Citrus Belt League MVP Tristan Workman pitches against Carter. (Photo by Frank Perez for SCNG)
Citrus Belt League Spring all-league teams
Continue reading “2017 Citrus Belt League spring all-league teams” »
Citrus Belt League MVP Tristan Workman pitches against Carter. (Photo by Frank Perez for SCNG)
Citrus Belt League Spring all-league teams
Continue reading “2017 Citrus Belt League spring all-league teams” »
If you can read the above bylaws, it outlines how you break a tie in baseball and softball in the Citrus Belt League. In softball,. there will be either a two- or three-way tie for the fourth and final CIF-SS playoff spot, but either way, Redlands wins the tiebreaker.
Only one game remains, and that’s going on now, Citrus Valley vs. REV. As it is right now, Redlands and Cajon each have 7-7 league records tied for fourth, with Citrus Valley at 6-7. A Citrus Valley win over second place REV would make it a 3-way tie for fourth.
Since each of the 3 teams went 1-1 against each other, the next tie breaker is runs allowed vs. the other two teams. Here’s how it breaks down:
Redlands vs. Cajon 6 runs allowed, Redlands vs. Citrus Valley 5 runs allowed. Total: 11 runs allowed
Citrus Valley vs. Redlands 8 runs allowed, Citrus Valley vs. Cajon, 11 runs allowed. Total: 19 runs allowed
Cajon vs. Citrus Valley: 13 runs allowed, Cajon vs. Redlands 11 runs allowed. Total: 24 runs allowed.
So, whether it is a two-way tie or a 3-way tie, Redlands gets the last automatic berth.
Redlands East Valley held off Citrus Valley, 11-7, on Thursday in Citrus Belt League play.
The Wildcats have suffered just one loss during CBL play, which has come against crosstown rival, the Redlands Terriers.
Against the Blackhawks, No. 1 doubles team of senior Emma Bohnert and junior Breanna Blackey won two of its three matches.
The duo of Bohner and Blackey are in their second year as a doubles team.
“It was difficult in the beginning. We struggled with communication,” Bohnert said. “Communication is key in doubles and we gained each others trust and now we high five each other and try to encourage one another to keep fighting.”
While their communication as grown stronger, the tandem has goals bigger goals in mind.
“We want to become as strong as we can and win as many matches as we can,” said Blackey. “We want to continue to improve throughout the season and be able to look back and be proud of how hard we worked together.”
For seniors such as Bohner, who is a four-year varsity player, she has seen the Wildcats program finish no higher than fifth in the Citrus Belt League the last two season.
“We have beaten Cajon and Citrus Valley so we are planning on being up there (this year),” she stated. “As a team our biggest goal is to make it in the Top 3 and we are on the path to doing just that.”
Junior Julia Vizcaino expressed the same goal for the Wildcats this year.
“I want REV to be in the top three (of the Citrus Belt League) this year and qualify for CIF,” Vizcaino said. “We are looking good so far.”
Vizcaino won two of her three matches against the Blackhawks as the Wildcats’ No. 2 singles player.
REV will continue its journey to the top of the CBL standings at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday against Yucaipa.
The Citrus Valley girls tennis team defeated Cajon, 15-3, in nonconference play on Thursday.
Nikki Hernandez and Lela Aviles won all three sets in doubles play against the Cowgirls, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2.
Members of the Blackhawks team were nervous about how the match would play out after suffering losses to the Cowgirls last year.
“We lost to them last year but both of the matches were really close,” Aviles said. “I know they have a good coach and they are generally a consistently decent team, so I was nervous to see how (the match) was going to work out.”
Aviles also stated that both teams had lost key players from last season but the Blackhawks have had players such as junior Chandler Tillman step up.
Tillman, who is the No. 1 singles player for the Blackhawks, won all three of her sets against the Cowgirls, 6-0, 6-0, 6-2.
“She has definitely helped our team a lot because we lost Maddie Daniels who was our number one singles player last year,” Aviles added.
Above, Claire Graves, now a junior at Citrus Valley talks about winning her race in the last Yucaipa Invitational, two years ago.
In speaking with Yucaipa cross country coach Jason Carney, I found out that for the second straight year, the Yucaipa Invitational, one of the better invitationals in San Bernardino County annually, will not be held.
Traditionally, it was held around the first Saturday in October. Last year it was cancelled because construction in the hills next to Yucaipa High where the course has been made it impossible to run an invitational.
This year, it’s the same issue. Last year, they had originally scheduled the invitational before telling teams they had to cancel. This year, they didn’t even schedule it. And Carney doesn’t plan on having it back.
Once a meet has been cancelled for two years, it’s hard to get those teams back. An initial concern was how would the program make up for the funds the Invitational brought? As it turned out, just fine, he said. They had a couple of more fundraisers, and were not lacking in money. The invitational weekend is a stressful one for Carney and he’d just as soon not have it back. At least, he won’t be spearheading the drive to bring it back. He didn’t rule out others trying to bring it back.
As was the case last year, Yucaipa will still host Citrus Belt League finals, but at the Regional Park.
I forgot to include in the prep notebook that 2 Citrus Valley softball signed either a National Letter of Intent or committed in the past week or so.
Second baseman Jordyn Smith will be going to the University of Redlands, while shortstop Jackie Chairez signed with Iowa State, after being named second-team all-Sun last year.
This year, Chairez is batting .265 with five RBIs and three stolen bases, while Smith is batting .260 with one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
The Redlands Softball Invitational, taking place at Citrus Valley and Redlands high schools, is nearing its conclusion. Here is the Saturday schedule, then click on the “More” to look at pool play standings and pool play scores. I am planning on covering the championship game between Citrus Valley and Etiwanda.
For tournament scores and pool play standings, click below
Continue reading “Redlands Softball Invitational: Results and Saturday’s schedule” »
How’s this for a family photo? It’s the Maeda Family Civil War, so dubbed by San Gorgonio athletic director Matt Maeda, center. His daughter on the left is Kaylee, who is a Redlands East Valley (2011) grad and a girls water polo coach at San Gorgonio. On the right is Melanie, who is a senior at Citrus Valley.
This photo was taken on Thursday, when Melanie’s Citrus Valley’s team beat Matt and Kaylee’s San Gorgonio team, 12-2. Notice the San G had and Citrus Valley shirt for Matt. This is the first time his kids have faced each other. In the past, there have been Maeda Civil Wars, but it was Matt’s San Gorgonio against his kid’s team. His son Kevin ran at Citrus Valley, graduating last year.