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Saturday, May 24, 2008
DIVISION II
Quarterfinals
Redlands East Valley 2, Oxnard 1
Redlands East Valley got a scare from Oxnard on Saturday in Ventura County, but the top-seeded Wildcats were resilient and prevailed to advance to Tuesday's semifinals against Palos Verdes.
Starter Taylor Chatwood was on top of his game, giving up five hits in five innings of work for Redlands East Valley (25-3). Jeremy Perez came on in relief in the sixth inning with the score tied. The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the sixth and Perez earned his fourth victory of the season.
"Their pitching was pretty tough,'' Oxnard Coach Alfred Tarazon said. "We had some opportunities but couldn't make the most of them. In a game like this, against a good team like that, there's no room for error. They were the better team today.''
Ace Mikel Beltran kept the Yellowjackets (21-6) close throughout, giving up three hits through five innings of work. However, the sophomore didn't receive much, if any, help from teammates Kevin Newberg, Blake Adame and Derek Shutt, each of whom entered the game hitting more than .400.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
DIVISION III
Quarterfinals
Elsinore 4, Paramount 0
Senior left-hander Trevor Johnson (7-3) pitched a two-hitter with six strikeouts for host Elsinore, which scored all four of its runs in the fifth inning. Matt Graves had an RBI single and Ricky Boas added a three-run double for the unseeded Tigers (17-11), who will host South Hills in the semifinals Tuesday. Ivan Niebla pitched a six-hitter with five strikeouts for fourth-seeded Paramount (25-5).
DIVISION IV
Quarterfinals
Northview 8, Bonita 4
Patriot 1, Charter Oak 0
DIVISION V
Championship at UC Riverside
Bishop Amat 6, St. Paul 2
The Lancers completed a four-game season sweep of their Del Rey League rivals behind the three-hit pitching of sophomore left-hander Paul Paez and the three-hit performances of Jordan Fox and Keith Murakami, defending their division championship.
Top-seeded Bishop Amat (27-4) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, survived a Swordsmen rally in the bottom of the first, then cruised behind Paez (11-0), who retired 11 batters in a row before his no-hit bid was ended after 4?1/3? innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Fox, who was a home run short of hitting for the cycle, led off with a double and eventually scored on an error by St. Paul third baseman Chris Wilson. Tommy Reyes made it 2-0 when he grounded out, allowing Justin Herrera to score.
Third-seeded St. Paul (22-12-1) got two walks from Paez with two outs in the bottom of the first. Chris Carrillo scored from second after catcher Jerry McClanahan dropped a fly ball 10 feet up the first-base line in fair territory. The Swordsmen wouldn't score again until the last inning.
Murakami's double brought home Nick Bergara in the third inning, while Fox tripled in Mike Rodriguez in the fourth to increase the Lancers' lead to 4-1. In the seventh, Reyes finished the offensive attack with a two-run home run off losing pitcher Gabriel Encinas.
The St. Paul sophomore started strong even though his team was trailing, throwing 25 strikes in his first 30 pitches.
The Swordsmen added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Paez was called for a balk, sending home Raymond Zazueta. Shortly thereafter, Paez got Adrian Montecinos to ground out to end the game.
For the season, Bishop Amat outscored St. Paul, 32-13.
-- Dale Ruhe
DIVISION VI
Quarterfinals
Bloomington Christian 4, Big Bear 1
Maranatha 3, Lancaster Desert Christian 2 (13 innings)
DIVISION VII
Upland Christian 17, Wildwood 0
Matt Proulx was five for five with a grand slam, two doubles, nine RBIs and four runs scored and Ethan Chapman was three for three with a pair of two-run home runs for host Upland Christian (18-10) against fourth-seeded Wildwood. Matt Johnston (9-2) was the winning pitches, striking out 17 in a two-hitter.
Friday, May 23, 2008
SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
Quarterfinals
Long Beach Wilson 4, Hart 2
Aaron Hicks (8-1) was the winning pitcher, walking only one batter, and Zach Wilson was two for four with a run scored and two RBIs for Wilson (27-5-1). Mike Montgomery (8-2)struck out seven and walked three for host Hart (23-7).
Mater Dei 5, Los Alamitos 4 (9 innings)
With five sophomores and two juniors in its starting lineup, Santa Ana Mater Dei was supposed to be a year away from contending for a Southern Section-Toyota Division I baseball championship.
"No one gave us a chance," sophomore catcher Konnor Armijo said. "We have a motto -- STW -- shock the world."
That's what the Monarchs (24-6) did Friday when they knocked off top-seeded Los Alamitos, 5-4, in a nine-inning quarterfinal game at Los Alamitos.
Brian Frattali delivered a two-run bases-loaded single off the glove of first baseman Kenny Uyetake to break a 2-2 tie in the ninth. Another run was scored on a fielder's choice, and that became the winning run because Matt Avery hit a two-out, two-run home run for Los Alamitos (26-4) in the bottom of the ninth.
But Jake Hamblin was able to strike out Travis Garrett to end the game and send Mater Dei into a semifinal matchup against fourth-ranked Simi Valley on Tuesday at UC Riverside.
Junior right-hander Aaron Northcraft (8-3) struck out seven, walked two and scattered seven hits in seven innings for Mater Dei. He also hit a home run in the first inning.
"I just had to bare down," Northcraft said. "It's one of the best games I've thrown."
Northcraft's best moment was escaping a seemingly certain-defeat situation in the a troubling sixth, when Brian Compton led off with a triple.
Northcraft struck out the next batter, then UCLA-bound shortstop Tyler Rahmatulla came through, picking up a ground ball and throwing out pinch-runner Mario Quezada as he was trying to get back to third base.
