3-A QUARTERFINALS : Tillers Won’t Let Coach Leave--Yet

Vince Brown will resign as Tustin’s baseball coach as soon as the Tillers play their last Southern Section 3-A playoff game . . . whenever that’s going to be.

The Tillers delayed their coach’s departure for another week by pounding 11 hits in an 8-2 quarterfinal victory over Garden Grove Friday at Garden Grove.

The Tillers (20-7) advance to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year and will play Tuesday at an alternate site against Corona, a 5-4 winner over St. Francis Friday.

“We’ve won five of our seven quarterfinal games we’ve played,” said Brown, whose team is 13-3 in the playoffs the past four seasons. “I was hoping we wouldn’t end it here.”

They didn’t, thanks to a fine pitching performance from Phil Cutti (5-3).

Cutti, a senior right-hander, gave up four hits, struck out two and walked two in the complete-game victory.

“Phil hasn’t had a win for us since before spring break,” Brown said. “We’ve lost only two games since then, and Phil only got one loss.

“It seemed like he would get us into the late part of a game, then Tom Cerasuolo came in and got the win. But Phil did a great job for us today.”

Cutti got plenty of support from his teammates. The Tillers scored four runs in the third inning and added three more in the fourth to give him a 7-0 lead.

Adam Schulenburg keyed the four-run third with a two-RBI single to left. Derek Baker drove in Zach Elliott and Mando Fonseca with a base hit to left with two out in the fourth.

“Our biggest inning was the fourth,” Brown said. “I told the players that that (rally) was one of the best things we have done all season.”

Tustin chased Garden Grove starter Bryce McHale (4-2) with two out in the fourth. McHale gave up nine hits and seven runs. He was relieved by Ron Moreno, who gave up a run in the top of the seventh with a balk that allowed Justin Lloyd to score from third.

Garden Grove added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Simon Fuentes scored on Jay Moore’s groundout.

The Argonauts’ final run came in the sixth when Brandon Hoalton’s sacrifice fly scored Jim Sebreros.

Sebreros was two for three to lead Garden Grove.

Elliott was two for four, doubled and scored two runs for Tustin. Baker, Fonseca, Schulenburg and Brian Igoe also collected two hits for the Tillers.

“We have guys who are swinging the bat now who weren’t earlier in the year,” Brown said. “Two of Zach’s at-bats (single and double) were just like at the start of the year, when he was crushing the ball.”