Results tagged “Yucaipa High School Thunderbirds Baseball” from Yucaipa Now
Huntington Beach Oilers' Sean Guite tries to escape the tag of Yucaipa's Matt Davidson during a run down between third base and home.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer
YUCAIPA - Check out the photos of the Yucaipa Thunderbirds and Huntington Beach Oilers CIF playoff baseball game on Friday.
HUNTINGTON BEACH - The 2009 Thunderbirds baseball team shattered school records, won the Citrus Belt League Championship, won the prestigious Millington, Tennessee and Chino tournament championships, and attained lofty state and national rankings.
But the one prize they had their eyes firmly fixed on all season long - a California Interscholastic Federation Championship - will forever remain an unrequited dream. The Huntington Beach Oilers made sure of that by defeating the Thunderbirds, 10-2, on Friday in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division II Playoffs.
Yucaipa simply did not play its "A" game by committing five errors that helped pave the way to victory for the 18-12 Oilers, who finished third in the Sea View League with an 8-7 record and entered the playoffs as a wild card team.
Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds, one of the finest teams in coach Jeff Stout's 33 years, finish 27-3 and as the Citrus Belt League Champions with a 13-1 record.
"We were ready, but for whatever reason we didn't make the plays," Stout said. "Five errors aren't going to win you too many ball games. Errors have been kind of a nemesis with us all year long, but we've been able to make up for it with our bats."
Photo By Doug Earnest / www.inlandsportsphotography.com
YUCAIPA - Doug Earnest's shot was right on the nose during Yucaipa's 15-7 win over Cresenta Valley in the second round of CIF SS Div. 2 Playoffs. But CV's third baseman paid a price by taking a shot to his nose as Thunderbirds' Matt Davidson slides in to the bag.
Bob Otto / Staff Photographer
YUCAIPA - See the Yucaipa Thunderbirds and Cypress Centurions baseball teams in action during the second round of CIF Southern Section Division II Playoffs, Tuesday, at Thompson Field in Yucaipa.
YUCAIPA - For most Thunderbirds games, Yucaipa Head Coach Jeff Stout keeps Matt Davidson patrolling third base. But if the pitching falters, Stout points his big 6-foot-4 right hander toward the mound.
And that scenario played out on Tuesday in the Thunderbirds, 10-4, victory over the visiting Cypress Centurions (19-10) in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division II Playoffs at Thompson Field.
Davidson made the trek from third to the pitchers mound in the top of the fourth inning in relief of starter Pedro Cota with no outs and runners on first and second. And Yucaipa clinging to a 3-2 lead. Davidson pitched out of the jam yielding but one run, and went on to finish the game allowing 1 earned run, 4 hits, 1 walk, along with 2 strikeouts.
And not to forget his bat in the #3 spot, Davidson (2-for-2) hit a monster three-run home run deep over the left-center field fence in the sixth inning to give the Thunderbirds their final three runs.
So how did Davidson who was a starting pitcher since his freshman year in 2004-'05 (10-1, 0.76 ERA, 60 strikeouts in 64.2 innings), and the Citrus Belt League's Most Valuable Player, become the team's closer in his senior season?
By simply being asked.
YUCAIPA - We can rest easy. The protest filed by Crescenta Valley coach Frank Torres claiming that Yucaipa catcher Cody Meservey didn't leave the premises promptly after having been ejected in the top of the second inning has been rejected by the CIF Southern Section.
Read SUN sports reporter TJ Berka's entire story about the incident that had Yucaipa baseball fans fearful that the Thunderbirds would be disqualified from the Div. II playoffs...
Click here to read TJ Berka's blog about Yucaipa's continuation in the Playoffs
By J.P. Hoornstra / Staff Writer
YUCAIPA - They made even a CIF-SS playoff game look like batting practice - as they always do - by scoring 15 runs on 16 hits and nearly blowing Crescenta Valley out of the Inland Empire.
But the Yucaipa baseball team might be derailed by something that didn't make the box score in its 15-7 win Thursday. Catcher Cody Meservey was ejected in the second inning but didn't immediately leave Thompson field. That drew a protest from Falcons coach Phil Torres that will be reviewed by the Southern Section.
