Whittier Prep Sports

El Rancho’s reward for wild-card victory is date with second-seeded Burbank

Robert Morales — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:55:01 +0000

El Rancho defeated host Pioneer Valley 1-0 in Tuesday’s CIF-SS Division 3 wild-card softball playoff game. The Dons’ reward is a trip to second-seeded Burbank for a first-round game Thursday.

In other Division 3 games Thursday, Cal High will play host to Paramount, La Serna will be at home to Lancaster, St. Paul will be at Alemany and La Habra will host Arcadia.

In Division 4, Whittier Christian will play at Heritage on Thursday in the first round and Montebello will be at Paraclete in a Division 5 game. Also in Division 5, Schurr will play host to Laguna Beach. And Oxford Academy will be at Cantwell SacredHeart in a Division 6 game.

Teams not making it out of Tuesday’s wild-card round were La Mirada and Santa Fe. La Mirada was walloped by Ayala 13-0 in Division 2 and Downey defeated Santa Fe 11-6 in Division 3.

Cal High’s baseball playoff game moved to Thursday at La Canada

Robert Morales — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:19:32 +0000

After a 6-1 victory over visiting Barstow on Tuesday in the CIF-SS Division 4 wild-card round, Cal High was slated to play Friday at La Canada in the first round. But Condors coach Tony Nieto informed this newspaper Wednesday morning that the game has been moved up a day to Thursday. First pitch is 3:15 p.m.

In Friday’s Division 4 games, La Habra will be at La Serna and El Rancho will be at Don Lugo. La Habra defeated North Torrance 9-2 on Tuesday and El Rancho defeated Anaheim 6-2.

Over in Division 2, La Mirada found out it will play host to Damien on Friday in the first round. Damien defeated Oxnard Pacifica 9-2 in a wild-card game Tuesday.

St. Paul, a 14-0 winner over Rancho Alamitos on Tuesday, will play Thursday at Loara in a Division 3 first-round game.

And Whittier Christian will be at Hemet on Thursday in a Division 5 first-round game.

Local teams that didn’t make it out of Tuesday’s wild-card round were Montebello and Cantwell Sacred-Heart. Estancia defeated Montebello 7-1 in a Division 4 game and Lompoc upended Cantwell Sacred-Heart 13-3 in Division 5.

Del Rio League representing well in Division 5 boys team tennis playoffs

Robert Morales — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:52:03 +0000

Three Del Rio League boys tennis teams will be toiling in the CIF-SS Division 5 semifinals Wednesday.

Top-seeded La Serna will play host to El Rancho, and No. 2-seeded Santa Fe will be at third-seeded Maranatha.

Both matches are slated for 3 p.m. starts. The winners will square off Friday for the championship at 2 p.m. at The Claremont Club.

Cal High looking to stay hot in the softball playoffs; pairings are announced

Robert Morales — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:40:25 +0000

Cal High has won eight consecutive games, and 20 out of 21, in softball. That success has Condors longtime coach Jim Kruse thinking his team could make a lengthy post-season run.
“Yes, definitely,” Kruse said Monday. “This is one of the best teams I’ve ever had.”
Cal High (24-4) is co-champion of the Del Rio League, but earned the league’s No. 1 seed because it owned the tiebreaker advantage over La Serna. On Monday, the Condors learned they will play host to Paramount – the second-place team from the San Gabriel Valley League – in a Division 3 first-round game Thursday.
The Condors defeated the Pirates 6-0 in a tournament game on Feb. 23, but Kruse doesn’t put much stock in that.
“The teams have changed,” he said. “I like to think we’ve improved, but I’m sure they have, too.”
Cal High will be without one of its top players in senior Chloe Michery, who sustained a torn ACL in a May 2 game against Santa Fe. She was batting .362. But the Condors have several other frontline players, such as Trisha Trujillo (30 RBIs), Lorren Sharp (.390, 23 RBIs) and Rayleen Pallan (.384).
A total of 10 area teams made the playoffs, and all games begin at 3:15 p.m. unless another time is agreed upon.
La Serna (18-7) will play host to either Lancaster or West Torrance on Thursday in the first round in Division 3. Longtime Lancers coach Ginger Larsin, who last week won her 500th game at La Serna, says the keys to success are easily identified.
“We have to have all three things together – our pitching, our hitting and our defense,” she said. “We have a good team when we play to the best of our ability.”
In Division 3 wild-card games today: Santa Fe (11-10) will be home to Downey (19-10), El Rancho (11-11) will travel to Santa Maria Pioneer Valley (17-8-1) and St. Paul (14-12) will host Fontana (13-10). In a first-round game Thursday, La Habra (20-8) will host either Arcadia or San Gorgonio.
La Mirada (18-11) will play a wild-card home game against Ayala (16-7) today in Division 2. Whittier Christian (12-14) will take on visiting La Quinta Westminster (11-11) in a Division 4 wild-card game.
In Division 5, Montebello (14-11) will be at Paraclete on Thursday in the first round, and Schurr (14-13) will host either Laguna Beach or Woodcrest Christian. Schurr and Montebello are co-champions of the Almont League.

