La Mirada Dominates Defending Champion La Quinta

Another county baseball reign is over.

La Quinta, shooting for an unprecedented third consecutive Southern Section Division II championship, joins defending Division II champion Sonora on the sideline after being overrun by La Mirada, 12-0, in the quarterfinals Friday.

The Matadors (21-7) move on to Tuesday’s semifinal against Alta Loma. The Aztecs finish at 23-7.

“Well, it was a nice run,” La Quinta Coach Dave Demarest said. Since losing the 1993 section title game to Katella, the Aztecs had won 16 of their last 17 playoff games--including 12 in a row--before Friday.

“I’d think anyone would be happy with a 16-2 playoff record the past four years,” he said.

But Demarest also was correct in pointing out how the Aztecs’ streak ended. La Mirada outplayed the two-time defending champions in every aspect.

First, the Matadors bulldozed Aztec starter Joe Garcia (9-2) and three relievers for 14 hits, four by center fielder Josh Barton, who drove in four runs. Also beating up La Quinta with the bat was third baseman Jeff Nicolini, with three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored.

La Quinta, on the other had, did everything except hit La Mirada starter Ben Orr. The Aztecs got six walks--three to shortstop Morey Aldrup--and a batter was hit, but only three singles--two of those coming with two outs.

Orr struck out three and tossed 120 pitches in his fourth shutout of the season.

La Quinta made two errors that led directly to two of the three runs the Matadors scored in the fifth, to take a 6-0 lead.

And La Mirada was opportunistic. All 12 runs were scored with two outs, including six in the sixth. The coup de gras was a three-run homer by Greg Rudiger in the sixth, his second.

La Mirada Coach Kim Brooks, whose team is making its deepest playoff run since reaching the final in 1991 said he received no added joy by knocking out the defending champion.

“At this point of the season, the pigeons have gone home. Only the eagles are still flying,” Brooks said. “I’m glad we won, but more important, I’m glad we move on.”

To add injury to insult, Aztec second baseman Shaun Larkin hurt his left shoulder sliding into first during a Matador double play in the third. Demarest said he did not yet know if Larkin would undergo X-rays.