BASEBALL / DIVISION II : Sonora Gets Key Victory to Build On

Winning a close game on the road in the Freeway League is one thing. Winning a close game on the road in the Southern Section baseball playoffs is another.

Sonora believes it took a big step toward making the Division II championship game with a nerve-racking 5-4, second-round victory against El Segundo Tuesday. The Raiders will play Magnolia in the quarterfinals Friday.

The Raiders (21-4-2) used a four-run first inning to make the Eagles (20-9) play catch-up the rest of the day. Using three pitchers--starter David Miller, Ryan Owens and Junior Rodriguez (who stranded the tying run on third with two out in the seventh)--Sonora managed to stay just out of reach.

Miller (7-3) said it was the kind of game that could catapult Sonora deep into the playoffs.

“I was telling Junior on the way over here today a win could send us all the way,” Miller said. “I think today we proved we could play under pressure.”

Sonora Coach Pat Tellers, whose upstart club won its first league title in nearly 10 years, wasn’t ready to make predictions. Instead he was just happy to get out of El Segundo relatively unscathed.

“I don’t think you could ask for a better second round game than this,” Tellers said. “There was so much emotion out there.”

The Raiders seemed intent on making it an easy afternoon, pounding Eagle starter Jack Hawley (7-3) for four runs and five hits in a third of an inning.

“Jack wasn’t able to get his curve over the plate,” El Segundo Coach John Stevenson said. “And when he threw his fastball, they just stuck out their bats and got hits.”

But in El Segundo’s home field--where such cozy dimensions as 330 feet to left, 320 feet to center and 320 feet to right would make a flea feel claustrophobic--no lead is safe.

Stevenson brought in his top pitcher Derek Fowler who promptly locked up the Raiders’ bats. The Eagles finally broke loose in the fifth for three runs, chasing Miller for Owens.

Sonora padded its lead in the seventh on Marc Patino’s run-scoring single, which dribbled down the first-base line and kicked off the bag, eluding El Segundo first baseman Todd McAndrews. It was Patino’s 37th RBI, breaking the school single-season record set by Brian Beales in 1986.

The Eagles’ Kevin Estrada homered off Owens in the seventh. When Owens walked the next batter, Jake Coulter, Rodriguez--who began the game at shortstop, with hits and a run scored--was called upon to get the final three outs.

In other Division II games:

Magnolia 7, Moreno Valley Valley View 0--Josh Reding hit an RBI in the fourth inning. Jorge Silva had run scored in the sixth inning and hit a double in the fourth inning and a triple in the fifth inning with two RBIs.

Cerritos Gahr 8, Brea Olinda 6--Val Pascucci had four strikeouts and was one for three. Eric Cohelo was two for two for Gahr (21-4). Gahr plays Upland on Friday.