St. Bernard Win Drops Bosco Out of Camino Real Tie

The Bosco Tech Tigers suffered a slow, painful defeat to the St. Bernard Vikings on Saturday at St. Bernard’s Father Dunphy Field, 13-3.

Before this weekend’s games, the Tigers were ranked No. 9 in the CIF 2-A poll and were in a first-place tie with El Segundo and St. Bernard in the Camino Real League.

St. Bernard took advantage of seven Bosco errors to record an easy victory in the three-hour game. St. Bernard, 13-3 overall, and El Segundo are tied for the league lead with 7-1 records. Bosco now holds second place at 6-2--both losses coming to St. Bernard--and has a 10-6 overall mark.

“Our kids do not know how to be successful,” said Bosco Coach Al Cone. “It’s the first time the program has been in a playoff hunt, and we aren’t playing well. (Dan) Melendez did what he wanted with us for the second straight time.”

Melendez improved his record to 6-0 and struck out 11 Tigers before leaving the mound in the sixth inning. He shut out Bosco, 3-0, the last time the teams met. But he lost his shutout Saturday on the second pitch he threw. Bosco shortstop Javier Ramirez led off the game with a home run to left field. Ramirez provided all the Bosco offense, going 4 for 4 with a double and scoring all three runs.

Melendez had little trouble with anyone else. He also hit his ninth homer of the year, giving him 28 in his career, four shy of the CIF Southern Section record.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Vikings tied the score on a one-out RBI single by Grant Hohman. Then Phil Ruhl reached base on a sure double play ball that was muffed by shorstop Ramirez. St. Bernard left fielder Bobby Waller was hit by losing pitcher Genaro Esparza, loading the bases.

Hohman scored on a bunt that was dropped by third baseman Jason Armendarez. Jeff Richardson slapped a single to right field that rolled through the legs of Bobby Saetia for a two-base error, making the score 5-1.

The Vikings added two runs in the third inning, three in the fourth--including Melendez’s solo homer--and a three-run homer by Al Ibarra in the fifth. Bosco Tech scored one run in the third and one in the fifth.

St. Bernard, ranked No. 4 in the CIF 2-A, appears headed to a showdown with No. 2 ranked-El Segundo, whose only league loss is to Bosco Tech.