Curtain Falls on Stroh’s Era, 7-1

El Camino Real High baseball Coach Mike Maio didn’t find it difficult to see the irony in being the final opponent for Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh.

Stroh, who announced his retirement last week after 27 years with the Highlanders, coached his final game Thursday, a 7-1 loss to the Conquistadores in the City Section 4-A Division quarterfinals.

Maio, who taught with Stroh at the junior high school level more than 30 years ago, embraced the Granada Hills coach after the final out.

“This has been an emotional day. I just went to him and told him I would miss him,” Maio said. “I hate to see the guy go.”

Stroh, who won five City Section titles, expressed similar sentiments. Following the game, he and Maio took a picture together.

“I don’t think this was a game either one of us really wanted to play, at least that’s what he told me before the game,” Stroh said. “I think he’s shed more tears than I have today.”

After scoring a season-high 16 runs in a first-round upset of Palisades, 12th-seeded Granada Hills (14-15) could manage only two hits off Shaun Fishman.

Fishman (11-3) showed no ill effects from throwing three innings against Monroe in a first-round game two days earlier.

Fishman pitched a complete game and faced just two batters over the minimum, striking out seven and walking none.

Fishman, who has won seven consecutive games, took a no-hitter into the fifth before a triple by Adrien Torres led to Granada Hills’ run.

The Conquistadores (20-9) benefited from a porous Granada Hills defense to take a 5-0 lead after two innings. The Highlanders committed three errors in the first two innings and finished with five, all in the first four innings.

Third baseman Gavin Bible drove in three runs with two singles, and Mike Conn scored two runs.

The Conquistadores added two runs in the fourth, highlighted by Fishman’s fourth home run.

Fourth-seeded El Camino Real will play top-seeded Kennedy in the semifinals Tuesday at a site to be determined.

Kennedy 8, Banning 0--Derek Morse (14-0) pitched a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and did not allow a runner past first base for the host Golden Cougars (29-3) in a 4-A quarterfinal.

Mike Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs and Josh Miranda added three hits and scored three runs.

Poly 10, Reseda 1--Steve Guerrero pitched a no-hitter through five innings in a 4-A quarterfinal at Poly (26-5).

Guerrero (8-1) struck out three and gave up two hits. He also had two hits and three RBIs. Second-seeded Poly will play sixth-seeded Chatsworth in Tuesday’s semifinals.