"He's the best shortstop around," Northcraft said.
Rahmatulla later added a double in the ninth off Beau Wright (10-1), who tired after entering the game in the fifth inning and dominating the Monarchs with eight strikeouts. Wright had pitched five innings on Tuesday.
It was a heart-breaking defeat for Los Alamitos, which hit the ball hard but failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
As for Mater Dei, "It's a big, emotional win that can carry us into Tuesday against Simi Valley," Coach Burt Call said.
Simi Valley, a 13-2 winner over Valencia, is the only seeded team remaining in the Division I playoffs, as the participants in the other half of the semifinal doubleheader at UC Riverside features Norco, which upset second-seeded Orange Lutheran, 1-0, and defending champion Long Beach Wilson, which beat third-seeded Newhall Hart, 4-2, in the quarterfinals.
Tuesday's games are at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
--Eric Sondheimer
Norco 1, Orange Lutheran 0
Second-seeded Orange Lutheran was upset, 1-0, by Norco on Friday at Hart Park. Matt Hobgood kept his record perfect at 10-0 with a complete-game victory for Norco (24-3). Gerritt Cole of Orange Lutheran (23-6) threw a four-hitter, giving up one run. He struck out 11 but saw his record fall to 8-2.
Simi Valley 13, Valencia 2
It's safe to say Kyle Raskin isn't the most imposing figure once he sets foot out on the diamond. That, however, didn't prevent Simi Valley's 5-foot-6 senior third baseman from making a big impact, perhaps the biggest, during Friday's Southern Section-Toyota Division I playoff game.
Raskin reached base in three of his four appearances at the plate, hit a home run, scored two runs, had a pair of RBIs, and nearly started a full-fledged brawl for the fourth-seeded Pioneers (23-8) in a over visiting Valencia (22-8) in a quarterfinal showdown out in Ventura County.
"We call him 'Dirtbag' for a reason. He's scrappy, he gives 100 percent 100 percent of the time,'' Simi Valley coach Matt La Belle said of Raskin, who led off the second inning with a walk and came around to score on a Matt Orloff single to give the Pioneers a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
Raskin was at it once again in the fourth inning. He got things started with a solo home run to left-centerfield, and the floodgates opened up shortly thereafter. Drew Sandler had a two-RBI single and Chance Cross followed with a two-run home run to spark and eight run rally.
"It's my job to get on base, at all costs, whatever it takes,'' Raskin said. "On that home run, well, honestly, I didn't think I made good contact. I thought it was a double. I wasn't mad when it went over the fence though. Hitting is contagious. My teammates got going after the homer.''
Before the Vikings knew it, they trailed 11-1. Raskin wasn't finished though. Simi Valley batted around in the fourth, and in his next time up, he bunted for a basehit, much to the displeasure of Valencia and its fans. You could sense something was about to happen. And it did.
Valencia's Dustin Lucas threw behind the next Pioneer batter, Nick Russo. The umpires stepped in immediately, La Belle and Vikings skipper Jared Snyder did a good job of controlling both benches from getting too unruly and played continued, though Valencia was demoralized.
"All the talking and yelling back and forth was a heat of the moment type thing,'' Snyder said. "It's over and done with now. That one incident should not be a reflection of my program or Simi Valley's program. We have a mutual respect for each other. It is what is, or was what it was, I guess.''
La Belle agreed wholeheartedly.
"Kids see major leaguers retaliating and think it's part of the game, but it's not, especially at the high school level,'' he said. "Kyle came up to me after the bunt and told me he was sorry. He's one of those kids that is always toned up for our games. We have to tone him down most times."
Christian Lopes was one of the lone bright spots for the Vikings. The highly touted freshman hit a solo home run to left-centerfield on the third pitch of the game and added a solo blast in the fifth inning. Ultimately, his efforts came up short -- and there's no pun intended if Raskin reads this.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
DIVISION II
Quarterfinals
Palos Verdes 3, Upland 1 (8 innings)
Marc Venning was two for four with a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and Nate Halverson pitched six innings, allowing four hits, one run and four walks, and was two for four with an RBI for host Palos Verdes (28-5). Matt Redfern was two for three, Kris Butler one for four with an RBI and Tim Helton two for two for Upland (20-7).
Cypress 4, Vista Murrieta 2
El Toro 7, West Torrance 6
DIVISION III
Quarterfinals
Quartz Hill 5, California 2
Travis McBride hit a walk-off three-run home run with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Quartz Hill (23-5-2). Mike Massari singled to score Sean Ryan with the tying run in the seventh inning. Brandon Van Dam (11-1) pitched a six-hitter with 14 strikeouts for the host Rebels. Kevin Gallardo scored on a bases-loaded walk in the second inning and Gilbert Murillo hit a solo home run in the third inning for California (19-11). Van Dam hit a sacrifice fly to score Dustin Cota in the fifth inning.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 9, Paloma Valley 3
Pitcher Nik Rodarte improved to 10-1 and was one for three with two RBIs for host Notre Dame (25-4). Paloma Valley finished 22-6.
South Hills 2, La Serna 1
DIVISION IV
Quarterfinals
Diamond Ranch 6, Santa Maria St. Joseph 1
Savanna 2, Sonora 1
DIVISION V
Quarterfinals
Bishop Amat 15, San Marino 1
Paul Paez allowed one run and two hits in six innings, improving to 10-0, Jordan Fox was two for four with six RBIs and Justin Herrera went two for three with a home run, double and two RBIs for Bishop Amat (25-4). Host San Marino finished 17-6.