If the protest is upheld, the Thunderbirds would have to forfeit the game and any hopes of winning a division title.
"We're the fourth-ranked team in the country, No. 1 in the state, we've never had problems before," Yucaipa coach Jeff Stout said. "I hope CIF shows compassion toward us."
YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds clinched the 2009 Citrus Belt League Championship with 23-0 victory over the Eisenhower Eagles of Rialto on Thursday at Thompson Field, "Home of the Thunderbirds."
The 2009 title marks the 17th league championship the Thunderbirds have won in Head Coach Jeff Stout's 33 year career at Yucaipa High School. They finished the league season with a 13-1 record, 25-2 overall.
A recap of the Thunderbirds' Citrus Belt League scores:
1. 10-3 victory over Rialto.
2. 9-1 victory over A.B. Miller of Fontana.
3. 10-7 victory over Redlands.
4. 20-1 victory over Fontana.
5. 2-12 loss to Redlands East Valley.
6. 35-1 victory over Eisenhower of Rialto.
7. 13-2 victory over Carter of Rialto.
8. 7-0 victory over Rialto.
9. 9-5 victory over Redlands East Valley.
10. 16-7 victory over Carter.
11. 15-1 victory over A.B. Miller.
12. 16-3 victory over Redlands.
13. 12-1 victory over Fontana.
14. 23-0 victory over Eisenhower.
Yucaipa's Wyatt Padgett had a huge day at the plate, driving in six runs, with a 4-for-4 performance, including a three-run home run. Here his teammates greet him at home plate after his first inning homer.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer
YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds defeated the A.B. Miller Rebels of Fontana, 15-1, in a Citrus Belt League game on Tuesday. See the teams in action.
YUCAIPA - One point pitchers agree on unanimously: It's much easier to pitch when your team is scoring runs.
And Thunderbirds Frank Martin agrees wholeheartedly. Not that he needed a lot of runs on Tuesday in a Citrus Belt League game with A.B. Miller of Fontana. The lefthander tossed a one-hitter at the Rebels, while his teammates pounded out 16 hits, as Yucaipa improved its CBL record to 10-1 in a 15-1 romp over the visiting Rebels.
"Our hitting is really coming around," said Martin, who with the win improves to 6-2 with a 1.93 ERA on the year. "We are working a lot on hitting with coach (Lou) Sosa and it's paying off."
Martin allowed his lone hit in the first inning to Mike Dragoon, whose single to left field scored lead off batter, Anthony Michaud, who reached first base on an infield error.
But from that point on Martin was tough by getting ahead of the batters, and mixing a good fastball with his sharp-breaking curve. Martin allowed only three balls to leave the infield - all routine fly ball outs to centerfield. And he struck out 10, walked 2, and hit 1 batter.
"I felt good today," Martin said. "I felt like my fastball was jumping; it hasn't been like that recently, and I felt confident in all my pitches."
Thunderbirds surge into first in CBL battle with Wildcats
By T.J. Berka / Staff Writer
YUCAIPA - Yucaipa catcher Cody Meservey, a safety on the football team, hardly fits the stereotype of the plodding, slow-footed backstop. Redlands East Valley learned that the hard way Thursday.
With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth, Meservey led off with an infield single and beat out three Redlands East Valley force attempts to score the go-ahead run in a 9-5 Yucaipa victory.
The victory broke a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats for Yucaipa (20-2, 8-1) and put the Thunderbirds a half-game ahead of REV (14-6, 8-2) in the Citrus Belt League standings. Meservey's hustle made it all possible.
"I don't think they had a scouting report on him," Yucaipa coach Jeff Stout said. "If they did, they'd know that Cody is a football player and can fly. He's not a slow catcher."
After Meservey's single, Grady Espinosa laid down a sacrifice bunt toward REV pitcher Griffin Murphy. Instead of taking the routine out at first, Murphy whipped around and tried to throw out Meservey at second unsuccessfully.
YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa Thunderbirds knocked off the Redlands East Valley Wildcats, 9-5, on Thursday in a Citrus Belt League match up of the two top contending teams for the league championship.
(My esteemed colleague in the sports department, T.J. Berka, will have a game story in the SUN tomorrow morning.)
