Road back to title game begins with rout for Flintridge Prep baseball

GLENDALE — Each playoff run over the last four years has presented Flintridge Prep baseball coach Guillermo Gonzalez with a different challenge.

The reigning CIF Southern Section Division VI champion Rebels certainly put their coach in an unfamiliar position as Gonzalez’ biggest headache was just keeping his team focused for the later part of Thursday afternoon’s first-round contest at the Glendale Sports Complex.

Perhaps Gonzalez and the fourth-seeded Rebels deserve a pass, as they certainly flexed their muscles to the tune of a 28-0 walloping of visiting Yucca Valley Joshua Springs.

“I just tried to get the guys to stay in the game, in the whole game, especially when things are going your way,” said Gonzalez, whose postseason record improved to 10-2. “This is not something we wanted, definitely. But when you’re in these positions, you make sure all your players get a couple of at-bats and that everyone’s confidence is high.”

With the win, the Prep League champion Rebels improved to 17-5 this year and 7-1 in postseason play at the Glendale Sports Complex over the last four years.

Flintridge Prep will take on a familiar foe in Providence (15-9) in Tuesday’s second round at Burbank’s Ralph Foy Park at 6 p.m. The Rebels earlier defeated the Pioneers, 4-2, on April 18 in nonleague play at Foy.

Flintridge Prep pounded out 20 hits against three Lightning pitchers and scored in every inning.

Joshua Springs (7-12), which was making its first playoff appearance in three years, hurt its cause with six errors, six walks and nine hit batters.

All those stats melted together in a wild fourth inning in which the Rebels sent 20 batters to the dish and scored 14 runs on 11 hits with the benefit of three errors and three hit batters.

The big blow in the inning was a two-run home run from senior Robbie Leslie, who finished three for four with a double, four runs batted in and one run.

“I hit like three or four homers in practice yesterday and I was feeling like I could get one today,” Leslie said. “[Hamilton Evans] and [Cole Pilar] have been giving me a lot of grief because I didn’t have one. So, I was dropping my hands and putting up a big leg kick to get one.”

Fourteen players batted in Thursday’s contest for the Rebels and each one collected at least one hit.

Catcher Cole Pilar finished two for four with a triple, three runs and one RBI, second baseman Hamilton Evans turned in a triple, three RBI and two runs scored, while Andrew Tsangeos scored three times.

Maybe the most interesting stat line came from first baseman Richard Pan, who was one for one with two hit-by-pitches, one walk, four runs and one RBI.

For all the offense, the Rebels didn’t turn the game into a rout until the fourth.

Flintridge Prep led, 6-0, and plated six runs in the fourth with the biggest blow being a two-run triple from pitcher Aidan Schraeder, who was two for three with four RBI and two runs.

With his team up, 12-0, Schraeder retired the Lightning in the fifth and both teams headed to their dugouts.

While it was relayed to the crowd that Joshua Springs had asked that the game be elongated to seven innings, both coaches later confirmed that according to CIF rules there was no playoff mercy rule for a 10-run lead.

“We didn’t ask for the game to be extended, that’s just CIF,” Joshua Springs Coach Gabriel Hammett said. “We went out and played our best. We’re a young program and we need the experience. It wasn’t a great score, but we looked forward to getting back to the playoffs.”

Lost in the offensive fireworks was a near no-hitter from the combo of Schraeder and reliever Tsangeos.

The duo combined for 14 strikeouts and the no-hitter was lost when junior Connor McClay tripled with two outs in the seventh. The extra-base hit was the only hit for Joshua Springs.

“I was hoping we’d get that no-hitter, but I can’t complain,” Schraeder said. “I gave up a walk and coughed up a perfect game in the fifth.

“Besides, how can you be mad with this game?”