Bishop Montgomery 10, Carpinteria 3
Christian Koppenhaver had a two-run single and Andrew Robinson and Matt Akiyama each had one-run singles as part of a six-run sixth inning for host Bishop Montgomery (18-10-1).
Robinson finished two for three with three runs scored, Akiyama was two for four with a double and two RBIs and Tony Kissinger was two for three with a run scored against Carpinteria (18-8). Anthony Estrada (2-2) was the winning pitcher, giving up no runs and two hits with one walk in one inning, and Eric Debelak got his third save of the season, giving up two unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Paraclete 15, Hesperia 1
Tim Torsney pitched six innings, striking out six, allowing three hits and no walks, and Nick Olivas went three for three for host Paraclete (17-10). Hesperia finished 18-7.
St. Paul 6, Serrano 2
DIVISION VI
Quarterfinals
Bishop 3, Desert Hot Springs 2
San Jacinto 23, Apple Valley Christian 5
DIVISION VII
Quarterfinals
Avalon 2, Southlands Christian 1
Mario Jimenez and Clint Engel each had an RBI single in the first inning to help Avalon (13-10) overcome a 1-0 deficit and advance to the semifinals for the first time since winning the Division VI title in 2001. Engel (7-3) was also the winning pitcher, giving up three hits and striking out seven in a complete game at Pathfinder Park.
Saddleback Valley Christian 8, Buckley 4
Brendan Chambers (9-2) struck out three with six hits and six walks in a complete game and also went three for four with a solo home run and two runs scored for Saddleback Valley Christian (18-6) at Buckley (12-12).
Viewpoint 4, Camarillo Cornerstone 2
Ben Salzman pitched five shutout innings to get the win, striking out six, and Jordan Kaplan went two for three with a double for Viewpoint.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
DIVISION I
Second Round
Hart 4, Canyon Springs 0
Trevor Bauer (12-0) pitcher a three-hitter and Devin Rodriguez had two hits and two RBIs for Hart in the victory.
Los Alamitos 7, Anaheim Canyon 6
The top-seeded Griffins scored five runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit and advance to the quarterfinals. Joey Boney had a double, triple and homer for host Canyon. The Comanches had the tying run on first in the bottom of the seventh, but Gabe Garcia was picked off by left-handed pitcher Beau Wright to end the game.
Mater Dei 7, Capistrano Valley 4
Ian McCarthy ran his record to 8-1, pitching five innings, striking out six and Derek Campbell hit a two-run homer for host Mater Dei (24-6), which will play Los Alamitos on Friday. Capistrano Valley finished 20-9.
Orange Lutheran 6, El Modena 4
Josh Doyle went two for three with a homerun in the top of the fifth inning to give Orange Lutheran (24-5) a 6-2 lead. Aaron Gates (7-2) pitched five innings, gave up two runs, fourth hits and struck out eight in the victory for the Lancers. El Modena finished the season 15-13.
Simi Valley 4, King 1
Nick Russo threw a complete game, striking out five, to earn the win and went two for three with a double for Simi Valley (22-8) in the victory over host King (19-9).
Valencia 4, Lakewood 0
Robbie Mousselli (6-2) allowed two hits and struck out nine to earn the win and drove in the winning run on a two-run double in the sixth inning for host Valencia (22-7). Mousselli ripped a drive down the left field line, driving in teammates Christian Lopes and Dylan Jones. Tommy Ferndino and Tyler Eaton followed with run-scoring singles to extend the lead. Lakewood (21-12) starter Derrick Dingeman (5-2) allowed five hits and struck out seven in the loss. Valencia will play Simi Valley in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Norco 5, Thousand Oaks 3
Long Beach Wilson 7, Tesoro 4
DIVISION II
Second Round
El Toro 6, Crescenta Valley 2
Host Crescenta Valley dropped to 19-6.
Oxnard 6, Chino Hills 2
Junior left-hander Alex Solis (7-1) threw a complete game, seven-hitter, seven strikeouts, no walks in the victory for host Oxnard (21-5-1). Solis has total 62 strikeouts on the year. Teammate Derek Shutt went two for two, scored a run, two RBIs and two doubles, and Julian Roman finished two for three with a walk. Oxnard advances to quarterfinals on Friday. Chino Hills drops to 20-9.
Redlands East Valley 8, Temecula Valley 1
Matt Andriese (7-1) pitched a three-hitter in seven innings in the victory for visiting Redlands East Valley (24-3).
West Torrance 8, Placentia Valencia 1
Senior pitcher Mark Oslund (8-0) pitched a complete game, striking out seven and giving up six hits. He went three for four, with a third-inning homerun, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored in the victory for West Torrance (27-3). Host Valencia fell to 21-8.
Cypress 10, Santa Barbara 3 Redlands East Valley 8, Temecula Valley 1
Upland 9, Katella 4
Palos Verdes 9, Trabuco Hills 4
Oxnard 6, Chino Hills 2
Vista Murrieta 5, Alta Loma 4 (8 innings)
DIVISION III
Second round
Elsinore 6, Mayfair 5
Tyler Coughenour hit a two-run double to tie the game, stole third and scored on a wild pitch and Trevor Johnson was the winning pitcher for host Elsinore (16-11). Mayfair finished 22-6.
La Serna 7, Crespi 6
Down one run, host La Serna (20-8) scored two runs on an error with runners on first and third in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat top-seeded Crespi (24-6). Victor Soto went two for two with a run scored and a stolen base and tossed six innings, allowing six runs.
