Esperanza Uses Waiting Game to Beat Servite

Esperanza baseball Coach Mike Curran says he is tired of watching the Aztecs fall behind in the early innings.

So he was simmering in the dugout Tuesday after host Servite scored the first three runs in a Southern Section Division I playoff game.

But Esperanza rallied to win, 8-7.

“I’m tired of it, I’d like us to be out in front early in the game,” Curran said. “But I liked the ending.”

Esperanza (19-7-1) will play Diamond Bar Friday in the third round.

Servite (20-7-1) had the winning run on third with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but Aztec pitcher Bo Ashabraner, who won in relief, got Mark Goldsmith to tap a grounder back to the mound for the final out.

“The difference was the little things here and there that we didn’t do,” Servite Coach Tom Tereschuk said.

The Friars left nine runners on base and made several throwing mistakes.

Esperanza stranded six runners. Each team had 12 hits. Esperanza, playing at Servite for the first time since 1987, cut Servite’s lead to 3-2 in the top of the second on Jesus Oregel’s two-run homer. The Aztecs took their first lead, 5-4, in the top of the fifth inning on Matt Conlin’s two-run homer off Friar relief pitcher Brian Wolfe.

The Friars rallied to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the inning, but Esperanza responded with four hits to produce three runs in the sixth.

Wolfe, who relieved Jeff Hultner in the second inning, was the loser.

Ashabraner gave up two hits, including a home run to catcher Ryan Garko, in the final two innings.

In another Division I game:

Diamond Bar 8, Mater Dei 6--Mater Dei, ranked eighth in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, was eliminated by host Diamond Bar. The Monarchs finished the season 22-5.