By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
CHINO HILLS – Lakewood High School didn’t need much to beat Chino Hills, but the Lancers don’t need much when Janelle Hayes is in the circle.
Thursday was no exception.
Hayes tossed a four-hit shutout and struck out 11 and Lakewwood advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 semifinals with a 2-0 victory over host Chino Hills in a quarterfinal game at Big League Dreams Park.
The Lancers, getting a pair of RBI singles from Kylie Lundberg and Montana Dixon, improved to 23-6 and will travel to Millikan, a 5-3 victor over Ayala, in Tuesday’s semifinals.
Trish Parks gave up for hits and struck out 10 for the Huskies, who finished 25-8. Chino Hills, which was seeking its second consecutive CIF-SS title after winning Division 3 last season, also received two hits from Shianne Brannan.
“It is what it is,” Chino Hills coach Mike Southworth said. “We hadn’t been shut out all year, so for them to shut us out, (Hayes) was obviously pretty effective. She worked the outside part of the plate really well, and that’s softball.
Chino Hills coach Mike Southworth: “It is what it is. We hadn’t been shut out all year, so for them to shut us out, (Hayes) was obviously pretty effective. She worked the outside part of the plate really well, and that’s softball. Her placement of her pitches was good enough to cause our kids some problems. It was tough.”
Lakewood coach Andy Miramontes: “We just had little base hits that we were able to cash in. It was a little flair here and there. I told the girls with a pitcher like (Parks), you just have to concentrate on putting the ball in play, which is what they did.”
Lakewood’s Janelle Hayes: They were helping me out, because they were taking some aggressive swings. Lindsay has been making some fantastic plays the past few games, so even when they hit it deep, I knew she was going to make a play. I was confident she was going to catch it.”

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
SAN CLEMENTE – South Hills High School looked down, but the Huskies showed Tuesday they are never out.
Jonathon Ayala had a two-run double in the sixth and David Denson hit a lead-off home run in the eighth and South Hills rallied for a 4-3 victory over host San Clemente in a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 game.
The Huskies, also getting a home run from Isaiah Gonzales, improved to 22-6 and advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals against Vista Murrieta at a site to be determined today by coin flip.
The Tritons, who led 3-0 after four innings on a home run by Jake Terkoski and RBIs by Lucas Herbert and Brock Eissman, finished 23-10.
South Hills, after being held to three hits through four innings, looked like its season might end. But the Huskies refused to give in.
Gonzales started the comeback when he lined a home run to right field to make it 3-1 in the fifth. South Hills then loaded the bases in the sixth on an error, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Ayala followed with a two-run double to right field to tie the score at 3.
Denson, after reliever Adrian De Horta escaped a San Clemente’ rally in the seventh, led off the eighth with a home run to left-center for the 4-3 lead.
De Horta retired San Clemente in order in the eighth.
South Hills coach Kevin Smith: “It was a team win. The kids just kept battling, kept fighting. They believed they could do it. I’m just really emotional. It’s a great win for us, for the program, for the school, for these kids. It’s just a great win. I’m so proud of our kids to battle back, to be down three runs on the road. We could have just rolled over, died and the season’s over. But they kept fighting, fighting and fighting.”
South Hills’ David Denson: “I just told myself to try my best and get a hit. I didn’t try to go for the fence. All I can do is try and do the best I can, and that’s what I did.”
South Hills’ Adrian De Horta: “I tried not to think ahead. This thing can get away from you, if you think like that. I tried to think one pitch at a time and my defense made some great plays behind me.”

The play-in games have been completed, now the CIF-Southern Section baseball playoffs, sans Bishop Amat’s 12-3 victory over Garden Grove Santiago on Wednesday, kick into high gear, with first round games slated for today and Friday. I thought what a good time to look at the divisions involving local teams, where the area’s best hopes for championship glory rest with Division 3 defending champion Bonita. Here goes.

DIVISION 2
Seeds: 1. Redlands East Valley (22-4-1), 2. Temecula Valley (19-5), 3. Los Osos (20-2), 4. Cypress (21-8).
Locals: South Hills (21-6), Damien (17-10).
Darkhorse: La Mirada (19-10-1)
Projected champion: Los Osos
Thoughts: Locally, South Hills had another solid season, but the odds are stacked against the Huskies, who host Rio Miesa (11-13) today. South Hills should advance to second round, but will have to run the gauntlet, with likely facing San Clemente (22-8), which was the division’s top team for much of the season, in the round of 16 and No. 1 Redlands East Valley in the quarters. La Mirada features one of the better pitching staffs in the division and could pull off some surprises. Los Osos has had just a few slip ups, but has been lights out lately, so I go with “The Bears” Grizzlies.

