Orange League : Valencia Wins, 6-5, to Tie Western for League Lead

Valencia High School gained a share of its first baseball championship since 1980 and the second title in school history Friday by beating Brea-Olinda, 6-5, in an Orange League game at Brea.

Valencia and Western tied for the championship with 11-4 records but Western will go to the Southern Section 3-A playoffs as the Orange League’s No. 1 representative since the Pioneers beat the Tigers two of three times.

Against Brea, Valencia led, 6-3, going into the bottom of the seventh inning when the Wildcats scored twice on a double by Mike Oziminski. But Tiger reliever Jeff Martinez, with the tying run at second, got David Kain to fly out to right field to end the game. It was Martinez’s first save.

Valencia took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jon Rice knocked in the first run with a single, Ron Terrill had an RBI single and Tim Churchill capped the rally with a run-scoring double.

Steve Street (7-1) went the first 5 innings to get the win.

Troy Barnhart led Valencia’s offense by going 3 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI and Jon Rice was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs.

In other Orange League action:

Western 5, Savanna 4--The Pioneers gained a share of the league title by beating the Rebels in a night game in Brookhurt Park. David Tellers (11-3) got the win in relief for Western. Savanna will go to the playoffs as the league’s No. 3 representative.

Anaheim 7, Magnolia 6--Winning pitcher Rudy Gonzales tripled the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh to give the Colonists a win at home. Gonzales was 3 for 4 with a second inning home run and four RBIs. From the mound, Gonzales (1-1) struck out six and pitched his second complete game of the season.

Magnolia scored five runs in the first inning. Four runs came on two-run singles by catcher Tim Schmidt and first baseman Tony Oliver.