PREP ROUNDUP : Valencia Muddles Its Way to a Wild-Card Victory

Valencia is still alive in the Southern Section baseball playoffs, but it probably shouldn’t be. And after Tuesday’s performance, Buena Park is probably glad it was eliminated.

The host Coyotes handed the Tigers an 8-6 victory in the Division II wild-card game because they could not handle anything resembling a baseball. Three Buena Park pitchers combined for a one-hitter, but the defense made nine errors in seven innings. (Four were charged to third baseman Dustin Strike.) That, combined with eight walks, gave Valencia eight unearned runs, which ultimately was too much to overcome.

Coyote Coach Dave Meggison could only shake his head at the brass glove work that ended his team’s season at 12-10-1.

“I don’t know if that’s a school record, but it’s certainly the most I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said Meggison, who began coaching the varsity in 1989. “I’ve never seen anything like it--anywhere.

“They only hit one ball out of the infield. They only get one hit. Our pitchers did a great job. I don’t know if we were pressing; I’ve had most of these kids since they were freshmen--they are a great bunch and are not that bad defensively. But after the first inning we just stopped catching the ball.”

Valencia Coach Mike Scheetz, whose 11-11 team will play top-seeded Riverside Arlington Friday, called it “an ugly game, an ugly day,” but he’ll take the victory.

“You don’t throw back the small fish you catch--at least I don’t,” Scheetz said.

The Coyotes had no trouble at the plate. They had 12 hits, including home runs by Greg Cabral (7) and Ryan Glenn (4).

Valencia, on the other hand, did not get a hit until Bryan Sanchez bunted down the first-base line with one out in the seventh.

By that time, however, the Tigers--after spotting the Coyotes a 3-0 lead in the first inning --were ahead, 7-6. Valencia scored four in the second and three in the fourth. The Tigers also scored in the seventh on--what else?--an error.

Buena Park tied it, 4-4, in the third, and pulled within 7-6 in the fifth. But the Coyotes suffered one final indignity; the tying run was thrown out at the plate in the sixth.