DIVISION 3
Seeds: 1. Bonita (26-3-1), 2. Serra (24-5), 3. Gahr (20-5), 4. Palm Desert (16-7)
Locals: Bontia, Los Altos (16-9), Bishop Amat (17-11), Diamond Bar (19-6), West Covina (16-12-1)
Darkhorse: Bishop Amat
Projected champion: Bonita
Thoughts: Bonita, after going 61 years between CIF-SS titles, looks ready to go back-to-back. The Bearcats don’t have the offensive prowess they enjoyed last season, but very few can match their pitching. The exception to the rule might be Serra, which should also advance to the final, setting up an epic battle for title glory. Cathedral and starter Bryan Duenes might be the Bearcats toughest opponent prior to the final when they square off today. Go with the Bearcats in that one and for the division crown. Bishop Amat is a team to lookout for. The Lancers, after a slow start, have won 12 of 15, with the losses coming to Serra and Cathedral.

DIVISION 4
Seeds: 1. Oaks Christian (24-3-1), 2. Kaiser (23-3), 3. Laguna Beach (24-2), 4. San Dimas (22-6)
Locals: San Dimas, Northview (21-8), Baldwin Park (20-5), Nogales (22-6)
Darkhorse: Northview
Projected champion: Oaks Christian
Thoughts: Oaks Christian has never won a CIF-SS baseball title, but this year might be the exception. The Lions finished the regular season with 12 consecutive wins and feature arguably the top staff in the divisions, with their top two starters (Phil Bickford and Spencer Vogelbach) boasting ERAs under 2.00. Two of Oaks Christian’s three losses were to Division No. 1 seed Mater Dei and No. 3 Harvard-Westlake. There doesn’t appear to be a team in the division that can matchup, so I’ll go with chalk and pick the Lions. Northview, with victories over South Hills and close losses to Bonita and San Dimas, has shown it can matchup with most teams on a given day. The question is can the Vikings put a couple of those performances together. I can see Northview advancing to the quarters, where their season likely ends with a loss to Oaks Christian. Also be wary of San Dimas, which after struggling in the Arcadia Tournament, has found its way late and I wouldn’t be surprised of a 2009 repeat.

DIVISION 5
Seeds: 1. Paraclete (21-3), 2. Oaks Hills (21-7), 3. Ontario Christian (21-5), 4. Citrus Valley (19-5)
Locals: La Puente (13-10), El Monte (12-11), Duarte (13-12), Arroyo (13-8), Sierra Vista (17-5), Mountain View (10-14).
Darkhorse: Ontario Christian (21-5)
Thoughts: This division features the most area teams. But the added odds likely won’t keep Paraclete from making a title run. The Spirits are the team to pick after closing the regular season with 16 wins over their final 17 games. Sierra Vista, La Puente and Arroyo all should win first-round games, but all that gives La Puente and Sierra Vista, who shared the Montview League title, is encounters against the top two seeds. Arroyo has a tough matchup against Brentwood, and likely Ontario Christian in the second round.