Paloma Valley 3, Alhambra 1
Shane Luuloa hit a two-run homerun in the sixth inning to break a 1-1, and John Pecoraro (12-0) pitched seven innings, struck out 11 and gave up on earned-run to lead host Paloma Valley (23-3) to victory. Alhambra drops to 22-5.
Paramount 3, Laguna Hills 1
Junior right-hander Edwardo Magallon (9-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, one earned-run and struck out six in the victory for host Paramount (25-4), ranked No. 8 by the Times. Senior third baseman Andrew Hernandez went one for three with a two-run double in the first inning. Visiting Laguna Hills dropped to 21-8.
Quartz Hill 4, Downey 1
Brian Morgan tossed a complete game, allowing one unearned run while striking out four, for Quartz Hill (22-5-2) in the victory over host Downey (18-10).
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 11, Downey Calvary Chapel 1
Trevor Gee hit a solo home run and Kelly Dugan went three for four with an RBI and a run scored for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (24-4) in the victory over host Downey Calvary Chapel.
Rancho Alamitos 3, Burbank 2
Paloma Valley 3, Alhambra 1
California 7, Westminster La Quinta 3
Elsinore 6, Mayfair 5
Paramount 3, Laguna Hills 1
South Hills 3, Don Lugo 1
DIVISION IV
Second Round
Charter Oak 11, Cathedral City 7
J.C. Torres had two hits with a grand slam, Michael Hernandez drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single and Noah Northrop (5-4) pitched five innings for the victory for Charter Oak (15-11) at Cathedral City (22-6).
Santa Maria St. Joseph 1, St. Bonaventure 0
Catcher Paul Rodriguez's leadoff homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning won the game for host St. Joseph (15-11). St. Bonaventure dropped to 25-5.
Patriot 6, South Torrance 3
Bonita 5, Torrance 3
Savanna 7, Culver City 2
Northview 9, Norte Vista 2
Sonora 2, Kaiser 0
Diamond Ranch 7, San Dimas 6
Charter Oak 11, Cathedral City 7
DIVISION V
Second Round
Bishop Amat 5, La Puente 0
Brady Zuniga (5-2) threw a complete game, one-hit shutout and Jerry McClanahan went two for three with four RBIs in the victory for host Bishop Amat (24-4). La Puente fell to 18-11.
Bishop Montgomery 2, Sultana 1
Matt Akiyama and Tony Kissinger drove in the two runs and Eddie McLaughlin pitched five innings, allowing four hits and no runs while striking out six, to lift Bishop Montgomery (17-10-1), which will play Carpinteria next. Sultana finished 19-7.
Carpinteria 2, Temple City 1 (8 innings)
Nathan Saito had a walk-off, one-out home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift host Carpinteria (17-7) against Temple City (19-8). Saito finished with two hits and teammate Tony Sanchez hit a solo home run in the second inning. Casey Noveski (7-3) was the winning pitcher, giving up no earned runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in a complete game. Kyle Wilkinson scored for Temple City in the third inning. He reached on an error, was balked to second, advanced to third on a fly ball to center and scored on another balk.
Hesperia 10, Bishop Diego 0
Chris Martini was the winning pitcher, Kyle Bussey went three for four with three RBIs and Will Kocot went two for four with a pair of doubles for host Hesperia (19-8).
San Marino 5, Campbell Hall 1
Nick Wilson tossed a complete game, striking out three, for host San Marino (17-6-1) in the victory over Campbell Hall (17-10).
St. Paul 8, Azusa 6
Paraclete 3, Monrovia 2
DIVISION VI
Second Round
Big Bear 11, Pasadena Poly 3
Jesse Ceron struck out two batters in a complete game pitched, giving up three runs (one earned run) and walking one in the victory for host Big Bear (15-10). Teammates Joseph Filia went three for four with two doubles and a single, and Dustin Blauer went four for five in the win. Poly dropped to 20-4.
Lancaster Desert Christian 18, Rolling Hills Prep 1
San Jacinto 12, Milken 2
Bloomington Christian 3, Windward 2
Desert Hot Springs 8, Beaumont 7
Bishop 5, Rio Hondo Prep 0
Maranatha 6, Riverside Notre Dame 5
DIVISION VII
Second round
Avalon 7, Pacific Lutheran 5
Mario Jiminez was three for three and knocked in two runs and Brett Hernandez went two for four and had two RBIs, Joey Hall pitched the final two innings for the save, striking out five, and hit a double for host Avalon (13-10). Pacific Lutheran finished 18-3.
Buckley 8, Dunn 2
Matt Lewis went two for four with a home run and four RBI for host Buckley (12-11) in the victory over Dunn (12-7).
Saddleback Valley Christian 15, Nuview Bridge 0
Dave Dillard allowed just two hits, while striking out six, to improve to 9-0, Brendan Chambers went three for five with an RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases and Chris Gipe was three for five with two RBIs and a run scored for host Saddleback Valley Christian (17-5).
Southlands Christian 14, California Lutheran 2
Andrew King struck out 12 in five shutout innings as Southlands Christian (13-8) advanced to the quarterfinals. Nathan Martell was 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Richie Maier was 1-for-1 with three walks, stole five bases, and scored three runs.
Upland Christian 18, North County Christian 1
Ethan Chapman went four for four with five RBI for Upland Christian (17-10) in the victory over host North County Christian.
Viewpoint 16, St. Michael's Prep 2
Harrison Bernsen went two for four with a triple and four RBI to lead host Viewpoint (16-8) past St. Michael's Prep (12-8).
