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Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Jake rakes walk-off as Estancia baseball wins second CIF championship
FULLERTON — The Estancia High baseball team has held tightly onto the belief all season that hard work could mean eventual success. It started with the first game of the season, a 15-3 loss to Woodbridge that veteran coach Nate Goellrich called 'ugly, putting it nicely.' 'We went down the line after the game and I told the guys that was going to define our year,' Goellrich said. 'We can either work to get better, or it was just going to be a lost year. To their credit, man, they worked hard.' Like the season itself, the most important game of the campaign also didn't start well. Estancia gave up three runs in the top of the first inning to Pasadena Marshall on Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 championship game. Undeterred, senior starting pitcher Vaughn McCrea and junior reliever Lincoln Silva shut out Marshall the rest of the way. In the bottom of the seventh, things set up for senior Jake Humphries to be the hero. The only remaining player from the program's first CIF title team in 2022 delivered, stroking a bases-loaded triple to deep right field to score three and help Estancia earn a 4-3 victory. 'This title means everything,' Humphries said. 'This team had so much perseverance. We had a good season, but man, we got kicked down so many times. But it's about how many times we got right back up. It's amazing.' Marshall (20-7-1), which shares the Eagle mascot with Estancia, jumped out to the lead in the opening frame. The designated visitors scored three unearned runs after Trevor Lam reached on a one-out infield error. Nate Callaway's double brought him home, then a single by Ben Muro scored two more runs. Estancia (20-13) answered with a run in the bottom of the second, courtesy of a two-out rally. Carlos Hauser drew a full-count walk, then No. 9 hitter Athan Perez followed with a single to right. The lineup flipped and leadoff hitter Miles Dodge roped a double to right-center to bring home Perez. That was all Estancia would get off Marshall ace pitcher and senior left-hander Caleb Thatcher. He threw 5 ⅔ innings, allowing the lone run on four hits. He walked four and struck out 10. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the seventh. McCrea, bound for Lewis and Clark University in Oregon, kept Marshall at bay for the rest of the game until departing with two outs in the top of that frame. 'It was just a journey,' McCrea said of the season. 'We were projected to finish last in league and we just won CIF. It's a big switch-up from what everybody thought.' Silva allowed a double to left to Callaway in the seventh, but a Marshall pinch-runner was easily out at home, with Estancia junior catcher Sawyer Atkinson supplying the tag. Goellrich joked that Silva was a 'super vulture' in the playoffs, earning three wins in each game that McCrea started, also including the opening 10-8 win over Alhambra and a walk-off, nine inning 4-3 win over Pacifica Christian in the Division 6 quarterfinals. The CIF quarterfinals, semifinals and title game all ended with the same 4-3 score and Estancia on top. On Saturday, Estancia immediately put pressure on Marshall in the bottom of the seventh. No. 2 hitter Jacob Ramirez led off with a single to right and Atkinson walked. Cleanup hitter Nico Viramontes, who had previously been hit by a pitch twice in the game, poked a single to shallow right-center to load the bases with nobody out. Callaway, the Marshall relief pitcher, quickly got to an 0-and-2 count on Humphries. But Humphries battled back with the walk-off triple over the right-fielder's head on a 2-and-2 count four pitches later. The ball rolled to the base of the wall. 'I knew the wind was blowing out all game, and I saw him running in and I thought this might have a chance,' said Humphries, who also had the walk-off hit against Pacifica Christian. 'I was screaming, 'Get over his head,' and what do you know, it went over his head. Having the boys rally was amazing.' Viramontes slid across the plate with the winning run, setting off a wild celebration. Estancia had clinched the title in dramatic fashion, as it did when it edged Anaheim 2-1 in 11 innings for the Division 6 crown in 2022. 'It's been amazing,' said Viramontes, who is also 9-0 on the mound. 'I don't think I could ask for any better ride than this. We fought hard for this, and I feel like we deserve it by the way we played. This group of guys is special. We never back down to anyone … I feel like when we have pressure on us is when we're most powerful, and we just showed it right there.' Dodge finished with a pair of hits for Estancia, which earned its second CIF title in four years in Goellrich's second stint as head coach. He was also head coach from 2011-2017, before returning in 2021, turning a fifth-place in league team from the year before into the program's first CIF titlist. Now Estancia has doubled up. Goellrich said each championship was special in its own right, and that he's proud that Estancia did it with neighborhood kids. 'We've got the private schools around us that try to take our best players, and we've got the public schools that act like private schools that try to take our best players,' Goellrich said. 'My first stint as head coach and now, I want people that want to be here. These guys are here, and we work hard with what we've got. We've got a successful program, and that's all we can ask for. 'If you don't want to win CIF championships, then don't come to Estancia, right?' Estancia will now compete in the CIF State Southern California Regional Playoffs, which begins with games on Tuesday, June 3. When the Eagles won their first CIF Southern Section title in 2022, they also earned a regional crown. 'We've got our banquet [Sunday], practice Monday and we'll get ready for Tuesday,' Goellrich said.
