High School Baseball : Rio Mesa’s 8-0 Win Caps Strong Finish

Senior right-hander Jon Rust won his seventh consecutive Channel League start, and Rio Mesa High completed a strong second half to clinch second place with an 8-0 victory over Hueneme on Friday at Rio Mesa.

Rust, who has not allowed a run in 24 innings, gave up only three hits to improve his record to 9-2. Rio Mesa (14-8-1, 10-3-1), the defending league champion, won eight of its final nine league games.

After throwing 65 pitches Wednesday against San Marcos in a 13-3 victory, Rust needed 84 to dispatch Hueneme in a complete-game performance.

“Jon just gets better and better,” Rio Mesa Coach Rich Duran said. “He’s strong as a bull and he wants the ball. And it’s real easy to give it to him.”

David Frazier had three hits, including a solo homer in the fifth, and two runs batted in. Carlos Cendejas had three hits for the Spartans, and Steve Soliz added two hits, including a home run. Dmitri Young contributed two singles and two RBIs.

DEL REY LEAGUE

St. Francis 7, St. John Bosco 6--Mark Loretta retired the final two batters with runners at first and third in the seventh inning to earn his first save and keep the Golden Knights tied with Loyola for second place.

Manny Fernandez (4-1) struck out four in 4 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Gregg Zaun hit a two-run home run to highlight St. Francis’ four-run first inning. Zaun finished with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Loyola 7, Crespi 2--Pat Bennett took the loss for the Celts although the senior sidearmer did not allow an earned run in the league finale at Valley College. Crespi (9-16-2, 1-10-1) committed seven errors.

FOOTHILL LEAGUE

Burroughs 7, Schurr 0--Senior left-hander Brian Forth (7-5) pitched a four-hitter and recorded his 11th complete game as the Indians (15-11, 9-6) finished third.

Senior center fielder Rob Arroyo had a double and a triple and drove in three runs. Tommy Phillips was three for three with two RBIs.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Hoover 10, Glendale 4--Mickey Moreno had three hits, including a solo home run in the Tornadoes’ eight-run third inning. Hoover forced a playoff game against Crescenta Valley today at 11 a.m. at Stengel Field to determine the league’s final automatic playoff berth.

George Trejo also had three hits for Hoover (13-8, 8-7) in support of pitcher Eric Asselin, who struck out eight to even his record at 3-3.

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY LEAGUE

La Salle 5, St. Genevieve 0--Dave Lewis drove in two runs with a single during a four-run second inning to back Brian Esquival’s four-hitter at Branford Park in a game called after five innings because of curfew.

La Salle (12-8, 7-3) finished second and St. Genevieve (10-11, 4-6) tied for fourth with Harvard.

Harvard 5, Bell-Jeff 1--Marty Holly was three for three with two RBIs and three stolen bases, and Guy Starkman (4-3) and Bryan Jacobsen combined on a two-hitter at Franklin Field. Jay Borenstein tripled twice and drove in a run for Harvard (10-14, 4-6).

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Agoura 13, Santa Paula 3--The Chargers clinched the league title at Agoura as Chris Pittenger had three hits and five RBIs, and Mark Costes and Chase Ludwig added solo home runs. Nelson Townes, Josh Smaler and Costes each had two hits for Agoura (14-7, 9-1).

Calabasas 3, Santa Ynez 0--Dan Glassman pitched a one-hitter and contributed two hits and two RBIs for the Coyotes, who clinched a playoff berth with the victory at Calabasas.

Glassman (5-4) allowed only a fifth-inning single, struck out nine and walked none. Calabasas (11-8-1, 6-4) finished in third place.

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Oak Park 11, Bishop Diego 4--Senior third baseman Gary Silverman was four for five, including three doubles, and had three RBIs as the fourth-place Eagles pounded out 17 hits against last-place Bishop Diego. Scott Ziegler (3-10) pitched six innings to earn the win and also hit a three-run home run in the third.

DELPHIC LEAGUE

Buckley 11, Faith Baptist 7--Peter Lutz had a two-run home run and Darren Wyre had two doubles in the losing effort as the Griffins (4-12, 1-7) notched their first league win. Faith Baptist finished 5-14, and 1-7 in league play.

WESTSIDE LEAGUE

Highland Hall 7, Grace Community 6--Robert Ramirez’s squeeze bunt in the top of the eighth scored Craig Ernst from third with the Hawks’ third run of the inning and the eventual game-winner at Grace Community as Highland Hall won its third consecutive league title.

The victory was Highland Hall’s 24th consecutive in league play, a streak that ranks sixth on the all-time Southern Section list. Jakob Jensen and Ernst each had two hits and two RBIs for the Hawks (19-5, 6-0).

Chad Hankinson was two for four for Grace Community.

LIBERTY LEAGUE

Queen of Angels 11, Oakwood 6--Junior right-hander Danny Herold (5-4) scattered 10 hits and pitched a complete game, and junior third baseman Tony Garcia hit a solo home run as Queen of Angels finished second and Oakwood third.

NONLEAGUE

Christian Church School 15, Newbridge 0--John Boardman pitched a two-hitter, striking out eight.

He also was four for four, knocked in five runs and scored four times for the Eagles (15-5).