SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Calvary Chapel Makes Most of Its Second Shot at a Title : Division V: The Eagles, who lost in the final game last season, win this time. They defeat Long Beach St. Anthony, 4-2.

Joe Jones, Calvary Chapel first baseman and master planner, couldn’t have scripted it any better.

The Eagles were going back to the Southern Section Division V championship game. They weren’t going to settle.

A year is a long time to wait, but it only made the aftertaste sweeter for Jones and the Eagles. They went back to the title game and beat Long Beach St. Anthony, 4-2, Friday at Blair Field.

“I told the team today that getting to the championship game wasn’t enough,” said Jones, a senior.

“We weren’t coming here for second place.”

The Eagles went that route last year, losing 6-2 to Sierra Madre Maranatha in the title game.

Maranatha scored five in the first and coasted. But the Eagles’ agony lingered this season.

They had to overcome the loss of shortstop Ryan Blood, who suffered a broken back in the regular-season finale.

“The kids have been talking about getting back the moment that game ended,” Coach Joe Walters said.

“They were thinking about that game all day. When it was time to go [to the ballpark], they were ready.”

The Eagles (20-9) showed they learn well. They scored four runs in the first to jump on top.

The Eagles had to sweat it out to the final out. St. Anthony loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, before freshman pitcher John Tucker got Jesus Sandoval to ground out.

“Nothing that happened last year mattered after that,” senior catcher Chance King said. “I don’t have to think about last year ever again.”

The Eagles’ big difference this year was their pitching depth.

Sophomore Josh Stewart (10-1) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up only three hits.

Tucker came on in relief to work out of Stewart’s jam in the sixth and his own mess in the seventh for his third save.

“How many teams have gone to a Southern Section championship game with a freshman and sophomore pitcher?” Walters asked.

St. Anthony (16-14), the third-place team from the Camino Real League, used one hot pitcher to get to the final.

Joshua Zack had won three games and saved a fourth in the Saints’ playoff run. But he was in trouble from the start Friday.

Zack (9-6) walked Rob Dennler in the bottom of the first and then King singled.

Jones’ hit glance off Zack’s glove to load the bases.

Kenny Nash’s infield single scored Dennler and King scored when shortstop Matt Luyben threw the ball away.

Justin Lentini’s single put the Eagles up, 4-0.

It turned out to be enough, but it took some doing.

The Saints had runners on base in every inning but the fourth.

St. Anthony had its best opportunity in the sixth, but could mange only one run to cut the deficit to two runs.

Jesus Sandoval reached on an one-out error by third baseman Joe De La Fuente.

Stewart then hit Zack. Sandoval broke for third on a delayed steal, catching De La Fuente flat-footed.

While Stewart was discussing the situation with his infielders, Zack stole second.

Those mistakes were turned into a run when Conley singled to left, knocking Stewart out of the game.