La Salle Baseball Team after Temecula Valley win By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor La Salle has the chance Thursday to be the area’s first semifinalist if they’re able to earn a victory tonight at 6. The game was was originally set for Friday at 3:15 at Temescal Canyon, but circumstances revolving around Grad Night at […]
La Salle Baseball Team after Temecula Valley win
By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor
La Salle has the chance Thursday to be the area’s first semifinalist if they’re able to earn a victory tonight at 6.
The game was was originally set for Friday at 3:15 at Temescal Canyon, but circumstances revolving around Grad Night at Magic Mountain brought both schools together in pushing the game up 21 hours or so.
La Salle (16-10) will put their seasoned ace, Zane Lindeman on the hill.
Lindeman is 2-0 in his last two CIF playoff appearances.
He had a shutout over Santa Monica in 2017 and last week’s 5-3, complete-game victory at Charter Oak.
The 6-foot-4 senior and future Cal Poly Slo pitcher is 5-2 with a 0.97 ERA and is 22-7 over his career at La Salle.
Temescal Canyon (22-8-1) has playoff victories thus far over Pacifica and Long Beach Poly, and by a combined margin of 11-1.
La Salle’s two wins have come over Charter Oak, 5-3, and Landon Smith’s two-hit shutout Tuesday in the Lancers 1-0 victory over Temecula Valley.
The Titans have a 1.78 team ERA and they’re hitting a collective .284 through their first 31 games.
Lindeman will face four batters that have 26 hits or more.
Sophomore Caden Szuba leads the way for the Temescal Canyon offense.
He’s hitting a team-best .406 with 39 hits, 14 RBI and nine doubles.
La Salle, as always, will count on Ethan Patrick (.440, 38 hits) and Brennen Mace (.420, 25 hits), but they’ll also need offensive production from Mark Daley (.333), Henry Kavanaugh (.319), Luke Heiberg (.250) and the entire roster.
If Lindeman struggles or needs help, Jeff Daley (4-2, 2.05 ERA, three saves) would likely be the first out of the pen, including a possible save opportunity.
La Salle enters Thursday’s quarterfinal round on a six-game win streak and Temescal Canyon has won five straight.
