CIF Southern Section Baseball Playoffs

Division 1

7 Yucaipa: 1

West Ranch: 0

A game that began amidst some pregame controversy, ended with two teams so evenly matched that it would take a seven game series to truly sort out the better team.

It was a fantastic pitchers duel between West Ranch’s Cade Nicol and Yucaipa’s Rafa Alvarez with neither allowing an earned run.

Nicol was stellar, not allowing a hit through the first five innings, and the one hit he did allow didn’t get past the infield. It came in the nervy moments of the seventh inning, when a bases loaded jam got the better of the West Ranch defense, and Yucaipa’s Tyson Heaton scored the only run.

The Wildcats played the game under protest, and submitted video evidence of Yucaipa allegedly violating a pregame batting practice rule to the CIF Southern Section. Ruling came down this morning that Yucaipa was not found guilty of breaking the rules, and the game was upheld.

West Ranch finishes the season with a 24-6 record.

Division 3

Saugus: 2

Serra: 3

The third game in a row to come down to the team’s final at-bats, this time Saugus ended up on the wrong side of things. Serra scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh inning to knock the Centurions out in the 2nd round.

Saugus opened the game with a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a pair of singles by Hewitt Grissom and Brandyn Cruz, but were unable to mount much of a threat thereafter. Serra scored twice in the fourth inning before walking off in the seventh.

Senior Bobby Garcia struck out six batters in 5.2 innings of work.

Saugus finishes the season 16-12-1.

Division 6

Trinity: 5

El Monte: 6

The Knights rallied from a 6-0 deficit to get within a run in the sixth inning, ultimately falling short with the tying run on third in the top of the seventh.

Trinity finishes 15-5

CIF Southern Section Softball Playoffs

Division 3

West Ranch: 13

6 Highland: 10

Down 7-2 in the fifth inning, the Wildcats turned on the offense to score multiple runs in innings 5-8 for a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

West Ranch had six extra base hits, including Madison Flatt’s home run in the eighth inning to seal the victory.

The Wildcats overcame several errors defensively, and workhorse pitcher Jenna Rorick battled through it for all eight innings. Rorick struck out 11 Highland batters, and of the ten runs only four were attributed to her. She also hit a 2-run double to help her own cause.

Next up in the quarterfinal round is Warren (15-14) on the road, Thursday. The Bears knocked off No. 3 Chino and Sierra Canyon on their road to the quarterfinals.

CIF Southern Section Volleyball Playoffs

Division 2

No. 5 West Ranch’s run to the semifinals has been relatively smooth, after losing the first game against Alemany in the quarterfinal match on Saturday, the Wildcats won the ensuing three games (albeit by a combined seven points) to advance.

Now, they’ll face the best division has to offer on a grueling road trip down to San Juan Capistrano this evening–at No. 1 Saddleback Valley Christian. The Warriors (30-4) come into the game on a six game winning streak, the third longest streak in the division. West Ranch’s eight game streak is the second.

First serve is at 6:00.

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