By Steve Ramirez
steve.ramirez@sgvn.com
WEST COVINA – Chino Hills, after clinching its third consecutive Sierra League title earlier this week, had nothing to play for Thursday.
That didn’t stop the Huskies from one of their better hitting efforts of the season.
Trish Parks had three hits and two RBIs and Alyssa Mendez hit a three-run home run as Chino Hills wrapped up league play with a 9-6 victory over host South Hills.
Kolby Romaine, Shianne Brannan and Brittney Garcia had two hits each for Chino Hills, which finished the regular season 23-7 overall and 9-1 in league play.
Melysa Ortega had two hits and two RBIs for South Hills, which slipped to 17-7 and 6-4. South Hills, which could have locked up second place and a possible home CIF-Southern Section playoff game with a win, drops into a three tie with Charter Oak and Ayala, which both won on Thursday. For playoff purposes, Ayala will be the league’s fourth-place team after a series of tie-break procedures, with South Hills and Charter Oak settling second with a coin flip this morning.
Chino Hills doesn’t have to worry about such a scenario after finishing the regular season by winning 13 of its final 14, including getting 15 hits against South Hills and taking an 8-0 lead before holding on Thursday for its 9-6 victory.
“Our kids were ready to play,” Chino Hills coach Mike Southworth said. “We went through a stretch of four or five games where we got good pitching and good defense, but didn’t really hit well. But they are capable of it and I was really proud of them. They made some good adjustments and the kids responded well. I thought we hit the ball as well as we’ve hit all year.”
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By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
BALDWIN PARK – The race for the Montview League softball title will likely be a shared championship.
Sierra Vista High School saw to that Tuesday.
Franki Caudillo had three hits and an RBI and was steady in the circle to lead the host Dons to a 6-1 victory over Duarte.
Caudillo tossed a five-hitter and struck out seven for Sierra Vista, which improved 16-4 overall and 12-1 in league play.
Duarte, which beat the Dons, 2-0, on April 11, slipped to 17-4 and 12-1.
Both teams finish the regular season against Azusa and Bassett, respectively, on Thursday. The Aztecs and Olympians began the week tied for fourth with 6-6 league records.
“It was a big game today,” Sierra Vista coach Jerry Osegura said. “The girls really stepped it up. The first time around (Duarte) got us. It put a bad taste in our mouth and the girls worked hard all week.
“We knew today was a different day, and the girls got ‘em.”
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Damien High School was the top boys volleyball team in the Hacienda League this season.
The Spartans hope to continue that success when they open the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs tonight.
Damien, which which went 13-1 in league play en route to a 20-9 overall record, hosts St. Anthony at 7 p.m.
The Spartans are led by senior outside hitter Kevin Alfaro, who has 164 kills, and junior middle blocker Eric Leggio, who has 106. Junior setter Bobby White has 342 assists.
St. Anthony (12-11), which finished third in the Santa Fe League, counters with junior outside hitter Ky’ronn Forbes, who has 65 kills.
The Spartans are one of three local teams who will will be in the Division 4 playoffs.
West Covina (18-7) and Diamond Ranch (14-8), which finished second and third behind Damien in the Hacienda League, will face road matches tonight.
The Bulldogs are at Sage Hill (9-10), the No. 2 team from the Academy League, with the Panthers at Orange League champion Katella (15-11). Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.
The second round and quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The semifinals are May 15 with the finals slated for Santiago Canyon College on May 18.

Wilson was the lone area team to be seeded, receiving the No. 2 slot in Division 4 when the CIF-SS released its Boys Tennis playoff pairings on Monday.
The Wildcats (17-1), who went 10-0 in the Valle Vista League, will open the playoffs at home on Wednesday against either San Gabriel or Godinez, who meet in the wild-card round today.
Overall, 18 area schools will be in the playoffs, which begins today with wild-card matches. The first round is slated for Wednesday, with the second and quarterfinal rounds scheduled for Friday and Monday, respectively. The semifinals are May 15, with the finals at Claremont Club on May 17.
All matches before the finals are scheduled for 3 p.m.
Eight area teams have wild-card matches today, including traditional powers Walnut (12-3) and South Hills (14-3), who are in Division 2. The Mustangs host Flintridge Prep (8-7), while the Huskies are at home against Golden Valley (8-8).
Other noted first-round matches include Ayala (9-9) at Diamond Bar (11-6) in Division 2 and El Monte (10-6) at Duarte (12-4) in Division 5.

CIF-SS BOYS TENNIS SCHEDULE
DIVISION 2
WILD CARD — Tuesday
Flintridge Prep (8-7) at Walnut (12-3)
Golden Valley (8-8) at South Hills (14-3)
Pacifica/Oxnard (9-7) at Bonita (7-6)
FIRST ROUND — Wednesday
Oxnard-West Ranch at Rowland (25-0)
Palm Springs (15-5) at Claremont (12-2)
Ayala (9-9) at Diamond Bar (11-6)
DIVISION 3
WILD CARD — Tuesday
Glendora (10-9) at Norwalk (12-6)
DIVISION 4
WILD CARD — Tuesday
Montebello (9-8) at Covina (11-4)
San Dimas (13-5) at Loara (7-10)
FIRST ROUND — Wednesday
San Gabriel-Godinez at Wilson (17-1)
DIVISION 5
WILD CARD – Tuesday
Arroyo (6-10) at El Rancho (13-7)
Sierra Vista (6-6) at St. Monica (8-3)
FIRST ROUND — Wednesday
El Monte (10-6) at Duarte (12-4)
Ganesha (11-6) at Rosemead (11-4)

