Lipman Is Smashing in 9-5 Royal Victory

Brian Lipman hit his eleventh home run of the season and set two school records for Royal High in a 9-5 victory over El Rancho in a Southern Section Division II first-round baseball playoff game Thursday at Royal.

Lipman, who is the Highlanders’ all-time home-run leader with 21, broke the single-season mark of 10 he shared with teammate Bobby Egan.

Lipman hit a two-run homer in the third inning against El Rancho and finished with two hits and two runs batted in.

He set the single-season record for RBIs with 50, breaking the mark of 49 set by Shane Slayton in 1992.

Lipman’s home run was one of three the Highlanders (19-5-1) hit with two out in a seven-run third inning.

Casey O’Quinn hit his ninth homer and Buzz Byer added his second.

Scott Rice (6-1) pitched an eight-hitter for Royal. He allowed two earned runs and two walks and struck out eight.

Canyon 4, San Marcos 0--Sophomore Chris Seddon pitched a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts and the Cowboys won a Division II first-round game at Canyon.

Canyon (14-11), playing in the playoffs for the first time since 1993, scored four runs in the sixth.

Garrett Behnke hit a two-out, two-run single, and Mike Munn and Matt Munn followed with RBI doubles.

Seddon (6-2), a left-hander who walked five, worked out of self-imposed jams in the second and seventh. In the seventh he walked two with none out but struck out two.

St. Monica 5, Faith Baptist 0--Junior Fernando Velasquez scattered eight hits and gave up two earned runs for the Contenders in a Division V first-round loss at Faith Baptist.

Velasquez (7-3) struck out 10 and walked two.

Heritage League champion Faith Baptist (16-6) committed five errors against the Mariners (11-11). The Contenders last made the playoffs in 1995, losing in the second round to St. Monica, 5-3.

SOFTBALL

Paraclete 4, Providence 0--Sara Gonzales pitched a two-hitter, and Margo Horner had three hits to help the Spirits win a Division V first-round playoff game at Foy Park.

Gonzales (9-4) struck out seven and did not walk a batter for Paraclete (19-8).

Horner scored a run and stole two bases.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Southern Section Baseball Playoffs

First Round

All games 3:15 p.m. unless noted

Division I

* Palmdale at Bell Gardens

* Notre Dame at Thousand Oaks

* San Clemente at Crespi

* Long Beach Millikan at Camarillo

* Warren at Highland

* Downey at Crescenta Vly, 4 p.m.

Division II

* Ventura at Righetti

* Rio Mesa at Santa Barbara

* Arroyo at Hart

Division III

* Westlake at Calabasas

Division IV

* La Canada at Bishop

* Chaminade at Monrovia

* Fillmore at Nordhoff

* Lompoc at Oak Park

* South Pasadena at Paraclete

Division V

* Flintridge Prep at Calvary Chapel

* Windward at Kilpatrick

* St. Bonaventure at Cate

* L.A. Baptist at Viewpoint

* Thacher at Crossroads

* Aquinas at Lancaster Desert Chr.