El Toro, Johnson Shut Out Rolling Hills

Johnson pitched a one-hitter against Rolling Hills to lead El Toro to a 3-0 victory Friday in the first round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

The victory sends the Chargers (16-11) into the second round Tuesday against Righetti Rio Mesa.

“For about a four-inning stretch, Rob was masterful,” El Toro Coach Dan DeLeon said of the senior right-hander (6-5). “He pitched an unbelievably great game.”

As a freshman in 1988, Johnson won two playoff games to lead El Toro to the 3-A title game. But wildness, lack of support and bad luck have plagued Johnson’s season.

Friday, Johnson kept Rolling Hills (15-7-1) off balance with fastballs and sliders. He struck out four and gave up only a two-out double by Bill DeMucci in the third.

El Toro got to Rolling Hills’ Kirt Kishita (8-3), who entered the game with a streak of 61 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

That string ended in the second when Chris Adams drove in Chris Wiggins with a two-out single. The Chargers struck again in the fourth on Jason Santoro’s run-scoring groundout, and added a run in the seventh when Dave Owens singled to score Santoro, who had tripled.

Kishita had problems getting his curve ball over the plate and the Chargers got the leadoff man on in every inning except the first.