Baseball:
After three victories in the 2022 CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs, Loyola’s magical run came to an end on Friday.
The Cubs fell, 9-3, to top-seeded and visiting Aquinas.
The Falcons put the game away early.
Aquinas got two runs in the top of the second, three in the third and four more in the fourth to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
Riley Russell got touched up for eights run on six hits over his three innings of work.
Russell walked two, fanned seven, and he didn’t get much help from his defense.
Loyola committed six errors in Friday’s loss.
Nathan Savarese was solid for the Cubs, going four innings and allowing just an unearned run on one hit.
Savarese walked two and struck out six Falcons’ batters.
Seth Rajacich hit a two-run shot in the top of the second to give Aquinas a 2-0 lead.
Eric Bitonti tripled and scored.
Josh Torres singled twice, scored and had a game-high four RBIs.
Nate Christman walked, scored twice and had three RBIs for the Falcons.
Torres went four scoreless innings on two hits to earn the win.
He walked five and fanned five Loyola batters.
Adam Magpoc walked twice, singled and had an RBI.
Walter Urbon hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Jackson Shea walked and singled.
Carson Chavez and Alex Orman had one single apiece.
Tino Valdez had an RBI on a sixth-inning sac fly.
James Dell’Amico and Donnie Morgan walked and scored one run apiece.
Quotable:
Loyola coach, Sean Buller: “I am so proud of the turnaround this Loyola Cubs baseball team fought for and succeeded in completing. These young men are some of the most competitive players I have ever coached. Day in and day out, these players left it out on the field for the goal to be competitive, never give up, and put Loyola baseball back in the spotlight. If I knew going into the season that this would be my last at Loyola, I wouldn’t want to have any other team to finish my career.
To my players and their parents that have supported me and trusted me to lead them and their sons, I want to thank you all for allowing me this responsibility. I have enjoyed every minute with the boys and I know the program is back in the right direction. The senior class deserves so much credit for taking last season and all we went through and making sure that type of season would not happen again. They are a special graduation group. For the rest of the team, they are going to be a true Mission League force for years to come.”
Box Score:
A: 0-2-3-4-0-0-0-(9)
L: 0-0-0-0-0-2-1-(3)
Win: Josh Torres
Loss: Riley Russell
HR: Seth Rajacich (A); Walter Urbon (L)
3B: Eric Bitonti (A)
Editor’s Note: For the past several years, I have done game stories for Loyola baseball, despite the school not being anywhere near my coverage zone. I did it because Sean Buller is a friend of mine, and he wasn’t satisfied with the coverage they got from the Los Angeles area media. He cared so much about his players that he asked a friend (me) to do stories whenever I could fit them in, because he knows that media coverage does a world of good in getting baseball players names and accomplishments out there. It also helps garner interest from college programs and scouts. Sean found out his contract would not be renewed the day before the playoffs were to begin. And he didn’t say a word to the players until after the first-round, 10-0 victory at Montebello, because to Sean, it wasn’t about him, it was 100-percent about the kids he loves. It’s ironic that in a year that Loyola tripled their Mission League victories from a season ago, and won more playoff games since 2013, that he would be relieved of his duties. Now that the school has decided not to renew his contact in 2022-23, I won’t be doing anything more for the program or the school. But I wish the players, his coaching staff and Sean the best in their future endeavors.
Records: Aquinas (28-2); Loyola (17-13-1)
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