By Tony Solorzano
(Los Angeles) – The Bonita Bearcats claimed the second baseball title in school history with a 5-1 victory over the Alhambra Moors in the Division III finals of the CIF Southern Section-Ford Championships, Presented by Farmers Friday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
The Bearcats (32-2) broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a four-run rally that cushioned a complete game from Justin Garza knocked off the Moors (24-3), who reached the finals for the first time since 1927 after knocking off Irvine Beckman, the 2011 champion, 6-4.
The Bearcats got on the board first with a two-out RBI single from Thomas Castro that got past second baseman Mitchell Johnson and into center field, scoring Justin Row, who reached first on an error.
The Moors responded in the top of the second as Jeremy Duran stole third with two outs and scored on pitcher Mario Briones’ single up the middle.
In the third, the Bearcats rallied behind hits by Tanner Diebold and Row, whose one-out single to left put Diebold at third. Row then stole second and Justin Garza laid down a perfect squeeze play along third that not only scored Diebold but also Row as first baseman Juan Morales had the ball pop out of his glove as Garza reached the base. Castro then blooped a single into right field, sending Moors head coach Steve Gewecke out to talk to his team.
It didn’t help, as designated hitter Tyler Heslop stepped in and pounded a single into right, scoring Garza from second. Nolan Henley come up and hit to left field but the throw by Blake Kuehnle popped out of the glove of third baseman Jesus Lopez, allowing Castro to score on the error.
In the fourth, the Bearcats suffered a setback as Row got hit by a pitch in the ankle and had to be helped off the field. However, he returned to the game in the top of the fifth and resumed his position at shortstop.
Garza threw a complete game, giving up one earned run on three hits, striking out seven batters and walking only two. Briones took the loss, going four innings but surrendering five runs on seven hits, three runs coming unearned thanks to the error-plagued fourth. Gary Acuna finished up for the Moors with two scoreless innings of work, allowing only two walks, but giving up a wild pitch.
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