BASEBALL: St. Francis reigns again, 3-2
Golden Knights take Elks title to improve to 5-0 on the season.
Above: St. Francis celebrates their 3-2 win against Temple City during the championship Arcadia Elks Tournament game at Temple City High School. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SPORTS)
By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
TEMPLE CITY - Major-league relief pitchers have admitted to being worried entering a potentially explosive situation.
But not St. Francis High school right-hander Chris Sember. The junior made his first appearance in the championship game of the Arcadia Elks Tournament on Saturday with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning. He calmly threw five pitches for strikes to lead the Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory and the tournament title.
"Believe me, I wasn't nervous," Sember said. "I had to warm up quickly, so I knew I had to come with my best stuff."
With one out, Temple City's Morgan Hatch hit a bloop single into center field. Pitcher Corwin Doerning walked the next two batters - No. 3 hitter Brian Dearth and clean-up hitter Will Do - on eight pitches, which forced St. Francis coach Brian Esquival to go to Sember, who said all he threw were fastballs and curveballs.
"We just wanted him to get a couple of innings in for us, which he did," Esquival said of Doerning. "I think he was tiring."
On the second pitch, Branden Pultz hit a short fly to center field. The Rams, earlier burned on a throw to the plate, did not try it this time.
"We already tested them once," Temple City coach Barry Bacon said.
Sember then struck out Justin Smith on three pitches.
"He came in and did a great job," Esquival said.
The Knights (5-0) got to reliever Smith with one out in the eighth. Jeff Johnson led off with an infield single he barely beat out. He was sacrificed to second and, after Smith's fifth strikeout, Brooks Burns hit an opposite-field double down the third-base line to break the tie.
"His pitchers were coming in, so I kind of expected a curveball to go outside," Burns said.
Dearth and St. Francis' Nick Gentili pitched excellent games until reaching their pitch count. Dearth struck out eight but was hampered by putting runners on second and third bases in the first four innings.
St. Francis scored only once in those innings, a Garrett Salzman sacrifice fly to score Gentili, who was hit by a pitch. The Knights also scored with two outs in the sixth on a Burns walk, a wild pitch, a passed ball and Nick Petito's single.
Gentili was in control with a 2-0 lead until the sixth inning and struck out six. Sanderson then was hit by a pitch, Hatch tripled when the ball took an odd hop over right fielder Petito's head and Do doubled down the left-field line to tie the game.
"That was a great high school baseball game," Bacon said.
It was the fifth year the Rams (4-1) have taken second place in the tournament.
"Dearth and (Smith) pitched great for them and our guys pitched great," Esquival said. "It was a great game. It was perfect for opening league next week, because these are the type of games were going to see all season long."
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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Ok, the new rankings are out. Since I started this mess, I’d like to close it out. Congratulations to all the young men who are able to maintain the required G.P.A., work hard, compete and try their best. Especially, the kids at College preparatory programs., and they kids that maintain a high G.P.A. The education at the next level will serve you well. Bravo you kids.
Just do me a big favor and say Thank You and give your Parents a big hug. They are the people that get you there, provide you passage, support you efforts unconditionally, do without at times so you can do with. As for the game last week, Sember, you were nails and you have my utmost respect.
Game Watcher
Saying your comments are "constructive" are like saying racial slurs build character.
You should read your earlier (12.07)post and critique your comments under your "constructive criticism" umbrella. I see the criticism, but the constructive has gone invisible.
There are some redeeming points in your observations...but they are buried by crappy remarks that you seem to have trouble holding back on. My point goes back to the fact kids hang here on a regular basis.
It says "don't like", not "never read".
anon 4:25...if you never read these blogs how did you see this thread?
This is exaclty why I don't like these blogs. They can and often turn into critical attacks on individual athletes. These are just teenagers playing the games they love, ultimately for fun. The vast majority of these kids will not play at the next levels of competition. Lamabste the pros in blogs, not these local hs athletes. There is no need to critically pick apart their efforts. Let's keep these blogs for brief narratives of the season, the occasional "my school is better then your school" comments (always amusing), and to dole out accolades to these athletes when they are deserving.
