SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: Baseball/Softball Roundup, Monday, Feb. 13th, 2023
Nick Williams and Eddie Garcia combine for a one-hitter in La Serna's 2-0 baseball win over Mater Dei
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Eddie Garcia (left) and Nick Williams (right), combine to hold La Serna to one hit in a 2-0 win. (Escarcega)
BASEBALL
La Serna 2, Mater Dei 0
WHITTIER – La Serna was considered to be in a group of teams just outside of the top 10 in the area that you could make a case for inclusion during the season.
The Lancers showed that they are not only worthy of being in the area's top 10 but also in Southern California's top-25 with an impressive win over the visiting Monarchs in a first-round Pizza Chalet Tournament game on Monday.
La Serna will travel to South Hills for a quarterfinal game on Wednesday. The main storyline in this game was the pitching performances of Nick Williams and Eddie Garcia. Williams, a Long Beach State signee, struck out five of the first nine hitters that faced in the first three innings. He ran into some trouble in the fifth inning when he hit Austin Palmares and walked Zach Mattern. Eddie Garcia came into relief and struck out Lawson Olmstead and got leadoff hitter Ezekiel Lara to line out to first baseman Ryan Duron.
The Lancers scored their first run of the game when Lucas Gallegos hit a line drive single to right field that scored Jake Long for a 1-0 lead. La Serna picked up an extra run in the sixth inning when starting pitcher Kalani Santos threw a wild pitch that allowed Chase Bernal to score.
Mater Dei's only hit came in the top of the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Noah Morris lined a double to right field with two outs. Garcia was able to induce Lara to fly out to Owen Long which secured the win.
Garcia pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit, a walk, and striking out five. Santos finished the game with nine strikeouts. The Lancers are 2-0 on the season, as they defeated La Habra last Saturday, 7-2.
In other baseball action:
Monrovia 4, Cathedral 1: The Wildcats scored two runs in the fourth and seventh innings to pick up a road win over the Phantoms. Senior Jack Zinn went 2 for 4, scoring a run, and Jack Calnon also scratched out two hits and drove in a run. Sophomore Alex Meyers threw five innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits, and struck out seven to earn the decision.
Adrian Magallanes threw four shutout innings in Whittier’s 5-0 win over Lynwood. (Whittier Baseball)
Whittier 5, Lynwood 0: Sophomore RHP Adrian Magallanes threw 4 shutout innings and Seniors Jazziah Espinoza and Cameron Palomo completed the shutout in relief. The Cardinals banged out 10 hits on the day with SR Jordan Quintero and SOPH Andrew Ruvalcaba each collecting 2 hits.
SOFTBALL
Glendora 3, Upland 2: The Tartans scored a run in the first inning, two more in the third, and survived a late sixth-inning rally by the Scots for a nonleague win. Bridget Nemeth looked solid in the circle as she allowed two runs on six hits and struck out 11 in a complete-game effort to pick up the win. She also hit a two-run home run.
Ayala 8, Redlands East Valley 0, 6 innings: Sophomore McKenzy Beccera went 2 for 4 with a double and drove in two runs and Arianna Rodriguez also drove in two runs as the Bulldogs shutout the Wildcats in a nonleague affair.
Bishop Amat 6, Rancho Cucamonga 6: The Cougars scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, to tie the game that was called for darkness after the inning.
Northview 15, Diamond Bar 5: What a day for Isabella Ochoa as she had a double, and a triple and drove in four runs in the Vikings' win over the Brahmas. Ariel Fierro connected on a 3-run home run. Fierro also pitched 4 2/3 innings in the circle, allowed two runs on five hits, and fanned two to pick up the win.
Other Scores
Rowland 17, Whittier 0