Ashton’s Homer Gives Diablos a 1-0 Victory

Collin Ashton led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a home run that gave 10th-ranked Mission Viejo a 1-0 South Coast League baseball victory Thursday over visiting Capistrano Valley.

Ashton launched a 1-0 fastball from left-hander Frank McLaughlin over the fence in right-center field. McLaughlin (4-2) had given up only one hit in the first six innings.

Mission Viejo starter Dain Hanson gave up seven hits and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings.

“Both [Mission Viejo Coach] Chris [Ashbach] and I got to watch a great pitching duel,” Capistrano Valley Coach Bob Zamora said.

Hanson struck out Ryan Lombardi to open the top of the seventh before giving up a single to pinch-hitter Jason Corder and walking Adam Sorgi.

Jake Brennan replaced Hanson and picked Corder off second, but gave up a single to Justin Demere and fell behind 2-0 to Brad Davis.

Brennan came back to even the count and induced Davis to ground out to end the threat.

“That pickoff was huge,” Zamora said. “We probably would have scored on Demere’s hit.”

The victory gave the Diablos (9-5-1, 5-3-1) sole possession of second place, 1 1/2 games behind Trabuco Hills and a half-game ahead of San Clemente.

“We just want to get that eighth [league] win,” Ashbach said. “The way everybody is beating up on each other, that’s probably what we’ll need [to make the playoffs].”

Demere had three hits for the Cougars (10-6, 4-5), who fell into fourth place.