Esperanza Heats Up and Feels Title Fever

Esperanza is becoming more and more confident it can win back-to-back Division I championships. And who can blame the Aztecs after they routed visiting Diamond Bar, 13-3, on Friday (called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule), which sent Esperanza into Tuesday’s semifinal game against Long Beach Wilson at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Last year, Esperanza was a senior-dominated team that won the National Classic Tournament and then overpowered the opposition in the Sunset League and the playoffs.

This team was to depend on pitching and defense instead great hitting, but the Aztecs weren’t hurting for offense in this game. Five of their hits were for extra bases.

“We think we have the ability to go all the way now if we play our game,” said first baseman Nick Gor, who had three hits, including his sixth home run, and drove in four runs.

“This team has taken awhile to find itself. But [since the Easter break] we have learned how to play as a team.”

Esperanza (20-7-1) won its 10th game in a row--and ended Diamond Bar’s 11-game winning streak in the process--with the same formula it has successfully used in its playoff run: steady pitching, solid defense and an explosive offense that maximizes opportunities provided by opponents’ mistakes.

In the first inning the Aztecs used a walk, an RBI double by Gor and a two-run homer by Kevin Snapp to take a 3-1 lead. After the Brahmas closed to within a run in the third, Esperanza scored three times in the bottom of the inning. Gor singled, Snapp reached base on a third-strike wild pitch, Jarrod Schuster drove in a run with a single to right and a dropped fly ball by Diamond Bar center-fielder Don Sizemore gave up two more runs.

Esperanza broke the game open in the fourth with seven runs off Brahmas starter Andrew Perkins (10-2) and reliever Jeff Groeger.

Aztecs starter Bo Ashabraner (8-2) worked around seven Brahmas hits and five walks. But Ashabraner was tough when he had to be. He induced Diamond Bar to hit in two inning-ending double plays and twice worked out of bases-loaded jams.

And when Ashabraner had a chance to close the game out in the fifth, he threw his only 1-2-3 inning.

“As excited as I am by the hitting, I was really pleased with our defense today,” Esperanza Coach Mike Curran said. “Most of our runs came on breaks. But our defense was huge when it had to be.

“I think this team knows it has the chance to create it’s own niche within the tradition of good baseball teams we’ve had here.”