Photos by Josh Thompson
Baseball:
Ayala didn’t just beat a very good and well-coached baseball team.
The Bulldogs put an 11-0 beatdown on visiting Maranatha in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
Of the 29 baseball programs this site covers, MHS has the second most wins.
Ayala led 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, but they busted the game wide open with an eight-run fifth inning.
AHS out-hit MHS, 11-4, and they got another great outing from sophomore, Caleb Trugman.
Five days after going six innings and allowing one unearned run in a 6-1 victory at La Serna, the 6-foot-4 205-pound right-hander tossed a four-hit shutout.
Trugman issued three walks and fanned five Maranatha batters.
Zach Strickland tripled for MHS.
AJ Beltre, Thomas Lieb and Josh Proctor singled once each for the Minutemen.
Matthew Vazquez was charged with the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings.
Vazquez walked two and struck out a pair of AHS batters.
The first four batters in the Ayala lineup went a combined 9-for-14 with five runs and five RBIs.
Elijah Duarte went 3-for-4 with one run and two RBIs.
Trugman helped his own cause.
He drew a pair of walks, singled, doubled, scored and had one RBI.
Aidan Erlandsen went 2-for-5, with a run and RBI.
Jaden Valenzuela singled twice, scored a pair of runs and drove in one.
Brody Gomez singled, doubled, scored and drove in a run.
Aiden Granados walked, scored and had three RBIs.
Eric Hernandez walked, scored twice and had one RBI.
Dylan Wood scored and had one RBI.
To view a 45-pic photo gallery by Josh Thompson, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook
Up next: Ayala will host Anaheim Canyon on Friday.
The Comanches (16-13-1) edged Quartz Hill, 5-4, in their second-round game.
Quotable:
Ayala coach, Brad McGuire: “We knew coming into it that Maranatha was a very good team with a loaded roster, and we had our work cut out for ourselves, but with Trug on the mound, we had a shot. We knew we would go as he went, and he did what he’s done all year. Zero doubt in my mind he’s one of, if not the best player in the area. He’s a special talent on both sides of the ball, and it’s been a pleasure to have a front row seat to it. We’re super young, but I’ve told the boys since the beginning of the year, the team we are at the start of the season won’t be who we are when playoffs come. Our young guys have enough at-bats and we’re not ‘young’ anymore. Our schedule we played this year prepared us for this game, the guys are meshing, and it’s been a fun ride!”
Ayala pitcher, Caleb Trugman:“Coming into the game, I knew they chased a lot. I wanted to get first-pitch strikes and hit the corners. We’ve been playing as a family lately and it feels good, because you can tell that we had each other’s back. When we scored eight runs in the fifth inning, I felt all the pressure go away, and I had a big smile on my face. My shortstop Eli Duarte had a big game (4-for-4) and he made two big plays behind me that changed the course of the game. I have a freshman catcher named Cody Brown and he tossed out two base runners. I feel confident with him behind the plate. I am just really proud of how we played together.”
Box Score:
M: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-(0)
A: 1-0-1-0-8-1-X-(11)
Win: Caleb Trugman
Loss: Matthew Vazquez
3B: Zach Strickland (M)
2B: Caleb Trugman (A), Brody Gomez (A)
Records: Maranatha (22-7); Ayala (14-11-1)
Editor’s Note: I expect to post a St. Francis photo gallery by Ryan Tomey on Sunday night. Baseball: St. Francis was just three outs away from a potential CIF-SS Division 4 championship on Saturday afternoon at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. The Golden Knights led Camarillo, 1-0, as the Scorpions grabbed their bats in the […]
Softball: It doesn’t get much better than that if you’re Etiwanda junior, Alyssa Galindo. The Eagles ace went the distance in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over ML King in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs at Manning Stadium in Irvine. Galindo allowed just an unearned run on five hits. She issued one walk […]
Baseball: Josh Torres was going to make sure Azusa headed home from Lake Elsinore with a CIF-SS Division 8 championship. And what a performance by the AHS senior. Torres tossed a two-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory over Pacifica Christian at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. It was Azusa’s first CIF-SS baseball championship since Ronald […]
Photos courtesy of Josh Thompson/Chino Valley Champion (@championnewpapers_JoshT on Instagram) Baseball: If there was ever an instance that a ‘group MVP’ could and should be awarded, this would be the one. Chino Hills just claimed a CIF-SS Division 5 title after Friday’s 4-1 victory over Santa Monica at Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore. And the […]
Photo by Josh Thompson/Chino Valley Champion Baseball: The Chino Hills pitching staff deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the Huskies earning a spot in this weekend’s CIF-SS Division 5 championship game. Favian Vasquez and Andrew Baldomino teamed up on a four-hit shutout in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory at Chino High School. In four playoff […]
Baseball: Arcadia saw its remarkable 2024 season come to an end on Tuesday. The Apaches fell at Hart, 7-2, in the semifinal round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Arcadia pitching hit six Indians’ batters. Fernando Palencia got the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on three hits over four innings. Palencia issued three […]
Baseball: Things looked great for the Ayala baseball program in Tuesday’s CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal at Moorpark. The Bulldogs led the Muskateers 5-0 in the top of the fourth inning. MHS, however, scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and they got four more in the fifth to secure a 7-5 victory. […]
Pictured throughout the years L-R: Glaspy & four-time state champion runner, Remontay McClain, and Glaspy w/Covina’s all-time TD leader & quarterback, Jake Duronslet Football: Editor’s Note: Two weeks ago, I sent an email to Covina Valley School District Superintendent Elizabeth Eminhizer to give her and the district a chance to make a statement, but Mrs. […]
Baseball: Azusa has earned its spot in this weekend’s CIF-SS Division 8 title game. The Aztecs claimed a 9-5 victory over Edgewood. AHS out-hit EHS, 14-9, on Tuesday. Edgewood’s Raymond Tafola was charged with four runs on five hits over two innings. He walked one and fanned three Aztecs. Noah Ramirez went five innings, and […]
