Baseball: Journey to Anaheim Lions title game proves hazardous

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The Anderson Bat Classic may have the top-level teams, but the road to that title game isn’t any tougher than the one in the Anaheim Lions tournament. Even going unbeaten isn’t enough to get you into the title game in this tourney, which seems to grow in prestige every year.

Five of the 46 participating teams won their first four games of the tournament. The first tiebreaker is fewest runs allowed, which put Placentia Valencia in tonight’s/Wednesday’s title game against Mater Dei at 7:30 p.m. at Glover Stadium. The Tigers (13-1), ranked 20th by The Times, conceded only nine runs in their four victories.

No. 16 Mater Dei and Riverside North each allowed 11 runs, with the 16th-ranked Monarchs (11-3) earning the championship game nod based on ‘strength of schedule’ -- Mater Dei’s four opponents won more games in the tournament than North’s opponents did. And even Dana Hills (4-0, 13 runs allowed) and Aliso Niguel (4-0, 14 runs allowed) weren’t far off the pace.

Tesoro and Katella, ranked second and third, respectively, by The Times, were eliminated from contention Tuesday afternoon. Tesoro fell, 12-8, to No. 16 Thousand Oaks, and Katella dropped a 9-1 decision to Mater Dei.

The complete final-round schedule for today/Wednesday:

ANAHEIM LIONS TOURNAMENT
Final round
at Glover Stadium
Edison vs. Thousand Oaks, 10 a.m.
Tesoro vs. Long Beach Poly, 1 p.m.
Capistrano Valley vs. Katella, 4:30 p.m.
Championship: Mater Dei vs. Placentia Valencia, 7:30 p.m.
at Brookhurst Park
Lompoc vs. Chaminade, 10 a.m.
Mission Viejo vs. Lakewood, 1 p.m.
Riverside Poly vs. Gahr, 4:30 p.m.
Chino Hills vs. San Clemente, 7:30 p.m.
at Boysen Park
Magnolia vs. Trabuco Hills, 10 a.m.
Calabasas vs. El Toro, 1 p.m.
Long Beach Wilson vs. Dana Hills, 4:30 p.m.
Paramount vs. Aliso Niguel, 7:30 p.m.
at Amerige Park
Laguna Hills vs. Millikan, 10 a.m.
Laguna Beach vs. Anaheim, 7:30 p.m.
at Placentia Valencia
Ocean View vs. Paso Robles, 10:30 a.m.
Cerritos Valley Christian vs. Brea Olinda, 3 p.m.
at La Palma Kennedy
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel vs. La Palma Kennedy, 10:30 a.m.
Cerritos vs. Western, 3 p.m.
at Savanna
Santa Monica vs. Savanna, 10:30 a.m.
Loyola vs. Santa Margarita, 3 p.m.
at Loara
Temescal Canyon vs. Loara, noon
at Garden Grove Pacifica
Riverside North vs. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3 p.m.
at Cypress
San Francisco Riordan vs. Cypress, 10:30 a.m.

-- Eric Maddy, Times stats guru

-- Image from www.yesterland.com