La Mirada, La Serna lead area teams into CIF-SS baseball playoffs

Robert Morales — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:36:26 +0000

The saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” apparently applies to the La Mirada High baseball team.
“We have worked too hard to be where we are at because of what we’ve been doing,” coach Kim Brooks said. “Let’s keep doing what we’re doing and see what the dealer deals us.”
Those words came from Brooks after the CIF-SS playoff pairings were released Monday. He said the draw doesn’t matter one way or the other, but for the record, the Suburban League-champion Matadores will play host to either Damien or Oxnard Pacifica on Friday in a Division 2 first-round game.
“Keep playing the way we’re playing,” Brooks said when asked the keys to a long post-season run. “I think we’re playing at a pretty good level right now. You always have to pick it up a bit in the playoffs, but we are playing solid defense, the pitching has been good and we have come through with the bats when we’ve needed to.”
La Mirada (19-10-1) shared the league title with Mayfair, but enters as the league’s No. 1 team because it had the advantage in the tiebreaker.
A total of nine area teams made the playoffs, with five of them to toil in Division 4. Del Rio League co-champion La Serna (16-8-2) on Friday in the first round will play host to either North Torrance or La Habra (14-13), which square off today at La Habra in a wild-card game. In other wild-card games today, El Rancho (15-10) will host Anaheim (18-11), Montebello (14-9) will be at home to Estancia (16-9) and Cal High will take on visiting Barstow.
All games begin at 3:15 p.m. unless there is an agreed upon time change.
Cal High (17-7-1) tied La Serna for the Del Rio League title, but enters as the league’s No. 2 representative because it was 0-2-1 against the Lancers. The Condors are one of seven No. 2 teams in Division 4 having to play a wild-card game. Condors coach Tony Nieto was a bit surprised his team is one of them, but he is taking the philosophical approach.
“It is what it is,” Nieto said. “We’re not going to cry over it. We’ll be ready for it. Since we’re a little hot, maybe it’ll keep us going instead of waiting until Friday to play.”
Cal High has won seven of its past eight. Nieto said he is expecting to start Jimmy Olguin (5-2) on the mound. As for Barstow, the Aztecs (10-9) are the fourth-place team from the Desert Sky League.
In Division 3, St. Paul (16-14) will play host to Rancho Alamitos (11-12) in a wild-card game today. Also today, in Division 5, Cantwell Sacred-Heart (5-16-1) will host Lompoc (11-14-1) in a wild-card game. And Whittier Christian (16-12) will be at Hemet (19-7) on Thursday in the first round.

Santa Fe to play at top-seeded Cathedral in volleyball semifinals

Robert Morales — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:30:46 +0000

Santa Fe High on Saturday swept visiting Yucaipa in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 4 boys volleyball playoffs. Scores were 25-16, 25-18, 28-26.

The victory means the fourth-seeded Chiefs (25-6) will now play at top-seeded Cathedral on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the semifinals. The Phantoms (26-9) swept Flintridge Prep 25-10, 25-10, 25-14, in their quarterfinals match.

