Inland Valley League title still up for grabs

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Canyon Springs has been the top dog in Moreno Valley baseball circles for some time, but Vista del Lago is out to prove it’s the new king of the hill.

Vista del Lago (15-6, 8-1) and Canyon Springs (12-6, 6-2) are scheduled to meet in a home-and-home series next week. If either team can pull off a sweep, it’ll be in prime position to win the Inland Valley League title.

Vista del Lago is riding an eight-game winning streak heading into its game Thursday against visiting Valley View.

The Ravens have a nice 1-2 pitching combination, led Mark Anderson, who is 7-0 with a 1.18 ERA. He threw his third shutout of the season Tuesday in a 7-0 victory over Valley View. Also scheduled to pitch Thursday and likely next week is Andy Abrams, who is 5-3 also with a 1.18 ERA. He’s coming off a three-hit shutout in his last start against Rancho Verde.

Canyon Springs, which reached the Southern Section Division I semifinals in 2004 and ‘05, has used eight starting pitchers this season. Tanner Hemphill, who’s an Eagle Scout when he’s not slinging fastballs, appears to be the surest bet to earn a victory. He threw a two-hit shutout in his last outing, a 1-0 victory over Valley View on April 17.

However, Vista del Lago tagged Hemphill for nine hits and four earned runs over four innings in an 11-8 loss on March 25.

-- Dan Arritt