Ickes Reaches End of Career at Mater Dei

Riverside Arlington handed Mater Dei a pair of losses Tuesday.

The Lions defeated Mater Dei, 3-2, in a Southern Section Division I baseball semifinal at Blair Field in what was the final game for Monarch Coach Bob Ickes.

Ickes retired after 25 years with a record of 451-181-9 and a Division I championship in 1980.

“It’s been a wonderful ride all these years,” said Ickes, choking up momentarily. “It will take awhile to sink in that this was the last game.”

The second-seeded and Ivy League champion Lions (28-2) advance to their first Division I title game Saturday, facing Long Beach Wilson at Edison Field.

Wilson defeated Rialto, 8-3, in the other semifinal Tuesday at Blair Field.

Mater Dei starter Brandon Espinosa (4-1) ran into trouble in the third when he gave up two consecutive singles and then threw a wild pitch.

Jason Fransz grounded an RBI single to left to drive in one run and an error enabled another run to score.

Ryan Christianson, the state baseball athlete of the year and who is expected to go high in today’s major league baseball draft, followed with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 3-0.

The Monarchs (21-7) got two unearned runs in the fourth and had a chance in the seventh when Aaron Escobedo and Pat Manning, each of whom had two hits, singled with two out. But Bill Murphy, who relieved starter Anthony Lunetta (3-0) in the sixth, struck out Steve Henderson for the last out.

In Division III:

El Dorado 12, Norwalk 2 (6, mercy)--Drew McMillan went three for five with two RBIs and Brian Sanders had three RBIs for top-seeded El Dorado, which plays Hemet in the championship game Saturday at Edison Field.

Hemet 2, La Habra 1--The Bulldogs (24-5) took an early lead, scoring two unearned runs in the second inning. Kyle Ballard’s sixth-inning single drove in Al Estrada from second base for La Habra (22-7).

In Division V:

Calvary Chapel 10, Ventura St. Bonaventure 0 (5, mercy)--Brett Young (14-0) struck out six in four innings for the host Eagles (27-1-1), who play L.A. Baptist in the championship game Friday at Blair Field.