SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : 4--A : McNary Comes Within Out of No-Hitting Westminster, 2-0

Mike McNary lost his perfect game with two outs in the sixth inning Tuesday and his no-hitter with two outs in the seventh, but the Lakewood High School pitcher never lost his composure.

McNary, a senior right-hander, shook off both disappointments to pitch a one-hitter and lead the Lancers to a 2-0 victory over Westminster in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs at Lakewood High.

The Lancers (22-7) advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against Bishop Amat, a 4-3 winner over Nogales Tuesday. The Lions finish 19-7-1.

McNary (9-3) faced 23 batters, two over the minimum, and needed only 76 pitches. He retired 17 straight before pinch-hitter Joe Maisano reached on shortstop Mike Lombardi’s throwing error in the sixth.

Then, after retiring the first two batters in the seventh, Westminster catcher Dan Villegas chopped a 3-2 pitch toward third, but the ball bounced so high that Lancer third baseman Fred Pena lost it in the sun.

The ball landed at Pena’s feet, but by the time he had recovered and thrown to first, Villegas was well past first base. McNary got the next batter, Ryan Klesko, to fly out to left field for the game’s final out.

“That’s all right, as long as we won the game,” McNary said. “I thought it would be a slugfest--one of those games where whoever got up last would win. I was ready to come here and battle.”

So was Westminster. The Lions wanted revenge from last year’s second-round loss to Lakewood, when the Lancers scored four runs after two were out in the top of the seventh to win, 4-3.

But McNary took the fight out of the Lions with an overpowering fastball and an excellent curve. He’s only 5-feet 8-inches, 145 pounds, but his fastball has been clocked at 87 m.p.h.

“When he’s pitching that well, there’s nothing you can do about it,” said Ken Ostrowski, Westminster coach. “He overmatched our kids today.”

McNary, who struck out eight and walked none, was supported by an eight-hit attack that included RBI singles by Matt Nuez and Mike Lombardi. The Lancers scored both of their runs off Klesko, who pitched four innings before being relieved by Brian Stubbs.

Paul Graves walked to open the first for Lakewood and was picked off. Ross Shanberg then walked, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Nuez’s single to center. Nuez had three hits in the game and is 8 for 8 in the playoffs.

The Lancers added their second run in the fourth inning when Pena doubled to right, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Lombardi’s single to left-center.

The shutout marked only the second time this season that Westminster had been held scoreless. The Lions were shut out by Western, 6-0, in the championship game of the West Anaheim Lions Club tournament in April.