Ginger Larsin earns 500th victory as La Serna softball coach

Robert Morales — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:54 +0000

It was 26 years ago, in 1987, that Ginger Larsin took over as head coach of the La Serna High softball team. On Thursday, she earned her 500th victory at the school when the Lancers defeated Pioneer 11-1.
She’s stoked.
“We’re such a softball area and for me to be at this school and have the talent I’ve had, it was just a great feeling to be blessed with the talent I’ve had over the years,” said Larsin, a graduate of Santa Fe, another Del Rio League school.
Larsin’s record at La Serna, including this season’s 18-7 mark, is 500-185-5. Along the way she has won CIF-Southern Section championships in 1996, 2001 and 2008. Interestingly, Larsin actually has more than 500 lifetime victories as she was coach for two years at Santa Fe back in the early ’80s. She said she does not remember her record for those seasons.
As for 2013, Larsin’s Lancers shared the league championship with Cal High, both teams coming in at 9-1. They split their two games, but the Condors will be the No. 1 seed from the league when the playoff pairings are announced Monday because they beat the Lancers in the second round of league play.
Larsin is confident her team has the goods to make a good post-season run.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said. “Right now we are playing really well and the girls are really focused and the girls want this a lot.”

High School Baseball: Whittier Christian takes over first with win

Eric Terrazas — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:03:26 +0000

By Eric Terrazas, Staff Writer

LA HABRA – It has long been said that timely hitting is an essential part of successful baseball.

That important feature served Whittier Christian High School well in Friday’s crucial Olympic League game against Heritage Christian. Senior designated hitter Josh McGee came through with the game’s biggest hit, a two-run single that helped lift the host Heralds to a 3-2 victory over Heritage Christian.

McGee’s hit capped a successful comeback by the Heralds, who overcame a 2-0 deficit after the fifth inning.

Friday’s triumph elevated Whittier Christian (13-9 overall, 5-3 in league) into first place in league.

“Any Olympic League win is a big win,” Heralds coach Brent Lavoie said. “We won at a time when we needed one. We’ve been playing nothing but close games in league. It usually comes down to one play or one pitch to decide the outcome.

“We did a good job of wanting to be the guy in the clutch position. It’s exciting to come out with a win.”

Whittier Christian started its rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore catcher Cooper Hughes led off with an infield single, and after two consecutive groundouts advanced Hughes to third, sophomore second baseman/pitcher Mike Rubio extended the inning by drawing a walk.

Junior utility player Joseph Cobian then delivered a run-scoring single to make it 2-1.

That set the stage for McGee, who singled in two runs to make it 3-2.

“I was just hushing the butterflies and using them to my advantage,” McGee said of his clutch hit. “It felt great. I knew we were going to win. I just felt it.”

Heralds junior starting pitcher Mike Rafter, who earned the victory, scattered seven hits in six innings. Rubio, who pitched a scoreless seventh, earned the save.

Senior infielder David Clark collected a team-high two hits for Heritage Christian (12-7, 3-3). Warriors senior pitcher Jake Hasse went the distance, allowing 10 hits in six innings.

Heritage Christian took a 2-0 lead in the fifth. Clark started off the rally by reaching first base on a Whittier Christian error. He then advanced to third base on back-to-back groundouts.

Then senior shortstop Tanner Marcoe gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead with an infield single.

Hasse then helped his own cause by delivering a run-scoring double to right. Rafter, however, got out of the inning by retiring Eric Gordon on a grounder to first.

Cobian led the Heralds offensively with three hits. Rubio and sophomore outfielder J.J. Farrell each added two hits.

Whittier Christian will have a bye next week in league play. The Heralds’ next league game is scheduled for April 30 against Valley Christian.

“It was a big win,” Lavoie said. “It sets us up nicely for a firework finish in league. We get to rest up and then make a final push.”

eric.terrazas@sgvn.com
twitter.com/WhittierPreps
562-567-7534

High School Baseball: Damage control works for Bishop Amat

Eric Terrazas — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:26:36 +0000

Bishop Amat’s Adam Alcantara heads to third on a first-inning triple during Friday’s game against St. Paul. (Keith Birmingham / Staff Photographer)

Photo gallery: Bishop Amat-St. Paul baseball

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 that adage Friday by getting an RBI single with with one out in the seventh inning for a 3-2 victory over visiting St. Paul in a Del Rey League game.

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. St. Paul, which had tied it at 2-2 on 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.”

It also left the door open for Amat to get the win, and Adam Alcantara didn’t let that opportunity go to waste.

