Pomona Diamond Ranch defeats Santa Monica, 3-2

Third-place teams aren't supposed to beat league champions in the opening round of the baseball playoffs, but Pomona Diamond Ranch pulled off the feat Friday by embracing its underdog role.

"We played like a first-place team," sophomore third baseman Derek Goodwin said after the visiting Panthers rallied for a 3-2 victory over Ocean League champion Santa Monica in a Southern Section-Toyota Division IV first-round game.

Goodwin's RBI single in the sixth inning tied the score, 2-2. And it was a double by senior Jericho Kelsey in the seventh that drove in the winning run.

Diamond Ranch (14-11), the third-place finisher from the Miramonte League, had never won a first-round playoff game in its 10 years of varsity baseball. Its task was not easy, having to come to Santa Monica (17-12) and face one of the best junior left-handers in the Southland in 6-foot-4 Tyler Skaggs.

Skaggs, however, tired in the final two innings, having thrown too many pitches with five walks and his team having committed four errors.

At the same time, Diamond Ranch third-year Coach Joseph Verplancke managed the game as if there were no tomorrow. He used both of his starting pitchers, and they delivered clutch performances.

Nick Greene limited Santa Monica to two infield singles in five innings, striking out six. He also collected three hits at the plate. Gus Lanuza pitched two shutout innings in relief, giving up only one hit and striking out the side in the seventh.

"There's no need to save anyone for tomorrow," Verplancke said.

Diamond Ranch pitchers have given up only 13 runs in the team's last eight games, seven of which were victories.

Diamond Ranch had runners on base in every inning against Skaggs, who displayed toughness and determination in finding ways to escape. But by the sixth, he had run out of energy and luck.

Goodwin delivered the key blow, a single to right field that drove in the tying run.

"It was exciting being in the clutch moment," Goodwin said. "It was a high and outside fastball and I went with it."

Verplancke said he was confident his team could perform well.

"We're a better team than our third-place finish," he said. "We had a rough start to our league. Once you get into the playoffs, everybody is 0-0."

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com