The La Cañada High School varsity baseball team remained perfect in Rio Hondo League play, defeating host South Pasadena, 5-0, on Saturday and clinching the league championship outright.
The Spartans (18-5 overall record, 9-0 in league), who won their first title since 2013, jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first and added another run in the second.
The 5-0 advantage was plenty for sophomore pitcher Connor Buchanan, who allowed only one hit and walked one in six innings of work. The starter also fanned 10 batters, and reliever Ryan Graves allowed only one hit in the final inning.
Tristan Kalnins led La Cañada’s offense going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and one run, and Max Umland had a hit, a run and an RBI. Buchanan hit a double and drove in a run, Conner Schulz and Matthew Sox each collected a hit and scored a run, and Zach Feehan, Graham Massimino and Tanner Barge contributed one hit each.
La Cañada followed the league win up with a 6-4 victory over Highland of Palmdale, extending its winning streak to eight games.
Sox was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Aiden Phillips added two hits, one run and one RBI. Massimino was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and one run, Graves collected two hits and scored a run, Buchanan also had two hits and Schulz scored a run.
Trevor Grey started the game and allowed three runs on one hit and eight walks in three innings of work. Zach Feehan earned the win pitching two scoreless innings. Sox threw a scoreless inning, and Kalnins shut the door on Highland to pick up the save.
The Spartans, ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division 5, will host Temple City in a league contest on Tuesday, May 9, at 3:30 p.m.
Flintridge Prep 15
Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 2
The Rebels clobbered visiting Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep, 15-2, in a Prep League game on Tuesday.
Kendall Kikkawa led Flintridge Prep’s offense going 2-for-4 with a triple, four RBIs and one run scored. Brian Pipes was 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs, Danny Chiarodit collected two hits and scored twice, Nick Davis was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs, Bradley Noble and J.H. Germaine scored two runs each, Thomas Kosakowski had a hit, a run and an RBI, Max Rosenfeld drove in a run and scored twice, and Jack Enzminger scored a run.
Kosakowski allowed one run on two hits in four innings of work, and Aidan Schraeder allowed a run and one hit in one inning.
Flintridge Prep (13-6-1 overall, 6-4 in league) will travel to Arcadia to take on Rio Hondo Prep this Friday, May 5, at 3:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Loyola 11
St. Francis 5
The Golden Knights squandered a one-run lead and fell to Loyola, 11-5, in a Mission League game on Tuesday.
St. Francis erased a three-run deficit with four runs in the top of the fifth, but the Cubs rebounded in the bottom half of the frame with six runs to build a 9-4 lead.
Evan Tontini was dealt the loss, allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits and striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of work. Reliever Ryan DeVore allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Christian Muro led St. Francis with a double, a run and two RBIs. John Spellman and Brandon Lewis each drove in a run, and Tyler Quintero, John Politis, Will Schmidt and Jacob Becthold each scored a run.
The Golden Knights (7-17 overall, 4-9 in league) will travel to Los Angeles to take on Loyola in a league contest this Friday, May 5, at 3:30 p.m.
