First published in the May 5 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
The Polytechnic varsity baseball team finished the regular season by edging visiting Providence High of Burbank, 6-5, in a Prep League game last Thursday.
Sam Howell allowed a run in the first inning but shut down Providence the subsequent four frames before a four-run sixth inning ended his outing. He needed 82 pitches (56 strikes) to cover six innings while allowing four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts to earn the win. Howell also finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Jason Mayo pitched the last inning, working around a base hit with a strikeout to earn the save.
Sean Asperger went 2-for-2 with a double, a pair of RBIs and a run scored, while Henry McDonald added pair of base hits, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Max Alsoufiev collected a base hit, a double and a pair of RBIs, Nicolas Cardenas doubled and scored a run, Griffin Unanue tallied a base hit and an RBI, and Bradley Schmoke produced a base hit.
Starting pitcher Adam Arther tossed a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and two walks to help the visiting Panthers blank Providence, 5-0, in a league game last Tuesday. He also added a double and a run scored on offense. Alsoufiev paced the offense by going 3-for-3 with a triple and two stolen bases, while Cardenas recorded a double, two RBIs, two stolen bases and a run scored. Howell registered a double and an RBI, Asperger posted two hits, including a double and an RBI and Mayo doubled. McDonald and Schmoke each scored once, while the former added a stolen base, and Jonathan Fink stole a pair of bases.
Visiting Poly edged La Salle College Preparatory, 3-2, in a nonleague game recently.
Charles Thorell allowed a pair of runs on two hits and eight walks over 5.1 innings to earn the win, while Elliott Rowley tossed 1.2 innings with two walks and a strikeout to earn the save. Alsoufiev collected two hits and a run scored, Cardenas produced a base hit, a run scored and an RBI, Arther tallied a base hit and a run scored, Schmoke posted a base hit and an RBI, and Dashiell Ferrante walked once.
The Panthers, who finished second in the Prep League standings with a 7-5 record (10-7 overall), will open the CIF-SS Division IV postseason by visiting South High of Torrance (17-11 overall) on Thursday, May 5, at 3:15 p.m. If victorious, Poly would advance to the second round and meet either Walnut (20-5-1 overall) or El Rancho High of Pico Rivera (14-12-2 overall) in the second round on Tuesday, May 10, at 3:15 p.m.
MARANATHA
The Minutemen celebrated senior night with an 8-2 Olympic League victory over visiting Village Christian High of Sun Valley in their regular-season finale last Wednesday. The victory helped secure Maranatha a fifth consecutive league title as it finished the regular season with a near-perfect 11-1 record (20-4 overall).
Senior Mikey Ebner, who collected three base hits, an RBI and a run scored on offense, allowed two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts over four innings to earn the win. Meanwhile, senior Jack Stipa struck out two batters and allowed a walk over two innings of relief. Senior Angelo Aleman collected a base hit, three runs scored, three stolen bases and an RBI, senior Donovan Gonsal tallied two base hits and two stolen bases, and senior Will Allen doubled and scored once. Senior Petey Rodriguez recorded a base hit, an RBI and a run scored, and seniors Noah Camonte and Nicholas Sartor each base hit and a run scored while adding two and one stolen bases, respectively. Senior Nick Cook posted a base hit and an RBI and senior Daniel Latshaw produced a base hit.
Maranatha previously evened the season series by blanking host Village Christian 8-0 in a league game last Tuesday. Freshman Zachary Strickland was untouchable over four innings on the mound, allowing no hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to earn the win. Freshman Jacob Yun pitched three innings of relief, allowing three hits with three strikeouts. Junior Adrian Lopez finished 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Ebner went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Junior Cider Canon produced a base hit, an RBI and a run scored, while Cook and junior Isaac Ton each collected a base hit and a run scored. Sartor and senior Camden Andrews each had a base hit, Aleman notched an RBI, junior Dylan Zdunek scored once, and junior Bryan Richman walked twice.
The Minutemen finished the Central Coast Classic tournament with a 3-1 record after winning their final tournament game at La Quinta, 11-6. Junior Garret McGuigan allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts over four innings to earn the win. Aleman finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, Lopez added two base hits, three runs scored, three stolen bases and three RBIs, and Ebner went 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Zdunek collected a base hit and a pair of RBIs, Richman posted a base hit and a pair of runs scored, Cook notched a pair of RBIs, Canon produced an RBI and a run scored and Andrews stole a base.
Maranatha’s only tournament loss was against San Luis Obispo, 4-1, in the backend of a doubleheader. Zdunek registered a double and a run scored, while Canon and Lopez each had a base hit.
The visiting Minutemen won their second tournament game in as many days by defeating Pleasant Valley High of Chico, W 6-1, on Friday, April 22. Strickland earned the win after tossing six scoreless innings, allowing four hits with nine strikeouts. Junior Jackson Hisey allowed one earned run on one hit and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in his lone inning.