Baptist Christian 11, Bell-Jeff 4
Cornerstone Christian 4, New Community Jewish 2
Buckley 8, Dunn 2
Wildwood 16, Packinghouse Christian 9
DIVISION II
Quarterfinals
Redlands East Valley 2, Oxnard 1
Redlands East Valley got a scare from Oxnard on Saturday in Ventura County, but the top-seeded Wildcats were resilient and prevailed to advance to Tuesday's semifinals against Palos Verdes.
Starter Taylor Chatwood was on top of his game, giving up five hits in five innings of work for Redlands East Valley (25-3). Jeremy Perez came on in relief in the sixth inning with the score tied. The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the sixth and Perez earned his fourth victory of the season.
"Their pitching was pretty tough,'' Oxnard Coach Alfred Tarazon said. "We had some opportunities but couldn't make the most of them. In a game like this, against a good team like that, there's no room for error. They were the better team today.''
Ace Mikel Beltran kept the Yellowjackets (21-6) close throughout, giving up three hits through five innings of work. However, the sophomore didn't receive much, if any, help from teammates Kevin Newberg, Blake Adame and Derek Shutt, each of whom entered the game hitting more than .400.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
DIVISION III
Quarterfinals
Elsinore 4, Paramount 0
Senior left-hander Trevor Johnson (7-3) pitched a two-hitter with six strikeouts for host Elsinore, which scored all four of its runs in the fifth inning. Matt Graves had an RBI single and Ricky Boas added a three-run double for the unseeded Tigers (17-11), who will host South Hills in the semifinals Tuesday. Ivan Niebla pitched a six-hitter with five strikeouts for fourth-seeded Paramount (25-5).
DIVISION IV
Quarterfinals
Northview 8, Bonita 4
Patriot 1, Charter Oak 0
DIVISION V
Championship at UC Riverside
Bishop Amat 6, St. Paul 2
The Lancers completed a four-game season sweep of their Del Rey League rivals behind the three-hit pitching of sophomore left-hander Paul Paez and the three-hit performances of Jordan Fox and Keith Murakami, defending their division championship.
Top-seeded Bishop Amat (27-4) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, survived a Swordsmen rally in the bottom of the first, then cruised behind Paez (11-0), who retired 11 batters in a row before his no-hit bid was ended after 4?1/3? innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Fox, who was a home run short of hitting for the cycle, led off with a double and eventually scored on an error by St. Paul third baseman Chris Wilson. Tommy Reyes made it 2-0 when he grounded out, allowing Justin Herrera to score.
Third-seeded St. Paul (22-12-1) got two walks from Paez with two outs in the bottom of the first. Chris Carrillo scored from second after catcher Jerry McClanahan dropped a fly ball 10 feet up the first-base line in fair territory. The Swordsmen wouldn't score again until the last inning.
Murakami's double brought home Nick Bergara in the third inning, while Fox tripled in Mike Rodriguez in the fourth to increase the Lancers' lead to 4-1. In the seventh, Reyes finished the offensive attack with a two-run home run off losing pitcher Gabriel Encinas.
The St. Paul sophomore started strong even though his team was trailing, throwing 25 strikes in his first 30 pitches.
The Swordsmen added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Paez was called for a balk, sending home Raymond Zazueta. Shortly thereafter, Paez got Adrian Montecinos to ground out to end the game.
For the season, Bishop Amat outscored St. Paul, 32-13.
-- Dale Ruhe
DIVISION VI
Quarterfinals
Bloomington Christian 4, Big Bear 1
Maranatha 3, Lancaster Desert Christian 2 (13 innings)
DIVISION VII
Upland Christian 17, Wildwood 0
Matt Proulx was five for five with a grand slam, two doubles, nine RBIs and four runs scored and Ethan Chapman was three for three with a pair of two-run home runs for host Upland Christian (18-10) against fourth-seeded Wildwood. Matt Johnston (9-2) was the winning pitches, striking out 17 in a two-hitter.
Friday, May 23, 2008
SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
Quarterfinals
Long Beach Wilson 4, Hart 2
Aaron Hicks (8-1) was the winning pitcher, walking only one batter, and Zach Wilson was two for four with a run scored and two RBIs for Wilson (27-5-1). Mike Montgomery (8-2)struck out seven and walked three for host Hart (23-7).
Mater Dei 5, Los Alamitos 4 (9 innings)
With five sophomores and two juniors in its starting lineup, Santa Ana Mater Dei was supposed to be a year away from contending for a Southern Section-Toyota Division I baseball championship.
"No one gave us a chance," sophomore catcher Konnor Armijo said. "We have a motto -- STW -- shock the world."
That's what the Monarchs (24-6) did Friday when they knocked off top-seeded Los Alamitos, 5-4, in a nine-inning quarterfinal game at Los Alamitos.
Brian Frattali delivered a two-run bases-loaded single off the glove of first baseman Kenny Uyetake to break a 2-2 tie in the ninth. Another run was scored on a fielder's choice, and that became the winning run because Matt Avery hit a two-out, two-run home run for Los Alamitos (26-4) in the bottom of the ninth.
But Jake Hamblin was able to strike out Travis Garrett to end the game and send Mater Dei into a semifinal matchup against fourth-ranked Simi Valley on Tuesday at UC Riverside.
Junior right-hander Aaron Northcraft (8-3) struck out seven, walked two and scattered seven hits in seven innings for Mater Dei. He also hit a home run in the first inning.
"I just had to bare down," Northcraft said. "It's one of the best games I've thrown."
Northcraft's best moment was escaping a seemingly certain-defeat situation in the a troubling sixth, when Brian Compton led off with a triple.
Northcraft struck out the next batter, then UCLA-bound shortstop Tyler Rahmatulla came through, picking up a ground ball and throwing out pinch-runner Mario Quezada as he was trying to get back to third base.