This is exaclty why I don't like these blogs. They can and often turn into critical attacks on individual athletes. These are just teenagers playing the games they love, ultimately for fun. The vast majority of these kids will not play at the next levels of competition. Lamabste the pros in blogs, not these local hs athletes. There is no need to critically pick apart their efforts. Let's keep these blogs for brief narratives of the season, the occasional "my school is better then your school" comments (always amusing), and to dole out accolades to these athletes when they are deserving.
Who is Adam? Don't bring the coaches into this. I don't even think they read this. You can lambaste us parents as much as you want. As I said before, I have nothing personal against any kid. If you'd like to address me personally...give me an e-mail address and I will respond to you. The purpose of this blog is to be able to post under a guise of anonymity, but in the defense of my kid, his teammates, or any of his coaches, I would be glad to converse as myself.
Game Watcher or should I say Adam Milan. You should be ashamed of yourself. You never point out the bad things by using the kids names. You are a coach and should hold yourself to a higher standard. I didn't even see the game but I know the comments were made by you. TCchamps I know who you are too.
My Mission:
If you in fact feel that you son takes my open criticism personal instead of constructive, then you indeed have my apologies. I do not "personally" know any of those kids and my comments not intended as a personal attack. My statements were my factual attempt to rebut the idea the game was lost due to the umpires and not the mistakes made by either side.
Game Watcher, My kid was one of the many kids you mentioned by name in your blog...you may think this is ok, I may not. If you had a kid that didn't have his best game, would you want his name blasted on the internet for everyone to see? You may think this is a way to motivate the kids, I do not. By the way, what is your real name? Maybe you will make a mistake and someone will blast you on the internet.
Goldenarm, are you intimating that the picture of me and Sasquatch in front of the Huntington Library is a fake?
anonymous 5:24...not really, that's just a female version of SF
Oh you must mean Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, up the hill.
There is no question that the depth of talent at St Francis is superior to most if not all public schools in the area.
The question seems to be why St Francis fans feel so hated and I think the answer can be summed up in 626 football's comment that reads "SF kids and parents act just how they are thought of, which is the best.”
626 football forgot the part about proving you’re the "best" on the field rather than bragging about it all over the area. Win something SF and you'll have some actual success to back up the unfounded arrogance.
Maybe instead of being the areas wanna be Loyola SF can look to emulate the school across the street and up the hill from them where success is defined in the classroom and athletics are seen as a method building character and teaching team work.
Game Watcher
Easy dude. If you see Galetti's interview style as being a point of "Adversity" for the SF players to rally on...you may next be placing toxic substances into envelopes and mailing them to government officials.
Your comments are contradictory, "umpires are human...followed by other posts where you deliver repeated low blows to the umpire's groin. Secondly, kids read this blog regularly and cheap shots on the TC catcher (sub-little league skill)or ANY KID show dirt road class on your behalf. By the way, the catcher is a sophomore - so your comments provide him 2 years of motivation, not to mention good cause to kick your - - -, which might be a cheaper source of behavior correction for you - as opposed to the long term medicinal cost required to get you to see the light.
Lastly, the Galetti Conspiracy Theory, while unique in nature, has the factual weight of the Sasquatch sighting outside the Huntington Library.
You should be celebrating a good win for SF...rather than being an Ambassador of BS on behalf of SF. SF kids played well and should be fine utilizing their playing skills.
However....accusations of covert, clandestine operations launched from the grassy knoll above the SF campus are at this time...UNCONFIRMED.
Do I see a little "us verses them" motivation from the fans or maybe its something in the water making everyone paranoid? Oh well, It gets the kids ready for the unreal world of sports, but it sure doesn't make for a better world.