Ebner doubled with an RBI and a run scored, Zdunek added two hits and a pair of runs scored, and Ton collected two base hits, a stolen base, two RBIs and a run scored. Richman produced two base hits, a stolen base and a run scored, Cook tallied a base hit and an RBI, Canon finished with a base hit and a run scored, and Lopez and Gonsal each had a base hit.
The Minutemen will open the CIF-SS Division II postseason by hosting Great Oak High (18-10 overall) in a first-round game on Thursday, May 5, at 3:15 p.m. If victorious, Maranatha would meet either Quartz Hill or Paraclete High of Lancaster in the second round on Tuesday, May 10.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
The Wolves blanked host Providence High of Burbank in their Prep League and regular-season finale, 3-0, last Wednesday.
Junior Max Brunngraber, who collected a pair of base hits and two RBIs on offense, tossed four innings, allowing two hits and one walk with four strikeouts to earn the win. Senior Josh Beserra, who posted a double at the plate, pitched the final three innings, allowing one hit and a walk with three strikeouts. Senior Nicholas Gonzalez tallied a base hit and scored twice, junior Graham DesHotel recorded a base hit and an RBI, and seniors Diego Ynzunza and Dominick Schraeder each finished with a base hit.
Flintridge Prep was edged 1-0 at Nogales High in La Puente in a nonleague game on Friday, April 22, as a first inning-run was the difference-maker in this tight pitcher’s duel. Junior John Kully tripled, while senior Nathan Park and freshman Matt Chino each produced a base hit.
Freshman Will Koh made his second pitching appearance of the season. He allowed just one earned run on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts over six innings on the mound.
Flintridge Prep previously picked up a season sweep at Chadwick School of the Palos Verdes Peninsula by winning the Prep League game, 3-1. Brunngraber, who posted a base hit and two RBIs on offense, tossed a complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts. Park collected a pair of base hits and a run scored, freshman Brian Xu recorded a base hit and a run scored, Ynzunza produced a base hit, and Beserra tallied a run scored and an RBI.
The Wolves (19-7 overall, 10-2 in league) clinched back-to-back league titles for the first time in school history and will open the CIF-SS Division IV postseason by hosting Highland High of Palmdale (20-7 overall) on Thursday, May 5, at 3:15 p.m. If victorious, Flintridge Prep would advance to the second round on Tuesday, May 10, at 3:15 p.m. to meet either Aquinas High of San Bernardino (25-2 overall) or the winner of a wild card game.
LA SALLE
The Lancers ended the regular season on a two-game win streak by defeating visiting St. Paul High of Santa Fe Springs, 7-2, in a Del Rey League game last Wednesday. La Salle previously traveled to St. Paul and won the second of three league matchups between the two schools, 8-5, last Monday.
After being shut out early in the week by Alhambra, 6-0, La Salle bounced back and blanked the Moors 8-0 in a nonleague rematch. No individual statistics were reported to the Pasadena Outlook.
The Lancers opened the CIF-SS Division IV postseason by visiting Glendora for a wild card game on Tuesday, May 3; the result was unavailable by the Pasadena Outlook’s press deadline. If victorious, La Salle would advance to a first-round game at Hemet on Thursday, May 5, at 3:15 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS
The Golden Knights lost a Mission League game and their regular-season finale to visiting Crespi High of Encino, 18-5, last Thursday as senior Luke Fogarty went 2-for-4 with his second home run in as many games and an additional RBI. Senior Quinn Deitch finished 2-for-2 with a double and a pair of runs scored, sophomore Brody Ruyle collected three hits and a run scored, sophomore Holden Deitch tallied two base hits, a run scored, a stolen base and an RBI, and senior Simon Lee notched an RBI.
St. Francis edged host Crespi, 4-3, to even the league series last Tuesday. Freshman Kibru Pam was dominant on the mound, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over three innings. Meanwhile, junior Xander Douglas earned the win after tossing 3.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and a pair of walks with three strikeouts. Senior Aaron Petersen earned the save after recording the final out of the game. Fogarty went 2-for-4 with a home run and an additional RBI, junior Cole Shepard recorded a base hit and an RBI, Ruyle and sophomore John Calmette each registered a base hit, Holden Deitch produced an RBI and a run scored, and senior Alejandro Ramirez and Quinn Deitch each scored once.
The Golden Knights returned to league action after a string of nonleague games but lost to visiting Crespi, 5-3, last Monday. Holden Deitch did all the damage on offense, collecting a pair of doubles and driving in all three of St. Francis’ runs. Fogarty produced a base hit and a pair of runs scored, Calmette recorded a base hit and a run scored, and senior Miles Leyva finished with a base hit.
St. Francis lost a nonleague game at Agoura, 10-3. Ruyle recorded a double and a run scored, while freshman Julian Navarro and Calmette each tallied a base hit and a run scored. Meanwhile, Quinn and Holden Deitch each collected a base hit.
The Golden Knights finished the regular season sixth in league with a 4-14 record (6-22 overall).
