CIF ROUNDUP: Norwalk, La Mirada, Santa Fe headed to quarterfinals
La Mirada pitcher Walker Calvo (27) makes a pitch against Torrance in the second round of CIF playoffs at John Glenn High School on Tuesday. La Mirada defeated Torrance 3-2. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
LA MIRADA – After the CIF-Southern Section second round for both baseball and softball have concluded, just three local teams are alive.
Norwalk and La Mirada baseball teams won and are headed to Friday’s (May 12) quarterfinals, along with the lone softball team, Santa Fe Chiefs, also advancing to Friday’s quarterfinals.
La Mirada had a come-from behind, 3-2, win over Torrance in a Division 1 second-round game, while Norwalk (23-4) defeated Carpinteria, 11-7, in DVI in CIF baseball action. The Lancers opened the playoffs with a 9-3 win over Arroyo.
Norwalk will host Hesperia Christian (16-2) Friday.
In softball, Santa Fe (17-12-1) remains the only area team still alive, with a 6-2 second-round win over Dos Pueblos. Santa Fe took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. After Dos Pueblos cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the third inning, the Chiefs added four more in the fourth to lead, 6-1.
They will travel to Hillcrest (Riverside) Friday for a quarterfinal game. The Chiefs defeated Elsinore, 11-4, in the opening round.
St. Paul and Glenn ended their seasons Tuesday in the second round of the playoffs.
St. Paul opened the playoffs with an 8-4 win over Fountain Valley in D3 on Friday (May 5), but fell in the second round to Los Altos, 7-3. Glenn (16-4-1) won its first-round D6 game, 11-1, over Moreno Valley, but lost to St. Joseph (Lakewood), 9-1.
Norwalk, after scoring 83 runs in three shutouts in its last three league games, was shutout, 1-0 in the first round by Culver City. Also falling in the opening round was La Mirada (18-8), 6-5, to Pacifica.
La Mirada’s Benjamin Kim (21) celebrates scoring as they play Torrance in the second round of CIF playoffs at John Glenn High School on Tuesday. La Mirada defeated Torrance 3-2. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
La Mirada Baseball wins 3-2 over Torrance
In the featured baseball game, for the second game in a row, La Mirada came from behind to defeat visiting Torrance, 3-2, at John Glenn High School in a Division 1 game. The Matadores trailed 2-0 in a first-round game and defeated Ayala, 4-3.
“That’s two gamers in a row that we went down 2-0 and answered back that next inning,” La Mirada Baseball coach Jimmy Zurn said. “They represent La Mirada proud and I’m just happy we’re still playing.
“First off, you don’t see blowouts in the division one playoffs. To have the ability with a young team with a good senior group on top of that to win two, one-run games…..good teams win one-run games.”
La Mirada (22-7) will travel to Santa Margarita (24-6), an 8-0 winner over Millikan, for a quarterfinal game Friday.
With the loss, Torrance ended its season at 23-4. The Tartars came into the game having won 21 of their last 22 games.
Torrance took the early lead with two unearned runs in the second inning after junior designated hitter Anthony Macias walked, followed by a throwing error by junior pitcher Walker Calvo for the first run. That was followed by another fielding error as La Mirada sophomore center fielder Travis Friend dropped the ball that allowed Torrance right fielder Matt Chavez to advance to second and score junior second baseman Slater Nunez for the 2-0 lead.
La Mirada came right back with two runs to tie the game, 2-2.
After seniors Benjamin Kim and Jonah Rouwenhorst walked, Friend redeemed himself with a big ground rule double to center, scoring Kim. Freshman left fielder Noah Rodriguez grounded out to first sending Rouwenhorst in with the second run.
“I knew once I dropped that, I got to come back for my team and knew I had to come back with something big to get my team going,” Friend said.
Two innings later, a miscue cost the Tartars, as Friend reached on an infield error, scoring Rouwenhorst for the 3-2 lead.
Calvo, who mishandled the ball near the mound and then threw it away in the second, settled down and almost shut down Torrance the rest of the way.
“I trust my defense wholeheartedly, and after I kicked that bunt (second inning error) and at that point, honestly, it was on me,” Calvo said. “I just needed to regroup, refocus, and throw strikes.
“This (win) is amazing, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Calvo settled down and retired 17 of the last 19 Torrance batters and struck out four to preserve the victory.
Also pitching a complete game in defeat was Torrance senior Nick Han (4 hits allowed). The senior struck out five, allowed two earned runs and retired 11 of the final 12 Matadors batters.
Senior second baseman Aidan Haller led La Mirada with two hits in the game.
“We need these young guys (freshman and sophomore starters) to make an impact and they’ve been doing the job to get it done,” said Haller, referring to the young La Mirada lineup. “(Zurn) makes you play for the name across your chest.
“I told Travis (Friend) to wipe it (error in enter in the second inning) and that he was going to come up big and do it with your bat and come back and he smoked it for a ground-rule double.”
St. Paul wins opener
The Swordsmen opened the playoffs with the win over Fountain Valley with 14…. hits.
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, St. Paul scored four runs for the 4-1 lead and never trailed again.
Senior center fielder Gabby Gandara (4 for 4, 2 Rs) singled with one out and after a fly out, freshman pinch hitter Audrey Prado singled in Gandara.
“I was really excited to play this game,” said Gandara, who is committed to Cal State Dominguez. “Our dugout is one of our best assets of the game. We don’t quit until the game is over.”
Senior right fielder Kate Williams singled to left and the ball was misplayed, sending two runners home for the 3-1 lead.
Gandara singled in Williams for the fourth run of the inning.
Fountain Valley added two runs in the sixth, to trail, 4-3, but the Swordsmen sealed the win with four more runs in the top of the seventh to lead, 8-3. Fountain Valley added one more run in the bottom half of the inning.
“Elisa Gulfin in the circle, pitched a (heck) of a game and went all seven innings,” said St. Paul coach Charles Gandara, of the first-round win. “She gave up a home run early but settled in for a pretty good lineup.”
Gulfin, a senior is headed to the University of Nebraska next year, said of her performance, “I gave up that home run and just had to bounce back and trust my team to take care of me and they did.”
Swordsmen fall in second round
The season came to an unexpected ending with a loss to Los Altos Tuesday.
Three players led the Swordsmen with two hits each – Hannah Moreno (2 for 4, 2 RBIs, 2 Dbls.), Gandara (2 for 3, 2 Rs) and Abbey Duarte ( 2 for 3, Dbl.).