Fielding a Defeat

Los Padres League pitcher of the year Cody Berryman threw an outstanding game, allowing just three hits and striking out seven in a complete game performance.

Unfortunately for Berryman, the Lompoc Braves committed five errors, including four in the sixth inning that led to two unearned runs and it was enough for Culver City to earn the win.

The Centaurs held on for a 2-1 win over the Braves at Dan Bodary Field on Friday afternoon in a first round CIF Division IV game. Culver City will host Savanna, who shut out North Torrance 3-0, on Tuesday afternoon.

“That inning played out like our season has played out,” said Lompoc coach Jim Allen. “If we can't catch the ball and play defense - we're going to lose ballgames and that's what happened today.”

In the Centaur sixth with one out, Devin Sylvester hit a high chopper over the mound. Dalton Rouleau had a bead on it, but was unable to pick up the ball for the first error of the inning. Sylvester stole second, then on a steal attempt at third, he was safe as the ball rolled away from the third baseman Alonzo for the second error. As the ball rolled towards the outfield, Sylvester scored.

James Seay hit a slow grounder towards third that Alonzo dropped. Seay reached first on the third error of the inning. He moved to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Patrick Cousineau.

Up until that inning Berryman was virtually unhittable. The lead off batter in the game struck out, but reached first on a passed ball. Berryman then retired the next 13 batters into the fifth.

“Cody pitched outstanding,” Allen said. “If we make just a couple plays, he wins that thing.”

With bus problems, Culver City did not arrive as a full team until late and the game started about 15 minutes after the scheduled time. But it did not seem to bother them, even though Lompoc started off quickly.

Brandon Alonzo led off the bottom of the first with a home run to right field and that was followed by a single by Kevin Erickson.

What happened next would set the tone for the remainder of the game. Chris Mallory hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Rouleau followed with a single. He was then thrown out at second on a stolen base attempt.

In the second, Berryman doubled with one out, then was picked off by Culver City pitcher Kevin Cohen.

After the lead-off batter Erickson was hit by pitch, he was erased on another Centaur double play. Mallory hit a pop fly between the second baseman and the right fielder. The second baseman made a nice over the shoulder catch and Erickson was too far off the first and was doubled up.

Finally in the sixth after a inning opening walk to Alonzo, he was caught stealing on a pitchout by Culver City.

“We shouldn't of been in a situation like 1-0 either,” Allen said. “We had plenty of opportunities but we just couldn't come up with the big hit.”

The game hung on the balance in the bottom of the seventh when Lompoc almost pulled off some magic that was a regular occurrence last season.

Rouleau walked to lead off the inning. Culver City coach replaced starter Kevin Cohen with Adrian Campos. Scott Aguailar greeted the new pitcher with a single, giving the Braves two on with no outs. Berryman came to the plate with the tying run on second, but struck out on a full count.

Designated hitter Daniel Mallory hit a pop fly to third for the second out, then Campos retired Richie Hirzel on an easy fly to center.

Allen bucked traditional strategy by having Berryman swing away, but he felt that was his best chance to win.

“If we bunt there we take the bat out of Berryman's hands,” he explained. “Then most likely out of Daniel's hand too. They put him on, then you are trying to get a big hit out of your eight and nine hitters.

“We wanted to try and win it with the guys who have been swinging it well for us all year. So we rolled the dice a little bit and we just didn't get it done.”

Allen was philosophical about the season.

“We have a young squad and hopefully they can learn from this and carry it over next year and little bit,” he said. “They now know what it takes to make a run in the CIF playoffs.

“And the seniors - they had a nice run with three straight league championships. That's something they can hang their hats on. I know it's a tough pill to swallow after you lose a game you should of won, but it happens.”

Patriot 2, Santa Ynez 0

RIVERSIDE - Two sixth-inning errors doomed the Pirates (16-11) against the division's second seed (23-2).

“Those errors led to two unearned runs,” said Santa Ynez coach Dave Kuehn. “It was a great pitchers' duel. It was a very intense, well-played game by both sides. Until the sixth inning.”

Neither team had an extra-base hit. Sean Rowan held Patriot to three hits. Todd Whitmore kept the Warriors hitless after he relieved Rowan in the sixth inning, but the Pirates had only four hits themselves. Niko Delavalle had two of them.

Patriot won the Sunkist League. Santa Ynez was the third seed from the Los Padres League. Patriot plays at 3:15 p.m. next Tuesday at South Torrance.

St. Joseph 8, La Habra 7

LA HABRA - The Knights overcame a four-error first inning, rallied from 6-2 down after two and advanced.

Travis Biegel singled in the tying run with two outs in the fifth inning, then singled home the winning run in the seventh. La Habra scored five times in the first inning, then had two hits the rest of the way.

Jacob Cano put the Knights ahead early with a two-run home run in the first inning. St. Joseph, the second seed from the Los Padres League, hosts Tri-Valley League champion St. Bonaventure at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in the second round.

Katella 9, Arroyo Grande 3

ANAHEIM - The Eagles made three errors in a six-run Katella second inning and went out in the first round of Division II.

The Eagles started well enough - they scored first, in the top of the first inning. The Knights, though, countered with two runs in the bottom first. Then came the disastrous second inning for the Eagles.

Lucas Kephart and Ruben Gonzalez each singled in a run for Arroyo Grande (16-11). K.J. Calderone and Clark Goosen both went 2-for-4.

Katella won the Empire League. Arroyo Grande finished third in the PAC-7.

PAC-7 League champion Paso Robles and runner-up San Luis Obispo both lost. Cypress beat Paso Robles 9-6. Chino Hills downed San Luis Obispo 6-3.

Tennis

CIF SS Individual Tournament

Top-seeded Andre Dome of Arroyo Grande breezed through the early rounds of the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament at CATE School in Carpinteria.

Dome drew a first-round bye. He defeated Randal Chan of Cathedral 6-1, 6-1 in the second round and Vinnie Lodolo of La Canada St. Francis 6-2, 6-2 in the third.

The senior, a four-time PAC-7 League singles champion, earned a spot in the round of 16. That round and the quarterfinals take place next Friday at the Seal Beach Tennis Center. The semifinals and final are the next day at the same place.

Meanwhile, Los Padres League singles champion Alex Jensen went out in the second round. The Lompoc junior drew a first-round bye, then lost 6-3, 7-5 to Sasha Guryasnov of Dos Pueblos in the second round.

Guryasnov was the second seed from the Channel League.

May 17, 2008