Empire League Baseball : El Dorado Ends Esperanza’s Baseball Reign

Esperanza High School’s four-year reign as Empire League baseball champion ended Tuesday as the Aztecs lost to rival El Dorado, 3-1, at Placentia.

Pete Janicki (7-1) struck out six as El Dorado won its first league title in eight seasons under Coach Steve Gullotti.

A leadoff homer by shortstop Doug Saunders in the fourth inning spoiled Janicki’s shutout. Esperanza had runners on in five of seven innings but was unable to produce base hits in scoring situations.

“We didn’t come through in the clutch,” said Mike Curran, Esperanza coach. “You have to credit their pitcher. When things got tight, he bore down and got us out. We didn’t play good defense, and we didn’t hit the ball in key situations.”

The Golden Hawks (21-3, 12-2) capitalized on a defensive lapse by Esperanza to take a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Rene Ayala led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a one-out single by Phil Nevin.

El Dorado catcher Chris Olsen followed with a line drive to third baseman Jason Moler for the second out, but Moler threw wildly to first attempting to double off Nevin and Ayala scored.

Saunders made the score 1-1 with his homer in the fourth inning, but the Hawks regained the lead on a home run by first baseman Robert Coons in the bottom half off losing pitcher Roger Weems (6-4).

Ayala’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning completed the scoring.

“This is great,” Gullotti said. “It’s very pleasing to beat the defending champions to win the league. It seems like any time we play Esperanza, we’re going to be in for a war. You won’t find a game in the playoffs any more intense than this.”

Esperanza (16-7, 10-4) had won league titles from 1984-87. The lone bright spot for the Aztecs was the continued hot-hitting of designated hitter Jim Short. Short had two singles and a double and is hitting nearly .700 in league play, according to Curran.