You tip your cap to their pitcher,” Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said of Oxnard hurler Dalton Pagano. “We got some hits, but he made some big pitches when he needed to and we couldn’t get the big hit.

“Plus, we booted the ball and even had some bad luck and their guys swung the bats really well.”

Oxnard’s No. 2-5 batters produced the most damage with right fielder Stephen Kish, center fielder Kaiser Weiss, catcher Esteban Santa Cruz and first baseman Antonio Gonzalez combining to bat 10 for 16 with five runs batted in and all seven runs scored.

Crescenta Valley only trailed, 1-0, through four innings before a game-changing top of the fifth.

In the frame, all four of the aforementioned batters collected a hit to lead off the inning. Aided by two errors, Oxnard scored four runs and raced to a 5-0 advantage.

In the sixth, Oxnard added two more runs, thanks in part to another error, to go up, 7-0.

Crescenta Valley committed four errors in the contest, much to the chagrin of Torres.

“It’s tough because the kids have played so well defensively all year,” Torres said. “You look at the guys we missed this year and to get to this point of the season, I’m proud, but it’s tough to lose like this.”

Versus Pagano, the Falcons had their ups and downs.

“He just threw a really good game,” Falcon Scott Vinceri said of Pagano. “We got hits, but we just couldn’t string them together. That was frustrating. They had key hits and put up runs up and we didn’t answer.”

Crescenta Valley smacked seven hits and placed a runner in scoring position in four of seven innings.

In the sixth, Kewin Ledesma and Scott Vinceri reached first and second with one out, but the Falcons’ next two batters didn’t hit the ball out of infield and stranded both runners.

An inning later, Anthony Russo and Charles Weinmann made it to second and third, but stayed put.

Even in the second inning, a leadoff double from Jaime Blank went uncashed as Pagano ended the inning with one of his six strikeouts.

“It felt good to win a league championship and to come with these guys, who l love, one last time,” Crescenta Valley senior Ryan Lynch said. “It’s tough to lose a game like this, but I know the guys coming back next year will work hard to make it back to this spot.”