The La Cañada High School baseball team continued its winning ways with a 4-1 victory over host Temple City in a Rio Hondo League game last week.
Adam Geller provided the big bat for the Spartans with two doubles and two clutch RBIs in this relatively low-scoring game. Riley Kozakar broke a scoreless tie with a double that drove in La Cañada’s first run. Alex Higa added a hit and scored a run. Geller, Timmy Park and Ethan Geller also scored for the Spartans.
The Spartan pitchers were impressive again, with Evan Umland and Nathan Mertens allowing no earned runs and only three hits between them. Umland picked up the win, striking out seven in five innings of work, and Mertens struck out four in the final two innings for the save.
The Spartans’ unbeaten streak came to end on Tuesday at Monrovia. The Wildcats (9-2 overall, 3-0 in league) scored two runs early and held on to remain undefeated in league play.
La Cañada (4-1 overall, 2-1 in league) was held to four hits in the game. Park scored the lone run of the game by belting a home run in the second inning.
Mertens was solid on the mound allowing only two runs on four hits and striking out seven.
The Spartans will host South Pasadena in a league contest this Friday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m. and then travel to Crescenta Valley to take on the Falcons in a nonleague game on Saturday at 6 p.m. With the CIF Southern Section planning postseason competition, the Spartans are looking to position themselves for a playoff run as they play through their remaining Rio Hondo League schedule.
