SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL / DIVISION III : La Quinta Ends Irvine’s Surprising Playoff Run

It has been a terrific season for Irvine, but all good things must come to an end.

Especially when you have to face a team as solid as La Quinta.

The Aztecs, defending Southern Section Division III champions, are good and opportunistic. They also possess one of the county’s best arms in senior right-hander Craig Jones, who along with Tom Clark combined on a two-hitter as La Quinta won the quarterfinal game, 7-1, Friday in Westminster.

La Quinta (24-3-1), seeking a third consecutive appearance in the finals, moves on to Tuesday’s semifinal against Pico Rivera El Rancho.

Jones (13-0) gave up only a second-inning single and a fifth-inning home run to Joey O’Toole, his first. Otherwise he dominated, fanning seven and walking none. Clark struck out the side to finish the game.

“He was actually better against Pacifica,” La Quinta Coach Dave Demarest said. “But he’s been great all year, and right now he’s unconscious.”

“We have some very good coaching here, and they really helped me develop over the summer,” Jones said.

Irvine (20-8) was supposed to be developing this season, but surprised everyone by taking the Sea View League race with Santa Margarita down to the final week of the regular season.

On Friday, the Vaqueros were overmatched.

Errors by shortstop Mike Walas and O’Toole were converted into two unearned runs by La Quinta in the first and second.

But the big faux pas came in the fifth. The game was still within reach with Irvine trailing, 3-1, but La Quinta loaded the bases with one out. Matt Ward, in relief of Scott Larsen (2-4), gave up an RBI single to Jon Gibson. Mark Ukleja was trapped in a rundown on the play, but Craig Kuzmic broke for the plate and scored under a high throw. The next batter, Jhamal Dawkins, pounded a high chopper toward third, and Ukleja beat the throw home.

“They have the kind of club that takes advantage of any mistake you make,” Irvine Coach Bob Flint said of La Quinta. “We were feeling OK about the game until the fifth, then we caved in. And the guys know it.”

In other Division III games:

Santa Margarita 8, Whittier La Serna 0--Michael Penney and Fritz Maskrey each homered and Ryan Reightley tossed a three-hit shutout for Santa Margarita to move on to the semifinals.

Reightley gave up three hits and one walk, and struck out one for the Eagles (21-7), who will play Ontario Chaffey (20-8) Tuesday. Penney was three for four with a home run, double, two RBIs and three runs scored for Santa Margarita.

Ontario Chaffey 6, Garden Grove 1--Kevin Loken, who went two for three with a double, and Greg Pines, who doubled, weren’t enough for Garden Grove (16-10).