La Mirada wins 35th consecutive Suburban League game
La Mirada’s Noah Rodriguez (12) scores on a high throw home in their Suburban league baseball game at Bellflower High School on Friday. La Mirada defeated Bellflower 12-1. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
LA MIRADA - With the season winding down for high school baseball and only three weeks left before playoffs, the La Mirada Baseball team is on a roll.
The Matadores have won seven of their last eight, which includes five Suburban League wins in a row.
Not only are they undefeated in league this season, but La Mirada (15-4-1, 5-0) has now won 35 consecutive league games dating back to 2016.
“We’ve played well all year with a tough schedule,” La Mirada Baseball coach Jimmy Zurn said. “You don’t win championships without winning league. I’m a product of the Suburban League and we want to be a consistently good team.
“This is all a tribute to our coaches and all of the hard work.”
Asked about the winning streak, which Zurn hadn’t realized it had reached that many games, said, “It’s a tribute to our kids. In our program, we strive to be consistently good.”
In late March, La Mirada played and won a close game against a fellow D1 team in Damien.
“We hit seven doubles in the Damien game with two D1 players on their team,” Zurn added. “We’re excited about playing these D1 teams and there’s no better teams in Southern California.”
Zurn has been at the helm for the last five consecutive league titles and has amassed an overall record of 154-58-2 since he took over in 2015. In his first year in 2015, the Matadores finished second in league.
Overall, La Mirada has won 27 Suburban League titles and two CIF Championships.
With two wins this week against Mayfair (4-0) on Tuesday and Bellflower (12-2) on Wednesday, the Matadores could be in a good position for their sixth straight league championship with three games to go.
La Mirada plays at home against Mayfair today (April 8).
Zurn, in his eighth year, has led his team to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs in six of seven years. In 2020, the team was off to a 6-2 start before the season was cancelled.
The Matadores reached the semifinals in Division 2 in 2019, losing to eventual CIF Champion Cypress, 1-0.
From 2016 through the 2019, La Mirada has had at least 23 wins each season, with 26 wins in ’18 and ’19.
La Mirada 12, Bellflower 1
In the first of two league games against Bellflower last Friday (April 1), the Matadores had their second-largest run output of the season, with a 12-1 win.
In the game, La Mirada was led by junior left fielder Aidan Haller (3 for 4), who knocked in three runs, scored a run and had two doubles.
With two hits each was freshman first baseman Maverek Russell (2 for 3, R, 3 RBIs, Dbl.), freshman Aiden Aguayo (2 for 4, R, Dbl.) and junior third baseman Eric Jeon (2 for 4, R, 2 RBIs).
The Matadores had 14 hits in the game.
La Mirada got off to a quick start in the game with five runs in the first inning.
The first three batters – senior shortstop Noah Rodriguez, senior center fielder Rudy Gonzales and senior catcher Andrew Pyle – all walked to load the bases with no outs.
A passed ball, sacrifice fly by Russell and a single by Aguayo gave the Matadores a quick 3-0 lead. That was followed by back-to-back doubles by Haller and junior designated hitter Pablo Hidalgo for the 5-0 lead.
The Matadores added single runs in the second and third innings for the 7-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Matadores junior pitcher Benjamin Kim was sailing along without allowing a run in the first three innings in his first start of the season.
The right hander allowed a run in the fourth, but a great diving catch by the Matadores senior right fielder, Derek Cruz, saved a second run from scoring to end the inning.
La Mirada added five more runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding, 12-1 lead.
In the inning, Haller doubled and came home for the eighth run on a single by Hildago. Jeon then singled in a run (9-1) and Russell doubled in two more runs for the 11-1 lead and Aguayo singled home the 12th run.
Kim, who struck out six and allowed five hits in the game, went one more inning and was relieved by sophomore right hander Eddie Garcia, who finished out the sixth and seventh, allowing a hit and struck out one batter.
“It was (Kim’s) first start of the season and we gave him the ball and he answered,” Zurn said. “Our pitching staff as a whole is really good.”
La Mirada 4, Mayfair 0
In the 4-0 shutout win over Mayfair, Pyle (2 for 4) led the Matadores with a double, a stolen base and scored two runs.
Hidalgo (1 for 2) had two RBIs and a double.
The Matadores scored twice in the third inning. Gonzales hit a leadoff single, followed by a double by Pyle which put runners on second and third.
Russell scored Gonzales with a sacrifice fly and Pyle eventually came home for the second run on an overthrow to second trying to throw out Aguayo, who had walked.
Single runs came across in the fifth and seventh innings for the win.
Jeon (4-1), with his sixth start, picked up his fourth win of the season and second shutout, as he struck out five Mayfair batters and only allowed two hits.
He also lowered his team-leading ERA to .088.
“Eric (Jeon) gave us a great start and we have all the confidence in him,” Zurn said. “He lived with his fastball.”
Freshman pitcher Paul Dominguez (1.75 ERA), with his third appearance of the season, pitched a perfect seventh as he struck out all three batters.
“We feel real good when (Jeon) is on the mound,” Zurn said.
La Mirada 12, Bellflower 2 (5 innings)
Just like last Friday’s 12-1 win over Bellflower, the Matadores jumped on the Buccaneers early and often with 12 runs in the first three innings.
In the home half of the first inning, La Mirada took an early, 4-0, lead, followed by six runs in the second and two in the third for the 12-0 advantage. In the game, La Mirada banged out 12 hits.
Leading the way for the Matadores was four players with two hits each – Pyle (2 for 2, 2 R, 3 RBIs, Dbl., SB), Gonzales (2 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBIs, Dbl., SB), Rodriguez (2 for 3, R, SB) and Russell (2 for 3, 2R, RBI, Dbl.).
Senior right hander, Ryan Coppock pitched four innings, allowed three hits and struck out two batters.
Bellflower (10-8-1, 4-2) scored its only two runs in the top of the fifth inning, as senior Branin Seibert (1 for 3) doubled in Jessie Cadenas (1 for 1) and Michael Lopez (1 for 1), to trail, 12-2.
Stats through 20 games
Through 20 games, La Mirada has six players with at least 30 at bats that are hitting over .300, which includes three players over .400.
Haller leads the team with a phenomenal .457 (16 for 35, 7 RBIs) average, while Pyle is batting .436 (17 for 39, 11 RBIs) and Russell (20 for 50, 12 RBIs) is batting an even .400. Pyle is also a perfect 12 for 12 in stolen bases and Gonzales is 9 for 11 in thefts.
Zurn was asked about his freshman first baseman (Russell) and the year he is having and he simply said, “he’s incredible.”
Rodriguez (.344) leads the team with 21 hits in 61 at bats.
The Matadores now boast a .314 team batting average for the season and have scored 118 runs in 20 games.
Coppock (4-1, 2.17 ERA) has four wins, along with Jeon.
Other area results:
Norwalk (11-8) overall, won its second Suburban League game on Tuesday over Firebaugh, 8-0, to up its record to 2-3 and will play them again today (April 8).
Glenn (1-9, 1-2) won its first game this season, with a 10-8 slugfest-win over host Pioneer in a 605 League game. The Eagles will try to make it two wins in a row as they host Pioneer today (April 8).
Santa Fe lost to Cal High, 11-2, Wednesday to fall to 2-5 in the Del Rio League. The Chiefs are 6-15 overall and play Cal again today (April 8).
St. Paul (6-12-1), with a four-game losing streak, lost to Bishop Amat, 5-1, on Saturday to fall to 2-7 in the Del Rey League. The Swordsmen next play Saturday (April 9) at home against Bell Gardens.