Scott you say you didn't have St. Francis ranked in the top 10 because they lost their best player who is now attending SC. Yet you put Poly in the top 10 and they lost probably the 2 best players in the history of the school in Rasmussen and Feess. How about Monrovia? Didn't they lose their best player too in McKeirnan? How about admitting you underestimated and didn't realize that St. Francis actually had a little bit of talent coming back from their 17-9 team of last year? Also your comment "Help me out here, since I wasn't at the game, since Temple City isn't that good, why didn't St. Francis win easily?" is totally bogus because first of all nobody said that TC wasn't any good. It is baseball, anyone can win at any time. Did the Red Sox beat the Royals in every game last year? No they didn't. Why not? Aren't they MUCH better? Bottom line is TC pitched one of the best pitchers in the area in Dearth and will be in any game in which he starts. TC played good but St. Francis played just a little bit better.
Game Watcher hit the nail on the head in that NONE of your top 10 could beat any of the Mission League teams.
I just wanted to make 1 last comment regarding the post about bad calls. Look in the Star News photo gallery of the game. Picture 15 of 18 clearly shows Brooks Burns in control of the baseball and Williams Do not yet to 1st base. Do was called safe and the umpires claimed that Burns did not have control of the ball.
Scott...it's just my opinion, it's the way I perceived it...I'm not making things up, bu I could be wrong as well.
Game Watcher, I have no idea about what you're talking about in interview styles. Where exactly were you to hear my style since I was alone with the players. I'll play you the tape of the interviews I had. If I sounded down or like I don't care for St. Francis, like you accuse, I'll gladly agree with you. I sounded pretty upbeat with them, from what I've listened. I have no chip on my shoulders. SF wasn't ranked in the preseason because its top player from last season is now at USC. They were in the poll last week, and will rise up this week. Please, don't make stuff up when it comes to interviews. I've always taped just about every interview I've done, so it's all there.
Clearly I didn't proof read that last post.
Bottom line facts here....
Anon (Re: coaching change), you are wrong. The coaching change at SF has has not caused a major ripple either way in the chemistry of the team. Both are good coaches. Sf lost in the first round of Elks tournament to Monrovia 2 years ago, but still went to the CIF Finals. Also, I wouldn't call it a coaching "change." I would call it a coaching "switch" since the coaches that are there now are the same coaches that have been running the program for the last few years, minus the former head coach.
TC Fans, there were a few bad calls on both sides. (Double play...and Do's ball down the line was foul...believe me...I've seen a tape on it...one of the 10 video camera behind home plate) I agree that you got the brunt the bad calls...but hey...that's baseball and umpires are only human. It's not really an excuse. You had the chance to win. Dearth strikes out in the 6th on a high fastball. Do can't hit a curve ball to save his life. 14 of 17 pitches to Do were curve balls which he swung and missed all of. Stud Sanderson did jack at the plate...AND...had a chance to make a great play in the field, which he rushed and made a dumb throw over Dearth's head. That base runner later scored the winning run. TC's catcher looks like a little leaguer behind the plate and it was clear that his teammates seem so too as we could here Dearth cursing him from the stands everytime Dearth had to step off the mound because the catcher couldn't call pitches. Lastly...regarding th game winning hit...TC's left field was playing that left handed hitter in center field. Why would you have that kind of shift on a left handed hitting 8 hole hitter whole has been late on every pitch all day long and during who's current at bat has fould 4 pitches off to the left field side.
Lastly, Scott...you are better that Freddy, but it's clear you have a chip on your shoulder for St. Francis...sure...you might have been rubbed the wrong way by a few comments...but they're a group group of kids. I watched the way you interviewed the SF kids after the La Salle game vs. the way Keith Lair interview the SF kids after Saturday's game. In his interaction with the boys, Keith's deportment is gentile, affable, and up lifting. Yours is not. With the SF boys, you appear lack-luster and unmotivated. It is clear that your are definitely not objective with that team...which is fine...those boys have always played better under adversity. Finally, Scott, you comment that SF does not talk it up when coming to the other schools in here league. I watch a lot of games...this is only my opinion, and I may be wrong, but I don't that any team in your SGV top 10 could beat any one of the teams in the Mission league (Notre Dame, Crespi, Chaminade, Alemany, Harvard-Westlake, or Loyola). I askd you question in a different post: What is your Top 10 criteria based on? If it is based on how well or how potentially well that particular team will perform in their league, then perhaps your rankings are correct...who knows. However, if the rankings compare each team against another (apples for apples), then you clearly have a bias.