It was set up after pinch-hitters Andrew Dela Cruz and Luis Moya and Scott Hurst walked to load the bases with one out. Alcantara then grounded a 3-2 pitch from reliever Aaron Pinto through the drawn-in infield into center field to win it.

“With the bases loaded and only one out, you’re basically looking for a pitch to drive, up the gap, up the middle,” Alcantara said. “I was also looking to get it in the air and get a sacrifice fly, too.

“Luckily, I got my pitch, battled him to 3-2 and hit it back up the middle.”

St. Paul, which was held to three hits, had rallied to tie it at 2-2 by scoring a run in the fourth and sixth innings, each time taking advantage of a Bishop Amat miscue.

Gabriel Esquer led off the fourth with a walk, then advanced to third on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. He scored on a safety squeeze by Zack Ramsay.

Esquer walked to lead off the sixth. He advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored with two outs following a throwing error on a dropped third strike.

“You win games by getting clutch hits,” St. Paul coach Casey Morales said.

“Big guys make big plays. When there’s runners out there, that’s when you have to get the hit, not when there’s nobody on base and there’s two outs. When you go 1 for 3 then, that doesn’t mean anything.

“I want the guy who goes 1 for 5 that scores two runs. That’s the thing we’ve had real trouble doing. Once again today, it was missed opportunities, so until we do that we’re not going to be able to finish people off.”

steve.ramirez@sgvn.com
twitter.com/SteveRRamirez
626-544-0857

High School Baseball: Daniel Lopez’s two-hitter sparks Montebello

Eric Terrazas — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:14:31 +0000

Montebello’s Jose Aparicio (10) is congratulated after scoring during Friday’s game against Alhambra. (Keith Durflinger / Staff Photographer)

Photo gallery: Montebello-Alhambra baseball

By John Sherrard, Correspondent

MONTEBELLO – Montebello High School pitcher Daniel Lopez was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts Friday, but not one of his teammates or coaches cared.

They even gathered in the dugout after the game for a mock cheer for his at-bats.

Things are going quite well for the Oilers baseball team, which defeated visiting Alhambra, 3-1, behind a complete-game, two-hit performance by Lopez in an Almont League game Friday.

“It’s always going to be a dogfight and I’ve been here (varsity) four years, and this is the first time we won the series,” Lopez said. “It’s a huge win for us.”

Montebello (10-7, 8-1) is in prime position to win its first outright league title since the 2004 season when it won back-to-back crowns. Alhambra (10-6, 7-2) has won the league championship the past eight years.

Both teams still have six league games remaining, but if the Moors have any thoughts of winning their ninth consecutive title, they must get some help.

“Just the fact that we’re a game up and we now have the tiebreaker in case there is a tie, it puts us in a good situation,” Montebello coach Rafael Gutierrez said.

“But we have some tough games coming up. We’ll enjoy this game and make sure we don’t lose focus.”

Montebello scored a run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead on a single by junior catcher Ryan Orozco (2 for 3) that scored shortstop Andrew Jimenez (1 for 3). Jimenez advanced to second on a throwing error by Alhambra pitcher Jose Amezquita (six strikeouts) and went to third on a wild pitch.

Alhambra, which reached the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 final last season, tied the game 1-1 in the third inning. Senior second baseman Andrew Arroyo singled, was sacrificed to second by catcher Brandon Morales and moved to third on an infield out. He then came home on an infield single by right fielder Jonah Lybarger, who advanced to second when Jimenez threw the ball low to first.

Alhambra had a chance to take the lead when Lopez attempted a pickoff of Lybarger, who moved to third after the ball was misplayed and went into center field. Lybarger rounded third but was thrown out on the relay from Lopez (2-0) to third baseman Jesse Flores.

Meanwhile, Amezquita (3-3) was in control through the fourth inning before the Oilers took the lead for good, 2-1.

Orozco singled and eventually came home on a fielders’ choice by right fielder Jaime Martinez (1 for 3, stolen base, two RBIs).

Martinez singled in pinch-runner Andres Santana to give the Oilers a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.

“It’s always a great series (with Montebello), and our staff and their staff (have) been here a long time and they’re always close games,” Alhambra coach Steve Gewecke said.

“All I know is (that) we have six more league games and we really can’t lose any of them.”