Another Lipman Homer Highlights Royal Rout

It didn’t take long for Royal High to take control of its wild-card game in the Southern Section Division II baseball playoffs Tuesday at Canyon.

Only as long as it took the Highlanders to bat around and score four runs in the first inning.

When it was mercifully over, Royal had made a shambles of the Canyon pitching staff in a 13-2 victory that was halted after five innings because of the 10-run rule.

Canyon pitcher Chris Seddon (6-3) entered the game with a 2.15 earned-run average but left in the fourth inning after allowing eight runs, seven earned.

The final hit Seddon allowed was a two-run home run by Brian Lipman that cleared the fence in left-center field and made the score 8-2.

It was a school-record 13th home run of the season for Lipman, a senior first baseman who tied Littlerock senior Delwyn Young for the most career home runs in region history with 33.

“I don’t think it means as much since Delwyn already set it, but it still means something,” said Lipman, who has signed with Troy State of Alabama.

He will have an opportunity to break the region record when the Highlanders (17-11) visit Whittier California on Friday in a first-round game.

While Lipman delivered the most memorable hit in the game, there were plenty of others. Royal finished with 11 hits.

Nick Jewell who went two for three, including a three-run homer in the fourth.

Buzz Byer’s three-run double in the first gave the Highlanders a 4-0 lead.

Anthony Gallo and Casey O’Quinn each added two singles and a double.

Royal Coach Dan Maye said he wasn’t surprised by his team’s offensive display.

“We’ve hit well during the year,” Maye said. “In the last two games we saw Westlake and Thousand Oaks, and you’re not going to see much better pitching than that.”

He will not receive an argument from Canyon, which finished 13-8-1.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

All game times 3:15 p.m.

WILD-CARD SCORES

Tuesday

Division II

Highland 10, Channel Islands 0

Division II

Royal 13, Canyon 2

Division IV

Oak Park 8, Santa Paula 7

Division V

L.A. Baptist 19, Villanova Prep 3

Brentwood 11, Flintridge Prep 2

FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS

Friday

Division I

Oxnard at Los Alamitos

Highland at Lakewood

Crescenta Valley at Camarillo

Long Beach Wilson at Crespi

Division II

Sultana at Palmdale

Royal at California

Damien at Ventura

Westminster at Thousand Oaks

Lancaster at Hart

Division III

Temple City at Westlake

Calabasas at Paso Robles

Burroughs at South Torrance

Division IV

Oak Park at Gladstone

Notre Dame at Mayfair

La Canada at Nordhoff

Chaminade at Lompoc

Division V

L.A. Baptist at St. Bonaventure

Brentwood at St. Anthony

Vasquez at Cerritos Valley Christian

Kern Valley at Campbell Hall

Ontario Christian at Village Christian

Division VI

Grace Brethren-bye

Highland Hall at Thacher

Rolling Hills Prep at Faith Baptist

Granada Hills Hillcrest Christian at Viewpoint

First Lutheran at Cuyama Valley