By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
LA PUENTE – Bishop Amat High School was hoping to lock up second place in the Del Rey League Friday.
Cathedral had other ideas.
The visiting Phantoms, taking advantage of back-to-back Lancer errors in the sixth and a solid effort on the mound from Brian Duenas, took over the No. 2 slot with a 5-0 victory over Bishop Amat in a Del Rey League baseball game.
Duenas tossed a four-hitter and struck out four for Cathedral, which improved to 14-13 overall and 6-2 in league play. The Phantoms also received two-run singles from Henry Martinez and Chris Recendis.
Bishop Amat, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped, slipped to 14-11 and 5-3.
The Lancers, despite the setback, are still in good position to finish in second, with Cathedral facing first-place Serra twice next week while Bishop Amat gets a home and home series against last-place Bishop Montgomery.
But for now, the Lancers will reflect on their miscues on Friday.
“The bottom line is that we were trading punches, locked in a 0-0 game and we broke down on defense,” Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto said. “We couldn’t get an out on a bunt, hit a batter … We broke down. Their pitcher did a good job. He threw strikes and they made the plays on defense.
“You can’t expect to win when you make three errors in one inning. It was 0-0 going into (the sixth) and we didn’t play championship defense. That was the difference in the game.”
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By Steve Ramirez
steve.ramirez@sgvn.com
DIAMOND BAR – Heat is normally not conducive to top performances in track and field.
Thursday was the exception.
Temperature which soared near 100 degrees did little to stop the efforts of area athletes competing at the Hacienda League finals at Diamond Bar High School’s Holmes Memorial Stadium.
Bonita High School’s Marissa Scott broke the stadium marks in the 800 and 1,600 as seven stadium records fell and 10 athletes won two events each.
Also setting stadium records were Diamond Bar’s Udodiri Okwandu in the girls 200; Bonita’s Mackenzie Landa in the 3,200, Rowland’s David Galvez in the 800 and 1,600 and Los Altos’ Mark Huizar in the 3,200.
The other double winners were Bonita’s Nikki Wheatley in the long jump and triple jump and Devin Rutherford in the 200 and 400; Los Altos’ Gabriel Aceves in the 110 and 300 hurdles; Rowland’s Devin Thompson in the long jump and triple jump and Desdrith Mejia in the 100 and 300 hurdles; Walnut’s Andres Shen in the shot put and discus and Carolyn Nguyen in the discus and pole vault and Okawandu, who also won the 100.
Scott lowered the stadium record by winning the 800 in two minutes, 18.95 seconds and the 1,600 in 5:02.97.
“It went really well,” Scott said. “That was my goal today. I wanted to make sure I just ran my races and I felt pretty good that if I did that, I would come out with wins in both (events).”
Landa lived up to the billing as one of the state’s top distance runners, easily beating the field to win the 3,200 in record time at 11:06.88.
“I just she ran a gutsy, determined race, especially in this heat,” Bonita coach Lonny Carr said. “She’s not a real physical girl, but she trains very, very hard. It was a nice pace. I think she tried really hard to go under 11. It backfired a little bit in this heat and eventually got to her. But it’s a league record and looks very good for CIF.”
Galvez also wasn’t fazed by the heat, winning his two distance events in record time. He won the 800 in 1:57.72 and the 1,600 in 4:21.63.
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By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
EL MONTE – Arroyo High School might eventually wrap up the Mission Valley League baseball title, but Mountain View will go down fighting.
The Vikings showed their moxie Wednesday.
Richard Ward singled home Luis Aguilar in the seventh inning to complete a two-out rally and Mountain View stayed alive for a league championship with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Knights.
Mountain View improved to 9-12 overall and 7-5 in league play. Arroyo’s lead is now two games after the Knights fell to 10-8 and 9-3.
“If they would have won, they would have won the league (title),” Mountain View coach Angel Lopez said. “We still need help from other teams, but at least we took care of our own game.
“We did a great job today. We scored that run (in the seventh inning) with two outs. These guys didn’t give up. It really shows the resilience of our team.”
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By Steve Ramirez
steve.ramirez@sgvn.com
DUARTE – It was put up or shut up for the Duarte High School baseball team.
The Falcons had to win, or say goodbye to their Montview League title hopes.
Catcher Sergio Garcia and pitcher Joel Ortega kept those aspirations alive Tuesday.
Garcia and Ortega each had RBIs in the sixth to break a score-less tie and Ortega pitched a solid six innings to lead Duarte to a 3-1 victory over Sierra Vista in a key Montview League game at Montgomery Field.
The Falcons improved to 11-11 overall and 8-3 in league play. Drew Valdez, who relieved Ortega, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to earn the save.
Oscar Huerta had an RBI for Sierra Vista, which slipped to 14-5 and 8-3.
“This was big,” Duarte coach Brian Grimm said. “If we lose, we go down two games with three to play. It’s a big win.”
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Well, with the re-leaguing process in high gear and coming down the stretch. I thought I would put my two cents in, which is to do it strictly by geography. I talked to a local coach last week who said its just more fun to play schools you are in close proximity with, mainly because the kids know each other and get a kick out playing each other. I couldn’t agree more, so here is my re-leaguing proposal, which is based on pure geography. Now some school’s don’t have region partners, like Northview, South Hills and Covina, or Wilson and Los Altos, but I did try to keep them close to their general area, because I think that’s important. If that puts a team or program at a disadvantage, then do it the good, old American way — get back to work and get better.