Just my thoughts. Good luck to all this week.
Anon: The talent pool for SF is anyone willing to drive to your school, get admitted and pay tuition.
Sheesh, get over yourselves already SF. Quit trying to play the victim card and celebrate your tournament victory.
And to add to that public schools pull talent out of a pool of about 500-1000+ kids while SF is tiny compared to that.
What trend started last year at SF? Everyone knew what the problem was at SF. How is it a first year coach with less talent wins the Elks Tourney when his predecessor couldn't during his tenure at SF? Finally it's obvious you have a bias against SF or you just refuse to acknowledge the rude and tasteless comments made against SF in the beginning of the tournament. Being called a softball team, then a Little League team, then the comment about playing over the line. Read it, it's in your own blogs yet we're the rude and crass ones! Hey buddy we're just defending ourselves yet I don't see ONE time where you have gone after these bloggers who degrade SF. Guess you find humor in people attacking schools & players you really don't like deep down inside. Don't bother to respond, instead go look at the earlier RIPS at SF and tell us all what a fair guy you are. Pathetic isn't it!
SF gets more bad stuff talked to them then any other team in the area, every time they win that is supposed to happen and every loss is a triumphant upset for the other teams in the area. Yeah we have a lot of money and we are supposed to be the best based on our situation. SF kids and parents act just how they are thought of, which is the best.What are your thoughts?
No hard heart at all. The folks at St. Francis have been quite good to me.
I just see a trend that started last year. I'm seeing St. Francis fans saying their school is the best thing since sliced bread, which is fine. But they're also degrading other schools in the process. Can't you just be happy with winning and leave it at that? No need for pot shots against other schools.
tcchamps....it's a good thing for you TC never has and will never be the beneficiary of a bad call because that would make you look like a whining bad loser.
hahaha...just like the previous post, I am on neither side. But Scott you seem to have a hard heart for those Golden Knights
I am neither an SF fan or a TC fan...and i think whoever "tcchamps" is should stop being such a sore loser. St. Francis beat you hands down. You are no longer #1 in the area.
Help me out here, since I wasn't at the game, since Temple City isn't that good, why didn't St. Francis win easily?
TCchumps, You should have only had a top five, this would have allowed you to save some excuses when TC gets beat over and over. Your team is not that good.
Hey Whiner, excuse me, tcchamp unless you were at a different ball game I believe your 1st base coach cried & cried & cried & cried when the SF 1st baseman clearly caught the ball against his chest with his foot on the bag and the home plate umpire overruled the base ump! Clearly a bad call, so quit your whining! The facts are TC can't hit the breaking ball! You were "DOMINATED" by a lefty who threw close to 50 off speed pitches and with the game on the line got 5 more curves from rhp Sember, the last I must say was "DIRTY" which sealed the deal. SF plays in a league with very tough pitching (Crespi has 6 players committed to D1 schools) so only time will tell what kind of team SF is. A team that wins the Elks tourney with 1 win at home & 4 on the road, 53 runs scored while only giving up 12 deserves some respect.
Rankings for this week:
Congrats to St. Francis. The missed pick offs at first and the out at home had an impact.
1. CIF Umpires
Solid win over Temple City
2. St. Francis
Glad Umps. missed a good game
3. Temple City
See # 1 above
4. Alhambra (1-1)
Didn't have to face senile umpiring
5. La Salle (2-0)
Wasn't disappointed by Glacoma
6. Monrovia (1-1)
Hoping for a cure for blindness
7. South Pasadena (2-0)
Have to still face Umps. in Rio Hondo Battle
8. La Canada (2-0)
Glad they played other Tournament
9. Gabrielino (1-1)
Bringing extra pairs of specs. for Umps.
10. Maranatha (0-1-1)
Hope Umps. Stay in Rio Hondo League.