Also check out T.J.'s Blog Click Here For Berka's Sports Blog
YUCAIPA - Both teams have 7-1 league records. Both teams are scoring runs in bunches. Both teams have solid pitching. And both teams would like to kick the stuffing out of each other.
So the Citrus Belt League showdown on Thursday at Yucaipa High School's Tommy Thompson Field, between the Yucaipa Thunderbirds and Redlands East Valley Wildcats baseball teams promises to be a thriller.
For starters, at stake is a leg up in the battle for the CBL championship. Secondly, after a kick-in-the-butt, 12-2, thrashing by the Wildcats on April 17th at REV, the Thunderbirds probably have a little "revenge" on their minds. And thirdly, this has been a great rivalry over the years.
Look for both teams to score runs. Yes, I know, the Wildcats held the Thunderbirds to 2 runs and 3 hits in that first game, but I consider that an aberration. It won't happen again - Yucaipa just hits the ball too well, one through nine.
YUCAIPA - First baseman Wyatt Padgett batting in the number four spot went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs to lead the Thunderbirds to a 20-1 victory over the visiting Fontana Steelers, Thursday, in a Citrus Belt League game.
But Padgett had plenty of help in the hitting department. Yucaipa pounded out 19 hits off a three pitchers highlighted by a first inning in which the Thunderbirds sent 12 batters to the plate and scored 8 runs to put the game away early.
The Yucaipa bats erupted again in the third by scoring 7 runs punctuated by shortstop Chad Erickson's triple down the left field line that drove in two runs.
Fontana scored its lone run in the third when third baseman, Chris Ramirez, doubled with two outs to drive in Vince Westbrook, who had walked.
The win gives the Thunderbirds a perfect 4-0 record in league play, 16-1 overall. While Fontana's record stands at 3-3 CBL, 8-9 overall.
In its four league games, Yucaipa has outscored the opposition by a whopping 49 to 12 margin. But they may need to keep those bats hot, as tomorrow they travel To Redlands East Valley in a showdown with the Wildcats with first place on the line.
The Wildcats have proven they can swing the bat as well. In establishing its 4-1 CBL record, REV has outscored league foes 57-20. The Wildcats lone loss came on Thursday to Carter of Rialto, 10-11.
With a win over REV, Yucaipa can take over the top spot in the eight-team CBL.
Junior, right-hander, Pedro Cota, pitched a complete game, scattering 10 hits over seven innings, along with 6 strikeouts, while walking 2. The win gives Cota a 4-0 record and he picked up his second win in league play.
Game time Friday in the showdown with the REV Wildcats is 3:15 p.m.
YUCAIPA: Frank Martin 1-4, 2RBI; Matt Davidson 1-3, RBI; Todd Seymour 1-1, RBI; Wyatt Padgett 4-4, 4 RBI; David Petta 1-1; Chad Erickson 2-4, 2 RBI; Cody Meservey 1-2, 2 RBI; Matt Hardison 1-1; Matt Marnati 3-4, triple; Taijuan Walker 3-3, 3 RBI; and Brian Derryberry 1-2, RBI.
FONTANA: Juan Gutierrez 1-3, Chris Ramirez 2-3, RBI, 2 doubles; Adam Huizar 1-4, Adrian Lopez 1-1, Corey Wilson 2-3, and Chris Enriquez 2-3.
Citrus Belt League Standings / Overall
- Yucaipa 4-0 / 16-1
- Redlands East Valley 4-1 / 9-5
- A.B. Miller of Fontana 3-2 / 8-6
- Carter of Rialto 3-2 / 5-6
- Fontana 3-3 / 8-9
- Redlands 2-3 / 9-7
- Eisenhower of Rialto 1-4 / 2-10
- Rialto 0-5 / 4-9-1
YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds were high-stepping it during warmups before practice on Thursday afternoon in preparation for the opening of the Spring high school baseball season.
Yucaipa will seek to improve on its 2008 record of 20-9 and second-place finish in the Citrus Belt League at 10-4, behind league champion Redlands East Valley, which finished 12-2.
The Thunderbirds kick off their season in a scrimmage with the Bulldogs of Hemet High School, Saturday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m., at Hemet. Then from March 6 - 9th, they play in the Chino Tourney.
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