SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : 3-A Wild Card : Santa Ana Takes Care of Sonora, 10-1

Santa Ana High School beat Sonora, 10-1, in a Southern Section 3-A wild-card baseball game Wednesday that Saint Coach Bill Ross didn’t think his team should have had to play.

“With our record, I don’t feel like we had to be a wild card,” Ross said. “(But) our kids felt it would be an advantage to play in a playoff game rather than practice during the week.”

The Saints (17-9) will play fourth-seeded Upland Friday at Upland.

Sergio Guerrero (6-0), Ray Lopez and Fred Barrios combined for a six-hitter at Santa Ana. Sonora scored in the seventh inning off Barrios.

“We wanted to pitch all three of our kids today,” Ross said. “Everything worked out well, and I’m sure Upland got a look at what we have to offer.”

The Saints scored six runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-0 lead. Julio Vargas had a bases-loaded double in the inning.

David Morris (3-4) took the loss, giving up five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Sonora (10-14) was the Freeway League’s third-place team.

Bob Reimers had three hits and scored three runs for the Saints and Jason Harned and Vargas added two each. David Morris and John Nalbandian had two hits each for the Raiders.