My proposal:
1-Diamond Bar, Diamond Ranch, Rowland, Nogales, Wilson, Los Altos, Walnut
2-Covina, Northview, South Hills, West Covina, Edgewood, Charter Oak,
3-Glendora, San Dimas, Bonita, Azusa, Gladstone, Duarte
4-La Puente, Workman, Bassett, Sierra Vista, Baldwin Park
5-Ayala, Chino Hills, Chino, Don Lugo, Claremont,
6-Colony, Chaffey, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, Garey, Ganesha
7-Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Los Osos, Etiwanda, Alta Loma

By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
LA PUENTE – The mark of a good baseball team is to win when it’s not at its best.
Bishop Amat High School proved the adage Friday, getting an RBI single with with one out in the seventh to score a 3-2 victory over rival St. Paul in a Del Rey League game at Bishop Amat.
The Lancers, who overcame four errors and four walks from three pitchers to beat the Swordsmen for the second time this week, improved to 9-10 overall and 2-2 in league play.
St. Paul, which had tied it at 2 following a throwing error in the sixth, slipped to 15-9 and 2-2.
“Good teams find a way to access damage control,” Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto said. “That’s what it was. We got ourselves in difficult situations. But we have a motto of if you give up one, fight hard to not give up two; if you give up two, fight hard to not give up three and so on.
“In those innings, it was one hit away from opening it up. We gave up one each time. I’m proud of these guys, because that takes tough guys in that situation to put the frustration of the error behind them and get the focus on the next out, which is what we did. That’s a good sign.”
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By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
COVINA – When it comes to pitching, Adrian De Horta is usually money for the South Hills High School baseball team.
The senior showed Thursday he can also be clutch with a bat in his hands.
De Horta went 3 for 4, including a key two-run triple to highlight a four-run sixth inning to help the Huskies to a 7-4 victory over Charter Oak in a Sierra League game.
South Hills, also getting two hits and an RBI from Niko Contreras, improved to 15-5 overall and 7-2 in league play to hold onto first place. De Horta also gave up four runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.
Nick Hernandez had two RBIs and Ross Barrera had two hits for the Chargers, who slipped to 7-9 and 3-6.
“It’s a big win for us,” South Hills coach Kevin Smith said. “You have to give the kids at Charter Oak a ton of credit. They battled their butts off today. I knew they were going to come back. Adrian wasn’t his best today. But he battled and had the big hit for us in the sixth inning.
“I’m pleased with that. I just thought we were a little flat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with the win, the way we came back. I just don’t think we should have been in that situation. That’s what frustrates me. But it was a great high school baseball game.”
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By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
SAN DIMAS – San Dimas High School has won the Valle Vista League softball title the previous four seasons.
The Saints took a big step toward a fifth Wednesday.
Briana Quintana singled with the bases loaded in the 10th inning and host San Dimas took over first place with a 4-3 victory over Northview in a league encounter that also featured two of the top teams in the area.
Senior pitcher Bethie Celaya tossed a four-hitter and struck six for the Saints, who improved to 14-7 overall and 6-0 in league play. The Vikings, getting two RBIs from Monet Manning and Erinn Jaramillo hit a home run, slipped to 13-5 and 5-1.
“It’s a big win for us,” Quintana said. “(Northview is) our main competition. Winning here, puts us on top.”
Kaili Now started San Dimas’ winning rally when she beat out an infield single with one out. Deenah San Luis followed with a single to center field, which forced Northview coach Jeff Butler to make an unconventional decision of intentionally walking catcher Janell Wheaton to load the bases with one out.
Wheaton was 1 for 3 with a RBI triple in the third.
“I knew we were in trouble no matter what we did,” Butler said. “My philosophy forever has always been to not let their best hitter beat us. Janell is their best hitter. Briana is a good hitter too, but it put us in a force situation and a possible double play to get out of the inning.
“Sometimes you have to roll the bones. I rolled them and it didn’t come out right this time.”
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La Puente High pitcher Ethan Etchabarren on his way to a 3-1 win over Bassett High at the Olympians’ campus field April 16, 2013.
(SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb)

