Westminster Shuts Tustin Out of 3rd Place

When the season began, Tustin was expected to challenge Servite for the Golden West League title and Westminster figured to need every break to make the playoffs.

But after Westminster’s 3-0 victory over Tustin in a regular-season finale Friday, it is the Lions who have the final automatic playoff slot and it’s the Tillers who need some wild-card help.

To clinch third place, Westminster (16-9, 9-6) took advantage of the two-hit pitching of Mike Carey, got some timely hitting and played solid defense, turning two double plays.

Carey (10-1)--whose only loss this season was to second-place Ocean View--walked none, struck out six and was never seriously threatened.

“This is my fourth year here,” Westminster Coach Jim Doyle said, “and of the 22 freshman I started with, six are still here. We’ve made the playoffs each year, but this is probably the best. The team is young, but it plays with heart and character.

“And when Mike is on, and hitting his spots, he’s pretty tough to beat.”

Both hits were singles, a line drive to left by Brian Burns in the second and a grounder up the middle by Richard Lane in the seventh. But no Tiller reached second base, and only four of the 23 hitters Carey faced put the ball in the air.

Carey called the victory “one of my big thrills, because [Tustin] is a tough team.”

Matt Poling got Carey the only run he needed when he led off the Lions’ first with a homer to right off Tustin starter Chad Chop (5-3). It was his fourth. Three two-out singles in the third, the last by Chris Balogh, made it 2-0, and Westminster added an unearned run in the fifth.

Tustin (17-8, 8-7), a preseason top 10 pick, now needs an at-large berth to get into the playoffs. The Tillers were swept in three games by both Servite and Ocean View, and could not get past Westminster despite winning two of the three games between the teams.

In other Golden West League games:

Ocean View 11, Servite 10 (9)--Jason Miller hit the game-winning homer in the ninth for Ocean View, which finished second.

Jason Martini had two doubles and one triple with five RBIs for the Sea Hawks (16-10, 12-3). His bases-loaded triple in the sixth drove in three runs to cut the Friars’ five-run lead to two. Ocean View scored another run on a passed ball and Shawn White had a sacrifice fly to tie score.

Servite (19-6, 13-2) clinched the league title Thursday with a victory over Ocean View.

Saddleback 8, Santa Ana 3--Ronnie Valdivia was four for four with three RBIs for Saddleback (3-21-1, 2-12-1). Santa Ana finishes 4-19-1, 0-14-1.