"He's the best shortstop around," Northcraft said.
Rahmatulla later added a double in the ninth off Beau Wright (10-1), who tired after entering the game in the fifth inning and dominating the Monarchs with eight strikeouts. Wright had pitched five innings on Tuesday.
It was a heart-breaking defeat for Los Alamitos, which hit the ball hard but failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
As for Mater Dei, "It's a big, emotional win that can carry us into Tuesday against Simi Valley," Coach Burt Call said.
Simi Valley, a 13-2 winner over Valencia, is the only seeded team remaining in the Division I playoffs, as the participants in the other half of the semifinal doubleheader at UC Riverside features Norco, which upset second-seeded Orange Lutheran, 1-0, and defending champion Long Beach Wilson, which beat third-seeded Newhall Hart, 4-2, in the quarterfinals.
Tuesday's games are at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
--Eric Sondheimer
Norco 1, Orange Lutheran 0
Second-seeded Orange Lutheran was upset, 1-0, by Norco on Friday at Hart Park. Matt Hobgood kept his record perfect at 10-0 with a complete-game victory for Norco (24-3). Gerritt Cole of Orange Lutheran (23-6) threw a four-hitter, giving up one run. He struck out 11 but saw his record fall to 8-2.
Simi Valley 13, Valencia 2
It's safe to say Kyle Raskin isn't the most imposing figure once he sets foot out on the diamond. That, however, didn't prevent Simi Valley's 5-foot-6 senior third baseman from making a big impact, perhaps the biggest, during Friday's Southern Section-Toyota Division I playoff game.
Raskin reached base in three of his four appearances at the plate, hit a home run, scored two runs, had a pair of RBIs, and nearly started a full-fledged brawl for the fourth-seeded Pioneers (23-8) in a over visiting Valencia (22-8) in a quarterfinal showdown out in Ventura County.
"We call him 'Dirtbag' for a reason. He's scrappy, he gives 100 percent 100 percent of the time,'' Simi Valley coach Matt La Belle said of Raskin, who led off the second inning with a walk and came around to score on a Matt Orloff single to give the Pioneers a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
Raskin was at it once again in the fourth inning. He got things started with a solo home run to left-centerfield, and the floodgates opened up shortly thereafter. Drew Sandler had a two-RBI single and Chance Cross followed with a two-run home run to spark and eight run rally.
"It's my job to get on base, at all costs, whatever it takes,'' Raskin said. "On that home run, well, honestly, I didn't think I made good contact. I thought it was a double. I wasn't mad when it went over the fence though. Hitting is contagious. My teammates got going after the homer.''
Before the Vikings knew it, they trailed 11-1. Raskin wasn't finished though. Simi Valley batted around in the fourth, and in his next time up, he bunted for a basehit, much to the displeasure of Valencia and its fans. You could sense something was about to happen. And it did.
Valencia's Dustin Lucas threw behind the next Pioneer batter, Nick Russo. The umpires stepped in immediately, La Belle and Vikings skipper Jared Snyder did a good job of controlling both benches from getting too unruly and played continued, though Valencia was demoralized.
"All the talking and yelling back and forth was a heat of the moment type thing,'' Snyder said. "It's over and done with now. That one incident should not be a reflection of my program or Simi Valley's program. We have a mutual respect for each other. It is what is, or was what it was, I guess.''
La Belle agreed wholeheartedly.
"Kids see major leaguers retaliating and think it's part of the game, but it's not, especially at the high school level,'' he said. "Kyle came up to me after the bunt and told me he was sorry. He's one of those kids that is always toned up for our games. We have to tone him down most times."
Christian Lopes was one of the lone bright spots for the Vikings. The highly touted freshman hit a solo home run to left-centerfield on the third pitch of the game and added a solo blast in the fifth inning. Ultimately, his efforts came up short -- and there's no pun intended if Raskin reads this.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
DIVISION II
Quarterfinals
Palos Verdes 3, Upland 1 (8 innings)
Marc Venning was two for four with a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and Nate Halverson pitched six innings, allowing four hits, one run and four walks, and was two for four with an RBI for host Palos Verdes (28-5). Matt Redfern was two for three, Kris Butler one for four with an RBI and Tim Helton two for two for Upland (20-7).
Cypress 4, Vista Murrieta 2
El Toro 7, West Torrance 6
DIVISION III
Quarterfinals
Quartz Hill 5, California 2
Travis McBride hit a walk-off three-run home run with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Quartz Hill (23-5-2). Mike Massari singled to score Sean Ryan with the tying run in the seventh inning. Brandon Van Dam (11-1) pitched a six-hitter with 14 strikeouts for the host Rebels. Kevin Gallardo scored on a bases-loaded walk in the second inning and Gilbert Murillo hit a solo home run in the third inning for California (19-11). Van Dam hit a sacrifice fly to score Dustin Cota in the fifth inning.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 9, Paloma Valley 3
Pitcher Nik Rodarte improved to 10-1 and was one for three with two RBIs for host Notre Dame (25-4). Paloma Valley finished 22-6.
South Hills 2, La Serna 1
DIVISION IV
Quarterfinals
Diamond Ranch 6, Santa Maria St. Joseph 1
Savanna 2, Sonora 1
DIVISION V
Quarterfinals
Bishop Amat 15, San Marino 1
Paul Paez allowed one run and two hits in six innings, improving to 10-0, Jordan Fox was two for four with six RBIs and Justin Herrera went two for three with a home run, double and two RBIs for Bishop Amat (25-4). Host San Marino finished 17-6.
