Baseball roundup: Harvard-Westlake wins 12th straight and locks up second place in Mission League
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ENCINO — Notre Dame has dominated so convincingly, it wrapped up the Mission League baseball title last week.
So, the only drama left to be had in the final series of the season was a battle for second place between Harvard-Westlake and Crespi, which could give the winner of this week’s series a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Harvard-Westlake won Monday’s game 5-4 in walk-off fashion after trailing by three runs.
Tuesday’s matchup was far less dramatic as junior pitcher Tommy Bridges threw a complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Crespi to lock up second place in the Mission League.
Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert pitched Eli Weinbach Monday in what appeared to be a strategic move against Crespi’s No. 1 pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and saving his top arms for the last two games of the series. But that wasn’t the case.
“No strategy. Tommy Bridges is our Tuesday guy, that’s all,” said Halpert, alluding to the Mission League schedule usually playing Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. This final week’s schedule is Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
The two teams will play one last time Thursday, but the result will be moot now that Harvard-Westlake (20-7) has already clinched the series by winning the first two (of three) games.
Crespi (15-7-3) will finish third in the Mission League, which earns the Celts an automatic CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoff berth. Harvard-Westlake will head to the Division 1 playoffs.
“Either way, this series is good for us right before we head into the playoffs,” Crespi coach Mike Glendenning said. “It prepares us.”
Freshman James Tronstein was 2 for 3 with a homer Monday and went 3 for 4 with a double Tuesday afternoon. Tom Lieb was 3 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs Tuesday.
Crespi’s starting pitcher Jack Galanida threw five innings, allowed seven hits, gave up four runs and struck out four.
Chaminade 13, Loyola 3: Junior Vincent Van der Wel, who has been a bright spot for the Eagles all season, was 5 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs.
Castaic 1, West Ranch 0: Joji Sakata delivered winning RBI single for Castaic. Pitcher Kyler Freude threw a complete game with eight strikeouts.
Quartz Hill 5, Highland 1: Ismael Quintero threw a complete game and struck out 11. Quartz Hill has clinched at least a share of the Golden League title.
LIONS LOCK UP SHARE OF LEAGUE TITLE
Oaks Christian earned at least a share of the Marmonte League title with a 4-1 win over Calabasas Monday.
Elijah Clayton hit a two-run triple and stole two bases. Freshman pitcher Jack Laubacher earned the win, struck out four and gave up just one run in six innings.
The Lions (14-8) locked up a share of the league title with two games against Calabasas left this week, which will conclude the regular season. One more win will give Oaks Christian the Marmonte League crown outright.
Oaks Christian won the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship last season and is now in Division 2.