By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
LA PUENTE – There was nothing complex about the La Puente High School’s key to victory Tuesday.
The Warriors slugged three doubles during the first 11 pitches they saw, then rode the arm of pitcher Ethan Ethchabarren en route to 3-1 win over host Bassett in a Montview League game.
La Puente, getting RBI doubles from Etchabarren and Joel Serna, stayed atop the league standings after improving to 7-8 overall and 6-1 in league play. Etchebarren gave up three hits and stuck out seven.
Otoniel Solis had a RBI for the Olympians, who slipped to 5-6 and 3-4. The Olympians’ Frank Villanueva gave up six hits and struck out two.
“He knows how to pitch,” La Puente coach Javier Fierro said of Etchabarren. “He wasn’t his best. He had trouble adjusting to the wind, but he understands how to make them hit the ball off balance and get them out. We’re lucky to have him.”
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Staff photo by Watchara Phomicinda

Here’s this week’s baseball rankings:
1. Bonita (16-2) – Coach John Knott said before the season that it would take time for the Bearcats to jell. They have and look to be as good as ever. This is definitely team that could challenge for a repeat.
2. South Hills (14-4) – Adrian DeHorta is becoming the Huskies’ stopper, leading the way in a victory over Claremont that put South Hills atop the Sierra League. But for CIF-SS playoff success, they’ll need another pitcher. Can they find him?
3. Northview (14-3) – Be wary of the Vikings, who looked like a Division 4 title contender after pushing Bonita to the limit last Thursday. But first are the rough challenges of the Valle Vista League, which includes four teams ranked in the area top 10.
4. Nogales (14-3) – The Nobles took a step back, losing to two to San Dimas. Can they bounce back?
5. Diamond Bar (14-2) – The Brahmas have looked good all season. Their real test comes at the end of the regular season when they get a home and home vs. Bonita. I can’t wait.
6. Glendora (13-5) – The Tartans look as strong as ever, challenging in the Baseline. They need to take care of business before closing the season with a series against Los Osos.
7. San Dimas (13-5) – The Saints made a statement last week, sweeping Nogales. But they still have Northview to deal with in the coming weeks.
8. Baldwin Park (12-4) – The Braves just won’t go away. They swept Covina to stay in the Valle Vista hunt.
9. Claremont (8-6) – The record isn’t the best, but the Wolfpack has the look of the second-best team in the Sierra behind South Hills right now, which is saying something.
10. Bishop Amat (6-10) – It’s all downhill for the Lancers, who opened Del Rey League play against Serra. Can they recover?

Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

This week’s softball rankings:
1. Bishop Amat (13-3) – The Lancers had their 13-game winning streak snapped by West Ranch last week. But this team stills look like the best in the area.
2. Chino Hills (13-5) – The Huskies looked very beatable against Charter Oak. But had the look of their usual self, beating Ayala. Will the real Chino Hills continue to show up?
3. Ayala (11-4) – Hard to drop the Bulldogs after losing a tough one to Chino Hills. But they will be tested against Charter Oak and South Hills.
4. Charter Oak (16-3) – The Chargers continue to look like the real deal, nearly upsetting Chino Hills before beating South Hills.
5. South Hills (11-4) – The Huskies opened Sierra play with a loss to Charter Oak, but they will hold their own against stalwarts Chino Hills and Ayala.
6. San Dimas (16-5) – The Saints, after a sluggish start, are rolling now. But Northview comes to town on Wednesday.
7. Bonita (13-6) – The Bearcats have showed no signs of losing two of their better players before the season. They are the team to beat in the Hacienda League.
8. Northview (14-4) – How could are the Vikings? We find out when they visit San Dimas on Wednesday.
9. Duarte (11-2) – The Falcons are the team to beat in the Montview, after shuting down second-place Sierra Vista last week.
10. South El Monte (9-4) – The Eagles have bearly broken a sweat in the Mission Valley League until now. But old rival Arroyo comes to town on Wednesday.