Bishop Montgomery 10, Carpinteria 3
Christian Koppenhaver had a two-run single and Andrew Robinson and Matt Akiyama each had one-run singles as part of a six-run sixth inning for host Bishop Montgomery (18-10-1).
Robinson finished two for three with three runs scored, Akiyama was two for four with a double and two RBIs and Tony Kissinger was two for three with a run scored against Carpinteria (18-8). Anthony Estrada (2-2) was the winning pitcher, giving up no runs and two hits with one walk in one inning, and Eric Debelak got his third save of the season, giving up two unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Paraclete 15, Hesperia 1
Tim Torsney pitched six innings, striking out six, allowing three hits and no walks, and Nick Olivas went three for three for host Paraclete (17-10). Hesperia finished 18-7.
St. Paul 6, Serrano 2
DIVISION VI
Quarterfinals
Bishop 3, Desert Hot Springs 2
San Jacinto 23, Apple Valley Christian 5
DIVISION VII
Quarterfinals
Avalon 2, Southlands Christian 1
Mario Jimenez and Clint Engel each had an RBI single in the first inning to help Avalon (13-10) overcome a 1-0 deficit and advance to the semifinals for the first time since winning the Division VI title in 2001. Engel (7-3) was also the winning pitcher, giving up three hits and striking out seven in a complete game at Pathfinder Park.
Saddleback Valley Christian 8, Buckley 4
Brendan Chambers (9-2) struck out three with six hits and six walks in a complete game and also went three for four with a solo home run and two runs scored for Saddleback Valley Christian (18-6) at Buckley (12-12).
Viewpoint 4, Camarillo Cornerstone 2
Ben Salzman pitched five shutout innings to get the win, striking out six, and Jordan Kaplan went two for three with a double for Viewpoint.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
DIVISION I
Second Round
Hart 4, Canyon Springs 0
Trevor Bauer (12-0) pitcher a three-hitter and Devin Rodriguez had two hits and two RBIs for Hart in the victory.
Los Alamitos 7, Anaheim Canyon 6
The top-seeded Griffins scored five runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit and advance to the quarterfinals. Joey Boney had a double, triple and homer for host Canyon. The Comanches had the tying run on first in the bottom of the seventh, but Gabe Garcia was picked off by left-handed pitcher Beau Wright to end the game.
Mater Dei 7, Capistrano Valley 4
Ian McCarthy ran his record to 8-1, pitching five innings, striking out six and Derek Campbell hit a two-run homer for host Mater Dei (24-6), which will play Los Alamitos on Friday. Capistrano Valley finished 20-9.
Orange Lutheran 6, El Modena 4
Josh Doyle went two for three with a homerun in the top of the fifth inning to give Orange Lutheran (24-5) a 6-2 lead. Aaron Gates (7-2) pitched five innings, gave up two runs, fourth hits and struck out eight in the victory for the Lancers. El Modena finished the season 15-13.
Simi Valley 4, King 1
Nick Russo threw a complete game, striking out five, to earn the win and went two for three with a double for Simi Valley (22-8) in the victory over host King (19-9).
Valencia 4, Lakewood 0
Robbie Mousselli (6-2) allowed two hits and struck out nine to earn the win and drove in the winning run on a two-run double in the sixth inning for host Valencia (22-7). Mousselli ripped a drive down the left field line, driving in teammates Christian Lopes and Dylan Jones. Tommy Ferndino and Tyler Eaton followed with run-scoring singles to extend the lead. Lakewood (21-12) starter Derrick Dingeman (5-2) allowed five hits and struck out seven in the loss. Valencia will play Simi Valley in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Norco 5, Thousand Oaks 3
Long Beach Wilson 7, Tesoro 4
DIVISION II
Second Round
El Toro 6, Crescenta Valley 2
Host Crescenta Valley dropped to 19-6.
Oxnard 6, Chino Hills 2
Junior left-hander Alex Solis (7-1) threw a complete game, seven-hitter, seven strikeouts, no walks in the victory for host Oxnard (21-5-1). Solis has total 62 strikeouts on the year. Teammate Derek Shutt went two for two, scored a run, two RBIs and two doubles, and Julian Roman finished two for three with a walk. Oxnard advances to quarterfinals on Friday. Chino Hills drops to 20-9.
Redlands East Valley 8, Temecula Valley 1
Matt Andriese (7-1) pitched a three-hitter in seven innings in the victory for visiting Redlands East Valley (24-3).
West Torrance 8, Placentia Valencia 1
Senior pitcher Mark Oslund (8-0) pitched a complete game, striking out seven and giving up six hits. He went three for four, with a third-inning homerun, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored in the victory for West Torrance (27-3). Host Valencia fell to 21-8.
Cypress 10, Santa Barbara 3 Redlands East Valley 8, Temecula Valley 1
Upland 9, Katella 4
Palos Verdes 9, Trabuco Hills 4
Oxnard 6, Chino Hills 2
Vista Murrieta 5, Alta Loma 4 (8 innings)
DIVISION III
Second round
Elsinore 6, Mayfair 5
Tyler Coughenour hit a two-run double to tie the game, stole third and scored on a wild pitch and Trevor Johnson was the winning pitcher for host Elsinore (16-11). Mayfair finished 22-6.
La Serna 7, Crespi 6
Down one run, host La Serna (20-8) scored two runs on an error with runners on first and third in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat top-seeded Crespi (24-6). Victor Soto went two for two with a run scored and a stolen base and tossed six innings, allowing six runs.
