Palmdale Makes Big Impression

Palmdale High needed a big victory in a big game to show that it’s a big-time baseball team.

On Tuesday, Palmdale got it.

In a tight second-round game of the Southern Section Division I playoffs at Palmdale High, the Falcons upset fourth-seeded Crespi, 4-3, bringing some respect to a team that critics said padded its record against lesser competition.

The Falcons (21-5) got a two-run home run by J.J. Rosatti in the first inning and another by Mike Arellano in the fifth for all the offense they needed.

Pitchers Mark Hendricks and Sean Zortman, meanwhile, stifled a hot-hitting Crespi team, stranding the Celts (22-6-1) in several crucial situations.

Palmdale advances to play Crescenta Valley, a 5-4 winner over Royal, in the quarterfinals on Friday at a neutral site determined by a coin flip today. Palmdale finishes 12-0 at home.

“Up here in the Antelope Valley sometimes we feel slighted a bit,” said Palmdale Coach Lance Pierson, whose team was not ranked in The Times’ regional poll until the final three weeks of the season.

“It’s tough for people to get out and see us. But I think this is a great victory for Palmdale High. It will go a long way in improving our credibility.”

Trailing 4-3, Crespi tried to rally in the top of the seventh inning against Zortman, Palmdale’s closer.

Ron Lauer led off the inning with a double to center. Max Flaum followed with a walk and Tim Mathews moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.

Pinch-hitter Chris Delja struck out on three pitches and Zortman intentionally walked Anthony Trejo. Zortman then struck out Christian Cardenas, who missed a 1-2 curveball over the outside corner to end the game.

It was the second time Crespi did not score after having runners at first and second with no out.

“It’s disappointing,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “Any time you end the season with a loss, it’s disappointing. But give them credit. It took them a real good game to beat us.”

Palmdale knew it would.

Chatter echoed from the Falcon dugout the entire game. Every pitch that went Palmdale’s way brought a cheer.

Even when Crespi pitcher Mike Jackson threw to first in half-hearted pickoff attempts, the bench erupted at the umpire’s call of “safe.”

“Everything in this game counted,” Arellano said. “Every little play mattered. We knew those things had to go our way.”

The Falcons trailed, 3-2, when Arellano came up with Rosatti at first and no out in the fifth. Jackson (7-2) had retired five of the previous nine Palmdale batters with strikeouts and hadn’t allowed a runner past first base since the second inning.

But Arellano hit Jackson’s 3-1 fastball over the fence in left center for a 4-3 Falcon lead.

“He was starting to get us down,” Arellano said of Jackson. “So I knew that if something was going to happen that it was going to have to happen right then. The count was 3-1 so I absolutely knew it was going to be a fastball. When I hit it, it was like heaven.”

Hendricks (8-1) pitched five innings and allowed three runs on six hits. Zortman allowed one hit, two walks and struck out three in working the final two innings. He got his third save despite allowing Crespi to load the bases in the final inning.

“I was concerned,” Zortman said. “But it was my fault we got in the jam so it was my job to get us out.”