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
EL MONTE – The race for the Mission Valley League baseball title got a little tighter Friday.
Arroyo made sure of it.
Derick Martin singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth and Randy McCormick induced a double-play with the tying run at third with one out in the seventh and the host Knights moved into a first-place tie with Mountain View with a 3-2 victory in a battle of the top two teams in the league.
Arroyo, also getting RBIs from McCormick and Lorenzo Perez, improved to 6-7 overall and 5-2 in league play. Jordan Santone and Jose Moreno had RBIs for Mountain View, which slipped to 7-9 and 5-2.
“This was definitely one of the biggest wins of the season,” Martin said. “Hopefully, we can carry this momentum and try to keep it going and build the gap between us and everybody else.”
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By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
AZUSA – There was nothing on the line Thursday night at Azusa Pacific but pride.
That was enough for the Bonita and Northview high school baseball teams, who battled 11 innings before the Bearcats, ranked No. 1 in the Valley this week, outlasted the Vikings, 3-2.
Jacob Blunt had the game-tying RBI in the seventh and Austin McGilvra had a RBI double in the 11th for Bonita, which improved to 15-2-1. Northview, getting a two-run double in the sixth from Dom Baca, dropped to 13-4.
The Vikings, who missed a chance to win it in the eighth when Alex Labor was thrown out at the plate trying to advance on a passed ball, loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th. But reliever Sam Stavang struck out Michael Carlos to end the game.

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
COVINA – Charter High School, after losing 14-12 to Chino Hills on Tuesday, knew it couldn’t afford to open Sierra League play with back-to-back setbacks.
Pitcher Brooke Clemetson and catcher Monique Mata the Chargers won’t have to.
Clemetson tossed a five-hitter and struck out seven and Mata had two hits and two RBIs to lead host Charter Oak to a 3-1 victory over South Hills.
The Chargers, also getting and RBI from Clemetson, improved to 16-3 overall and 1-1 in the Sierra League. Lexi Robles had a RBI in the seventh for Charter Oak, which slipped to 11-4 and 0-1.
“In this league, you feel like you have to win everyone you can get, especially after the disappointment on Tuesday,” said Charter Oak coach Scott Higuera, whose team saw Chino Hills rally back from a 12-6 deficit three days ago. “I was hoping the we would bounce back, and despite a shaky seventh inning, I liked our effort today.” Continue reading →

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
LA PUENTE – If the Serra High School baseball team was hoping to make a statement in its first Del Rey League game, it made its point loud and clear Tuesday.
Soleman Bates tossed a one-hit shutout and had two RBIs and the visiting Cavaliers rolled to a 6-0 victory over six-time defending league champion Bishop Amat.
Serra, also getting three hits and two RBIs from Trent Hammond, improved to 14-5 overall. Bishop Amat slipped to 6-9.
Bates struck out 12 with two walks. He yielded just four baserunners and retired 11 out of the final 12 batters, including the last nine.
Serra led 4-0 after three innings, taking advantage of three Bishop Amat errors.
Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto: “In important games the way you punch back and trade punches with the opponent is to equal them on defense. We gave them extra opportunities. We let a base-hit to right turn into a run. We let a well-positioned line drive turn into an extra at-bat that gave them two more runs.”

