Golden Valley’s memorable postseason run came to an end Friday as the Grizzlies fell 5-2 to South El Monte in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 quarterfinals.

The two teams battled through three scoreless innings as both pitchers kept opposing hitters in check. The game turned in the top of the fourth inning when South El Monte broke through with a four-run rally.

The Eagles received run contributions from Bobby Rojas, Emiliano Gonzalez, Isaac Piceno and Joseph Aguayo during the inning, taking a commanding 4-0 lead.

South El Monte added an insurance run at the top of the seventh when Anthony Mata came around to score, extending the advantage to 5-0.

Golden Valley refused to go quietly. The Grizzlies mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, pushing across two runs and bringing life to the home crowd. 

However, the comeback attempt was ultimately halted as the Eagles recorded the final outs to secure the victory and a spot in the semifinals.

Following the game, Golden Valley head coach Marc Kennedy credited South El Monte for executing when it mattered most.

“We just got outplayed today. That’s a good baseball team over there,” said Kennedy. “Their coach did his homework on us. He had a really good scouting report and their kid on the mound executed his pitches well.”

Kennedy pointed to a missed opportunity in the fourth inning that he felt shifted momentum away from the Grizzlies.

“We had our chance there in the bottom of the fourth where we got a one-out double and then got off a little too far on a line drive and got doubled off,” said Kennedy. “I think that momentum shifted right to them.”

The Grizzlies found themselves in trouble during South El Monte’s decisive fourth inning after senior pitching Charlie Butts struggled to locate pitches consistently.

“Charlie kind of lives and dies on being able to locate a fastball in and then throws a slider off of it, and he just didn’t have great command of the breaking ball today,” said Kennedy. “We put ourselves in some fastball counts, and that’s a good hitting team. They capitalized on some fastballs over the plate with guys on base.”

Charlie Butts warms up before the playoff game against South El Monte.

Despite the season-ending loss, Kennedy expressed immense pride in a team that authored one of the most successful seasons in program history. Golden Valley finished above .500, reached the playoffs, and, for the first time in school history, won two postseason games.

“I’ve been in this game a long time, as a player and a coach, I can count on one hand the number of teams that have fully bought into a process of selflessness,” said Kennedy. “There’s not one guy in that dugout that would rather see himself do well than the guy next to him.”

Although the Grizzlies are expected to return much of their roster next season, Kennedy emphasized that this particular group leaves behind a special legacy.

“No two teams are the same. I know we’re only losing two guys, but this was the last game this team’s going to play,” said Kennedy. “It’s a privilege, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it. It was so much fun with this group this year.”

While Golden Valley’s season comes to an end, South El Monte advances to the semifinals, where they face Norwalk on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.