Prep baseball: West Ranch defeats Mater Dei to capture Southern Section Division 2 title

It was a night when gnats came out by the hundreds at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field. Fans swatted them away. Players endured.

“In my ears, on my eyes,” said West Ranch pitcher Hunter Manning of the insect invasion. “You have to keep going.”

After 101 pitches in the Southern Section Division 2 championship game Saturday night, Manning celebrated by catching a pop fly for the final out with runners on second and third to close out a 2-1 win over Mater Dei and finish his senior season with a 10-0 pitching record as he heads off to UC Irvine.

It was the final game for coach Ryan Lindgreen, who is stepping down to devote more time to his three young children. Like last season when Hart coach Jim Ozella ended his coaching career with a Division 2 championship, Lindgreen got to celebrate the same way. West Ranch has decided not to play in next week’s Southern California regionals.

Errors got Mater Dei in trouble from the beginning, when a dropped fly ball off a hit by leadoff batter Landon Hu led to a West Ranch run in the first inning. Then a throwing error on a ground ball set up an RBI single by Ryan Oh in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.

Manning was in control for much of the game. He retired the first nine batters in order and finished with six strikeouts and no walks. But a one out error in the seventh gave Mater Dei an opening as Manning began to tire. Bradley Beaudreau singled and Brady Guth hit an RBI single to make it 2-1. After a flyout, Mater Dei had the tying and winning runs at second and third.

West Ranch players celebrate their Division 2 championship.

(Nick Koza )

On a 3-and-1 count to CJ Ciampa, Manning caught a pop up between home and first, launching the West Ranch celebratory dogpile. This team had two no-hitters in the playoffs and a walk-off hit from Ty Diaz in the semifinals to come away with the first championship in school history.

Manning also gets bragging rights in the family. His uncle, Pat, was a top player at Mater Dei in 1999 and teammate of Mater Dei coach Richard Mercado.

Glendora 2, San Dimas 0: Aaron Jacobsen delivered two doubles and the pitching duo of Tanner Gable and Brayden Johnson combined for the shutout in the Division 3 championship game.

Johnson threw the final 3⅔ innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts and no walks. Santiago Garza had three hits.

Pitcher Brayden Johnson of Glendora holds up championship plaque after 2-0 win over San Dimas in Division 3 final.

(Nick Koza)

Estancia 4, Pasadena Marshall 3: A three-run triple by Jake Humphries in the bottom of the seventh inning wiped out a 3-1 deficit and gave Estancia the Division 6 championship.