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
LA HABRA – There’s nothing in the Valley quite like San Dimas vs. Bonita.
The Saints and Bearcats, regardless of sport, always put on a show, and Friday was no exception.
Ashley Gauthier had a two-run single with two out in the sixth inning and San Dimas rallied for a 5-4 victory over Bonita in a Whittier Christian Tournament game that was halted after six innings due to a 90-minute time limit.
Deenah San Luis and Janell Wheaton also had RBIs for the Saints, who improved to 11-5. Bonita, getting a three-run home run from pitcher Bianca Cockrell, slipped to 10-7.
It looked bleak for San Dimas, which beat the time-limit by eight minutes and forced a sixth inning, which the Saints took advantage. San Luis, who went 2 for 3, led off with a double before Wheaton followed with a RBI single to cut it to 4-3.
Carlie Salm singled with one out before Rachael Connell drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Gauthier then followed with a pop up that fell between second and center field to score two runs and the 5-4 lead.
San Dimas coach Don Pollard: “Bonita used to be in our league and (the games) were always good battles. We don’t see them as much, but when we do, it’s alway a battle. Today was a good pitching duel. Bethie (Celaya) pitched a great game today, she finished and we had some timely hits late in the game to really help us out.”
San Dimas’ Ashley Gauthier: When I saw the pitch, I knew that was the one. I just went after it.”
Bonita coach Ken Carlson: You have to give credit where credit is due. Deenah is such a great hitter. We knew we had to be spot on with our pitching and we missed a couple spots. (They) capitalized off it.”

By Steve Ramirez
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
ARCADIA – Arcadia High School was probably beginning to wonder if it would ever win its invitational baseball tournament again.
The Apaches, who hadn’t scored the tourney title in nearly a decade, put an end to those worries on Wednesday.
Austin Georgen gave up two hits and struck out seven in five innings and Arcadia combined three doubles with three Glendora errors in the first three innings en route to a 4-1 victory over the Tartans in the Arcadia Invitational championship game.
Brendan Toy had a double and scored two runs for the Apaches, who improved to 10-5. Glendora, getting two hits and an RBI from Garrett Ouellette, slipped to 11-5
Arcadia coach Nick Lemas: We’re playing our best baseball right now. It’s exciting. We’ve been in the championship game (against Glendora) before, and we finally got them. We were able to hit the ball a little bit in the first inning and take advantage of some mistakes that they made. We were able to get it done. It means a lot, because I don’t think we’ve won it since 2004. It’s been a long time, so it feels good.”
Glendora coach Dan Henley: We had opportunities. They weren’t huge opportunities, but we just failed to put the ball in play. They are a quality opponent and are on a roll right now. We were very happy to be in this game. No, we don’t like the result, but we’ll learn from it.”

LOOK WHO’S NO. 1: Nogales, off to its best start in recent memory, takes its spot atop the area baseball rankings.
Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

Here’s this week’s area baseball top 10 rankings:
1. Nogales (11-0) – Romano’s clan just keeps on winning. The Nobles one-two pitching tandem gives them the best chance in the home-and-home Valle Vista League format.
2. Bonita (9-1) – The Bearcats showed some of their muscle, rallying for a 6-5 victory over Cypress, which is one of the top teams in Orange County and ranked No. 5 in CIF-SS Division 2. Bonita still looks like the favorite in the Hacienda League.
3. South Hills (7-2) – It was a hit and miss week for the Huskies, who hit a bump in the road with an 8-7 loss to un-ranked Charter Oak, but responded with a 1-0 victory over Damien. You still have to put them as the Sierra favorite
4. Northview (8-2) – The Vikings tumbled a bit after losing to rival Covina at home, then returned the favor to beat the Colts. Expect Northview to be in the thick of the Valle Vista League race.
5. Diamond Bar (8-1) – The Brahmas looked like the real deal, sweeping Los Altos in dominating fashion after outscoring the Conquerors, 15-2. Are they ready to challenge Bonita? We find out later.
6. San Dimas (9-2) – The Saints took care of business with a sweep of Wilson. Now comes the real tests in coming weeks with home-and-homes against Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview and Nogales.
7. Glendora (7-3) – The Tartans drop a spot after losing on the road at Los Osos. But I still like Glendora to take the Baseline.
8. Bishop Amat (4-5) – The Lancers are finding their second win, riding a three-game win streak into this week, including an impressive win over Alemany, which was undefeated in the Mission League.
9. Baldwin Park (6-2) – It took a two-run seventh for Nogales to beat the Braves. This is a team that will make some waves in the Valle Vista title chase.
10. West Covina (9-2-1) – The Bulldogs are showing they are for real, holding their own in the Hacienda so far in the Hacienda, spliting their first two series.
OTHERS: Damien (4-4), Los Altos (5-4), Charter Oak (3-3), Covina (5-5), Ayala (7-3)