Baseball: Glendora takes control of Baseline with 1-0 victory over Rancho Cucamonga

Glendora starting pitcher Kale Morton (C) throws to the plate against Rancho Cucamonga in the first inning of a prep baseball game at Glendora High School in Glendora, Calif., on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.  (Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

Glendora starting pitcher Kale Morton (C) throws to the plate against Rancho Cucamonga in the first inning of a prep baseball game at Glendora High School in Glendora, Calif., on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.
(Keith Birmingham Pasadena Star-News)

By Stephen Ramirez
steve.ramirez@langnews.com
@SteveRRamirez on Twitter


GLENDORA — Glendora High School didn’t clinch the Baseline League baseball title Tuesday, but the host Tartans took a pretty big step.
D.J. Peters scored on an error in the seventh inning and Kale Morton threw a 2-hit shut out as Glendora opened up a two-game lead in league play with a 1-0 victory over second-place Rancho Cucamonga.
Morton also struck out 10 and didn’t allow a base runner to reach third base for the Tartans, who improved to 14-5 overall and 7-1 in the Baseline League.
Michael Lopez tossed a 4-hitter and struck out four for Rancho Cucamonga, which slipped to 10-9 and 5-3. The Tartans, who play at Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, moved to at last two games ahead of the Cougars and Upland, which was 14-3 and 4-3 coming into Tuesday. The win also gives Glendora the tie-breaking advantage, with two wins each against Rancho Cucamonga and Upland.
Morton and Lopez battled back and forth before Glendora got the break it needed in the seventh.
Peters led off with a single and with one out advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then scored the winning run when Alex Briggs hit a chopper between third and short. Third baseman Logan Rinehart fielded it and while attempting to tag Peters, who had rounded third too wide, he dropped the ball, allowing Peters to score for the 1-0 victory.

Glendora coach Dan Henley: “The win was big. It gives us two games separation on them., which obviously means a lot. We lose the game and we’re tied up with a game on Thursday.”

Glendora’s DJ Peters: “I rounded third a little bit too much. Thankfully, he bobbled it, or I would’ve been out.”

Rancho Cucamonga’s Michael Lopez: “It’s really tough. But we’ll bounce back. We’ll take a lot from this loss.”

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