From Top Clockwise: Max Blessinger, Dawson Netz, Marco Martinez, Eddie Lopez By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor It should come as no surprise that Maranatha, the Pasadena area’s best baseball program is the lone team still standing in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. On Tuesday, Poly, Mayfield, Alverno and Ramona Convent all competed in the second round […]
From Top Clockwise: Max Blessinger, Dawson Netz, Marco Martinez, Eddie Lopez
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
It should come as no surprise that Maranatha, the Pasadena area’s best baseball program is the lone team still standing in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
On Tuesday, Poly, Mayfield, Alverno and Ramona Convent all competed in the second round of the softball playoffs.
And Poly baseball traveled to Malibu in a Division 6 contest.
Those five programs not only went a combined 0-5, they were collectively outscored, 30-1, with just Alverno avoiding a shut out.
That leaves Maranatha, which rallied to beat Alhambra, 5-3, on the road.
The Minutemen trailed 3-1 in the fifth inning, but got clutch hits from Casey Popham and Eddie Lopez, as well as an RBI ground out from Max Blessinger.
Dawson Netz replaced Charles Acker on the mound in the third inning and absolutely dominated his way to a second playoff victory in 96 hours for the Maranatha sophomore.
Netz got 10 of his 14 outs via strikeout, including the last out of the game.
Maranatha (22-7) will host Victory Valley (17-10-2) Friday at Brookside Park at 3:15.
Victor Valley earned a 4-3 victory at Sonora on Tuesday to advance to Friday’s CIF-SS Division 4 quarterfinal.
The Jackrabbits scored all four of its runs in the top of the first inning and were just able to hold the Raiders off.
Victor Valley pitchers will not blow Maranatha hitters away, but they are unlikely to give many free bases either.
The Jackrabbits top three pitchers (Alex Herrera, Ramon Alcantar, Abdiel Mejia) have walked just 16 batters combined all year.
Their counterparts at Maranatha, (Alex Cornwell, Charles Acker, Trevor Marrs), have put 62 runners on base via a base on balls.
While Victor Valley has shown much better control, Maranatha’s three starters have struck out 134 batters, while the Jackrabbits’ big three have fanned 47.
Maranatha coach Matt Shupper doesn’t want to tip his cap and give away his starter for Friday, but if you go by the first two rounds of the playoffs, one could make an educated guess.
Dawson Netz went seven innings on Friday and 4 2/3 more in Tuesday’s win.
Charles Acker could get the ball after he lasted just 2 1/3 innings, but they could also go to Alex Cornwell (5-2, 2.29 ERA) or Trevor Marrs (4-0, 1.85 ERA).
The Maranatha offense had two bases-loaded scenarios Tuesday that saw innings end on strikeouts, so they’d ideally like to get more timely hitting.
But to be fair to Evan Chang, who was called out on strikes in the first inning with the bases loaded, we looked at the film and the ball was at least two inches outside, if not more.
Max Blessinger, as always, will be a huge key if the Minutemen are to earn a semifinal spot against the winner of the Grace Brethren-Fullerton game.
Blessinger has scored a team-best 36 runs in the leadoff spot and he’s tied the season stolen base record with 33.
If Blessinger is on base multiple times, the Maranatha chances of victory go way up, especially with Marco Martinez (.455, 35 hits, 25 RBI) and Eddie Lopez (.477, 41 hits, 31 RBI) hitting behind him.
The Victor Valley and Maranatha offense’s are almost identical in runs scored.
The Minutemen have scored 172 runs to 167 for the Jackrabbits.
But the big advantage comes on the mound.
Victory Valley has allowed 60 more runs this season than has the Maranatha pitching staff.
The entire coaching staff and roster have focused all season on a potential title run, even more than just a league championship.
And being just two wins from earning a spot in the Division 4 championship game, it will all come down to who executes best, because no team in the division can match the depth in hitting or the pitching staff at Maranatha.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:15.
Quotable:
Maranatha shortstop Marco Martinez: “To win tomorrow, we need to minimize errors. If we play catch, that’s all I want to see. My job is to keep everybody composed and to not get too emotional.
If a team is good enough to get to this point, they are good enough to beat us. So, I’d like to see us do all the little things we need to do to win games, and I think we’ll do that. It is comforting to know we’re playing on a field we’re familiar with. I know they won’t walk a lot of guys and we have to make sure we don’t do that either.”
By the Numbers:
Records: Victor Valley: 17-10-2; Maranatha 22-7
Runs scored: Victor Valley 167; Maranatha 172
Runs against: Victor Valley: 125; Maranatha 65
League finish: Victor Valley: first in Desert Sky League; Maranatha: second in Olympic League.
Top pitchers:
VV: Alex Herrera: 2-3, 4.20 ERA, 35 IP, 20 hits, 21 earned runs, 6 walks, 14 strikeouts
VV: Ramon Alcantar: 3-1, 2.26 ERA, 31 IP, 18 hits, 10 earned runs, 7 walks, 19 strikeouts.
VV: Abdiel Mejia: 5-2, 1.31 ERA, 48 IP, 35 hits, 9 earned runs, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts.
MHS: Alex Cornwell: 5-2, 2.29 ERA, 40 IP, 13 hits, 13 earned runs, 25 walks, 43 strikeouts.
MHS: Trevor Marrs: 4-0, 1.85 ERA, 33 IP, 21 hits, 4 earned runs, 10 walks, 27 strikeouts.
MHS: Charles Acker: 7-1, 0.92 ERA, 46 IP, 16 hits, 6 earned runs, 27 walks, 64 strikeouts.
MHS: Dawson Netz: 5-3, 0.88 ERA, 48 IP, 28 hits, 6 earned runs, 13 walks, 68 strikeouts.
Top hitters:
VV: Alex Herrera: .395 average, 34 hits, 34 runs, 8 RBI, 6 doubles.
VV: Dante Crisantos: .345, 30 hits, 14 runs, 16 RBI, 4 doubles, 1 triple.
VV: Erick Olivares: .342, 25 hits, 13 runs, 14 RBI, 4 doubles.
VV: Jake Seidenkranz: .306, 26 hits, 15 runs, 19 RBI.
MHS: Eddie Lopez: .477, 41 hits, 18 runs, 31 RBI, 17 doubles, 1 triple.
MHS: Marco Martinez: .455, 35 hits, 23 runs, 25 RBI, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs.
MHS: Max Blessinger: .435, 40 hits, 36 runs, 19 RBI, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 33 stolen bases.
MHS: Charles Acker: .352, 31 hits, 20 runs, 15 RBI, 3 doubles, 1 triple.
CIF-SS Division 4 Quarterfinal Games Friday:
Tahquitz at Wilson of Hacienda Heights at 3:15
Capistrano Valley Christian at Nogales at 3:15
Grace Brethren at Fullerton at 3:15
Victory Valley vs Maranatha at Brookside Park at 3:15