Paloma Valley 3, Alhambra 1
Shane Luuloa hit a two-run homerun in the sixth inning to break a 1-1, and John Pecoraro (12-0) pitched seven innings, struck out 11 and gave up on earned-run to lead host Paloma Valley (23-3) to victory. Alhambra drops to 22-5.
Paramount 3, Laguna Hills 1
Junior right-hander Edwardo Magallon (9-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, one earned-run and struck out six in the victory for host Paramount (25-4), ranked No. 8 by the Times. Senior third baseman Andrew Hernandez went one for three with a two-run double in the first inning. Visiting Laguna Hills dropped to 21-8.
Quartz Hill 4, Downey 1
Brian Morgan tossed a complete game, allowing one unearned run while striking out four, for Quartz Hill (22-5-2) in the victory over host Downey (18-10).
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 11, Downey Calvary Chapel 1
Trevor Gee hit a solo home run and Kelly Dugan went three for four with an RBI and a run scored for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (24-4) in the victory over host Downey Calvary Chapel.
Rancho Alamitos 3, Burbank 2
Paloma Valley 3, Alhambra 1
California 7, Westminster La Quinta 3
Elsinore 6, Mayfair 5
Paramount 3, Laguna Hills 1
South Hills 3, Don Lugo 1
DIVISION IV
Second Round
Charter Oak 11, Cathedral City 7
J.C. Torres had two hits with a grand slam, Michael Hernandez drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single and Noah Northrop (5-4) pitched five innings for the victory for Charter Oak (15-11) at Cathedral City (22-6).
Santa Maria St. Joseph 1, St. Bonaventure 0
Catcher Paul Rodriguez's leadoff homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning won the game for host St. Joseph (15-11). St. Bonaventure dropped to 25-5.
Patriot 6, South Torrance 3
Bonita 5, Torrance 3
Savanna 7, Culver City 2
Northview 9, Norte Vista 2
Sonora 2, Kaiser 0
Diamond Ranch 7, San Dimas 6
Charter Oak 11, Cathedral City 7
DIVISION V
Second Round
Bishop Amat 5, La Puente 0
Brady Zuniga (5-2) threw a complete game, one-hit shutout and Jerry McClanahan went two for three with four RBIs in the victory for host Bishop Amat (24-4). La Puente fell to 18-11.
Bishop Montgomery 2, Sultana 1
Matt Akiyama and Tony Kissinger drove in the two runs and Eddie McLaughlin pitched five innings, allowing four hits and no runs while striking out six, to lift Bishop Montgomery (17-10-1), which will play Carpinteria next. Sultana finished 19-7.
Carpinteria 2, Temple City 1 (8 innings)
Nathan Saito had a walk-off, one-out home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift host Carpinteria (17-7) against Temple City (19-8). Saito finished with two hits and teammate Tony Sanchez hit a solo home run in the second inning. Casey Noveski (7-3) was the winning pitcher, giving up no earned runs and five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in a complete game. Kyle Wilkinson scored for Temple City in the third inning. He reached on an error, was balked to second, advanced to third on a fly ball to center and scored on another balk.
Hesperia 10, Bishop Diego 0
Chris Martini was the winning pitcher, Kyle Bussey went three for four with three RBIs and Will Kocot went two for four with a pair of doubles for host Hesperia (19-8).
San Marino 5, Campbell Hall 1
Nick Wilson tossed a complete game, striking out three, for host San Marino (17-6-1) in the victory over Campbell Hall (17-10).
St. Paul 8, Azusa 6
Paraclete 3, Monrovia 2
DIVISION VI
Second Round
Big Bear 11, Pasadena Poly 3
Jesse Ceron struck out two batters in a complete game pitched, giving up three runs (one earned run) and walking one in the victory for host Big Bear (15-10). Teammates Joseph Filia went three for four with two doubles and a single, and Dustin Blauer went four for five in the win. Poly dropped to 20-4.
Lancaster Desert Christian 18, Rolling Hills Prep 1
San Jacinto 12, Milken 2
Bloomington Christian 3, Windward 2
Desert Hot Springs 8, Beaumont 7
Bishop 5, Rio Hondo Prep 0
Maranatha 6, Riverside Notre Dame 5
DIVISION VII
Second round
Avalon 7, Pacific Lutheran 5
Mario Jiminez was three for three and knocked in two runs and Brett Hernandez went two for four and had two RBIs, Joey Hall pitched the final two innings for the save, striking out five, and hit a double for host Avalon (13-10). Pacific Lutheran finished 18-3.
Buckley 8, Dunn 2
Matt Lewis went two for four with a home run and four RBI for host Buckley (12-11) in the victory over Dunn (12-7).
Saddleback Valley Christian 15, Nuview Bridge 0
Dave Dillard allowed just two hits, while striking out six, to improve to 9-0, Brendan Chambers went three for five with an RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases and Chris Gipe was three for five with two RBIs and a run scored for host Saddleback Valley Christian (17-5).
Southlands Christian 14, California Lutheran 2
Andrew King struck out 12 in five shutout innings as Southlands Christian (13-8) advanced to the quarterfinals. Nathan Martell was 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Richie Maier was 1-for-1 with three walks, stole five bases, and scored three runs.
Upland Christian 18, North County Christian 1
Ethan Chapman went four for four with five RBI for Upland Christian (17-10) in the victory over host North County Christian.
Viewpoint 16, St. Michael's Prep 2
Harrison Bernsen went two for four with a triple and four RBI to lead host Viewpoint (16-8) past St. Michael's Prep (12-8).
Baptist Christian 11, Bell-Jeff 4
Cornerstone Christian 4, New Community Jewish 2
Buckley 8, Dunn 2
Wildwood 16, Packinghouse Christian 9
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