First published in the March 31 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
The La Cañada High School varsity baseball team lost a Rio Hondo League game to visiting South Pasadena High School, 7-5, on Tuesday.
The Spartans were on the verge of being shut out for a second straight contest, but clutch two-out hitting helped snap a 13-inning scoreless streak and spoiled a complete game shutout for South Pasadena’s starting pitcher. However, the late five-run rally in the seventh wasn’t quite enough to overcome a seven-run deficit as La Cañada (8-3 overall, 2-3 in league) fell to fourth place, a half-game behind South Pasadena (3-3 in league).
“We hit some balls hard at some people, but we’re just not getting any breaks right now,” LCHS head coach Carl Gschwender said. “I have all the confidence in the world in these guys and we’ll come back on Friday to play Temple City and beat them.”
Senior outfielder Ryan Kiessling finished 2-for-4 with a double, while sophomore outfielder Hayden Dancsecs collected a pair of hits. Junior outfielder James Won tallied a double, a stolen base and a run scored, senior infielder Kasey Koehler registered a base hit, a stolen base and a run scored, junior infielder Alex Higa recorded a base hit, a stolen base and a run scored, and senior infielder Adam Geller notched a base hit and scored once.
Junior catcher Chris Huh reached on a hit-by-pitch and tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly, while junior outfielder Ethan Geller scored once.
The Spartans were held to three hits in a shutout loss to visiting Monrovia, 2-0, last Friday. Dancsecs collected a pair of hits and Higa went 1-for-3. Adam Geller reached on a walk and stole a base, while Kiessling registered a stolen base. Freshman Carson Kelly pitched three shutout innings with three strikeouts and one hit against, and sophomore catcher Matthew Hazelwood caught a steal attempt.
La Cañada is scheduled to visit Temple City in a league game on Friday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
The visiting Wolves earned a season sweep over its crosstown rival Pasadena Poly with a 12-2 victory last Friday to remain undefeated in Prep League play.
Flintridge Prep senior pitcher Spencer Seid tossed five innings with 10 strikeouts while allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He also collected a double and three RBIs at the plate to help Flintridge Prep (12-2 overall, 5-0 in league) maintain it first-place standing. Senior outfielder Josh Beserra blasted a home run with four RBIs and two runs scored, while junior utility player Graham DesHotel finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.
Senior infielder Nathan Park recorded two hits, two runs and an RBI, while junior outfielder Max Brunngraber registered a base hit and a run scored. Junior outfielder J.R. Kully reached on three walks and scored twice, senior utility player Dominick Schraeder added two runs and an RBI, and senior infielder Nicholas Gonzalez scored once.
The Wolves won the second of three games over visiting Poly, 12-7, last Tuesday as Kully went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. DesHotel finished 1-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and an RBI, while senior infielder Diego Ynzunza collected two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Seid registered a base hit, two runs scored and an RBI, and Schraeder notched a base hit, a run scored and an RBI. Gonzalez tallied a hit and an RBI, Beserra recorded a hit and a run scored, Park had two RBIs and a run scored, and freshman infielder Will Koh scored once. Brunngraber pitched 3.1 perfect relief innings with three strikeouts to earn the save.
The Wolves will travel to Alhambra for a nonleague game on Thursday, March 31, at 3:15 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS
The Golden Knights won the rubber game and the season series at Mission Hills Alemany, 4-1, in a Mission League game last Friday. The victory helped St. Francis improve its league record to 3-6 (4-10 overall).
Senior pitcher Aaron Petersen tossed a complete-game one-hitter with eight strikeouts while only allowing one unearned run. Sophomore infielder Holden Deitch went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, senior catcher Quinn Deitch finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, and sophomore infielder Brody Ruyle and freshman Jordan Lewallen each collected a double and an RBI.
The Golden Knights snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating visiting Alemany, 9-2, last Wednesday as senior pitcher Robbie Rivera tossed a complete-game five-hitter with five strikeouts and two runs (one earned). Ruyle finished 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. Holden Deitch went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI, Quinn Deitch collected two hits, an RBI and a run scored, and senior outfielder Luke Fogarty tallied a triple and two runs scored. Lewallen had a base hit and an RBI, while senior outfielder Diego Robles and sophomore Jordan Viramontes each scored once.
Visiting St. Francis opened its series with Alemany by falling 3-2 in a nine-inning battle last Tuesday. The Golden Knights tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth, but Alemany ultimately won on a walk-off in the ninth. Quinn Deitch went 2-for-4, while Fogarty registered a double and a run scored. Robles tallied a single and an RBI, Ruyle and senior Alejandro Ramirez each had a base hit, and Lewallen scored once.
The Golden Knights are scheduled to conclude their league series at Loyola High in Los Angeles on Friday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m.
