Esperanza Gets Its Work Done

Esperanza’s inability to take leads on opponents early in ball games made Aztec Coach Mike Curran nervous going into Tuesday’s Southern Section Division I baseball semifinal against Long Beach Wilson at Long Beach Blair Field.

He needn’t have worried Tuesday as Esperanza took a two-run lead in the first inning and put away Wilson, 10-2.

The Aztecs advanced to Saturday night’s championship game at Dodger Stadium against La Crescenta Crescenta Valley, a 3-0 winner over Yucaipa.

Wilson (21-5-1) seemed to have everything in its favor. The Bruins were hosting the Aztecs (21-7-1), they had been the best all season at putting away opponents and Curran was using a pitcher who hadn’t thrown in two weeks.

But Esperanza played nearly flawless baseball. Three hits and a sacrifice fly put Esperanza on top before Wilson got to the plate. The Aztecs added a run in the second inning on a double by Jesus Oregel and a pair of sacrifice bunts, including a suicide squeeze by catcher Joe Cristo.

Wilson got a run in the bottom of the third inning, but Esperanza countered with solo runs in the fourth and fifth on the benefit of a single hit.

Meanwhile, Aztec pitcher Jonathan Quiming puzzled the Bruins by mixing off-speed pitches with a fastball.

He gave up nine hits and got into trouble only once. That was in the third, when Wilson had runners on first and third base with one out.

Kevin Miller doubled off the right-field wall, driving in a run, but Bruin third baseman Sean Burroughs, drafted in the third round by the San Diego Padres earlier Tuesday, was thrown out trying to score from first base.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have sent him,” said Wilson Coach Mark Clabough, who is also the third-base coach. “I was trying to be aggressive.”

Esperanza scored five runs in the top of the sixth on four hits, two walks and two sacrifice flies that drove in runs. Quiming gave up a home run to Pat Leone in the bottom of the inning.

“I was just trying to spot my fastball and work inside and out during the game,” Quiming said. “I really didn’t expect to pitch until they told me Monday.”

Curran said he was as amazed as anyone at how well the Aztecs performed.

“I don’t think you will see a better executed game,” he said. “You work on this kind of thing in practice and you hope you can do it in pressure situations. Today our guys stepped up.”