Miscues Lead Way to Titles

Santa Clarita Christian took advantage of five errors to score five runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on to beat top-seeded Joshua Springs, 9-6, to win the Southern Section Division VI baseball championship in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday at UC Irvine.

In the nightcap, Ontario Christian scored seven runs on five errors in the bottom of the third inning and went on to beat fourth-seeded Riverside Woodcrest Christian, 7-4, for the Division V title.

Starting pitcher Augie Detres had one of two hits in the third inning for Santa Clarita Christian. His double drove in Nick Dashnaw for a 3-2 advantage that the Cardinals (17-6) wouldn’t relinquish. Detres finished with three of his team’s nine hits.

Dashnaw did not allow a run in five innings in a 9-1 victory over Big Pine in a semifinal Tuesday, but he could not get an out after taking over for Detres (8-2) in the seventh with a five-run lead.

He was pulled after Christopher Bridenstine’s run-scoring single cut the deficit to 9-6 and kept the bases loaded.

Trevor McCaslin relieved Dashnaw and got Jake Welchel to line into a double play and Nickolas Lyneis to ground to third to end the game.

Anthony Virga and Nathan Rynning each had two hits for Joshua Springs (24-4).

It was the first section final appearance for each team.

Ontario Christian (23-4), also making its first appearance in a title game, took a 1-0 lead on a squeeze play in the third, then took advantage of four errors on the next two fair balls to score four additional runs.

The big blow came on Mike Pugliese’s single to right field with runners on first and second. Everybody scored thanks to two successive throwing errors and a botched backup.

The fourth-seeded Royals (22-7) answered with three runs in the top of the fourth, two coming home on the first of two triples by Greg Armenta, who also scored twice.

Dan Arritt

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Track and Field

Long Beach Poly is expected to roll to its second consecutive girls’ title -- and third in four years -- in the state track and field championships that start today at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento.

The race for the boys’ title could be a tight one among Union City Logan, Los Angeles Dorsey and Long Beach Poly.

Today’s meet includes preliminaries in all events except the boys’ and girls’ 3,200 meters. The Poly girls’ team, led by senior sprinters Shalonda Solomon and Jasmine Lee and versatile sophomore Shana Woods, could contend for titles in seven of the 16 events and score more than 70 points.

Tracy West, Logan, Long Beach Wilson and Riverside North are expected to battle for second place.

Logan, led by high and intermediate hurdles favorite Kevin Craddock, is a slight favorite to win its first boys’ title. But Dorsey, paced by 400-meter favorite David Gettis, and Poly, led by 100 and 200 pick Derrick Jones, also appear capable of winning.

Gettis, a junior, and Lee, a senior, are trying to win their second consecutive titles in the boys’ and girls’ 400, respectively.

John Ortega

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Volleyball

The 27th Dave Mohs Memorial Orange County boys’ and girls’ all-star games will be tonight at Huntington Beach Edison.

The girls’ match begins at 6 p.m., followed by the boys’ match at 7:30. Tickets are $5. Information: (949) 515-6308.

Paul McLeod

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Football

Foothill League quarterbacks Sean Norton of Newhall Hart and Nate Longshore of Canyon will lead opposing teams in the San Fernando Valley’s East-West high school all-star game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lake Balboa Birmingham.