Los Angeles Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Estancia baseball walks off against Pacifica Christian, advances to CIF semifinals
Estancia High baseball senior Jake Humphries is the last remaining player on the roster from the Eagles' 2022 CIF championship team. Humphries was a bench guy as a freshman on that squad; his older brother Tyler playing a bigger role. Still, there is something to be said for having that kind of experience when making one last run. When he saw a 2-and-0 hanging curveball in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday, Humphries knew exactly what to do with it. 'You've got runners at the corners,' he said after the game. 'All you've got to do is just poke something, get something to the outfield, allow your team to have a fighting chance really.' Humphries laced a single over the shortstop and into the outfield, scoring junior teammate Sawyer Atkinson from third base and starting a wild celebration on the Estancia baseball diamond. The Eagles had rallied for a 4-3 win over next-door neighbor Pacifica Christian Orange County in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs. Estancia (18-13) will stay at home to face Rancho Mirage in a Division 6 semifinal game on Tuesday. The team graduated a senior-laden squad a year ago, and Humphries is one of just four seniors this year, but Estancia again finds itself in the final four. 'We're not going to rebuild,' said Eagles coach Nate Goellrich, whose team finished second in the Coast League. 'People were saying that around us, but we were just saying that we were retooling all year. So for us to qualify for playoffs and now being in the semifinals, credit to the seniors, credit to the kids for just buying in. Our expectation is that we're going to win, and we've been fortunate to do that so far.' Pacifica Christian (14-12), in just its fourth varsity year, has also gotten used to winning. The Tritons made the Division 8 title game a year ago. They were close to knocking out the Eagles on Friday. The visitors took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, with Taisen Morishita, Blake Hayes and Scout Escobedo all crossing the plate. Morishita scored on a wild pitch, while John Coopman's sacrifice fly and a single to center by Luke Miller plated the other runs. Tritons starting pitcher Jon Stone was cruising, but Estancia answered with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth, as Atkinson and Nico Viramontes both walked to lead off the inning and came around to score. Jon Stone went four innings for Pacifica Christian, allowing just one hit, and he was followed by Josiah Miller and Carter Canada on the mound. 'Josiah hasn't pitched in weeks, and he came out and battled for us,' said first-year Pacifica Christian head coach Beau Amaral, a former Huntington Beach High and UCLA standout who played six seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization. 'I was really proud of him for that. Carter coming in, he's a freshman. I couldn't be more proud of our guys. It's not the outcome we wanted, but they battled.' Amaral's father Rich went to Estancia before a 10-year career in Major League Baseball. He had his Estancia jersey retired and currently works as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles. 'He couldn't make it today,' Beau Amaral said. 'He's out in North Carolina right now.' Dad's alma mater ended up with the victory. Down to its last out, Estancia evened the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, with Atkinson's two-out double off the left-field wall scoring Athan Perez. Goellrich said as Atkinson goes, so Estancia's offense goes. 'I thought it was out,' the Eagles junior said of the seventh-inning smash. 'I was seeing the ball well all day long, I just was having trouble sitting back on my back leg. I was kind of lunging forward. The pitcher had some [velocity] on him, so I was just thinking sit back and drive from there.' The clutch hit set the stage for the ninth inning heroics for Estancia. Senior pitcher Vaughn McCrea went eight innings for the Eagles before junior Lincoln Silva got the win in relief, throwing a scoreless ninth inning. Humphries said he's glad Estancia will be back at home Tuesday for the semifinals. 'We grew up our whole life in Costa Mesa, and we didn't transfer out or go to any special school,' he said of himself and his teammates. 'We stayed at our hometown school, and it's really cool to see everyone who watched us from T-ball all the way up just stay in the same environment. I feel like it's just a really cool thing to see the community come together.' Fountain Valley 5, Torrance 2: Senior Logan Hunt pitched five shutout innings for the Barons in Friday's Division 2 playoff quarterfinal game on the road. Tyler Peshke, Drake Robinson and Josh Grack each had a pair of hits for Fountain Valley (18-13), which took a 5-0 lead into the seventh inning. Anthony Zamora and Isaac Lomeli each drove in a run. Fountain Valley will play at Mater Dei in a Division 2 semifinal game Tuesday. The Barons will be attempting to advance to their first CIF title game since 1996. Glendora 2, Costa Mesa 1: The Mustangs' season ended in the quarterfinals of the Division 3 playoffs Friday at Costa Mesa High. Pitchers Troy Simmonds and Will Morales combined to yield no earned runs for Costa Mesa, while Wylan Rottschafer was one for three with a double and run batted in. Golden West League champion Costa Mesa finished the season 24-7, the 24 wins representing a single-season program record.
Los Angeles Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Pacifica Christian rides ‘electric' second-set run to sweep Rancho Cucamonga
Pacifica Christian had to wait a while to assemble its full roster, so while it isn't seeded for its boys' volleyball playoff run, it might also be a relative unknown. The Tritons capitalized on a chance to show what they were capable of Saturday in front of their home crowd. Senior outside hitter Hudson Reynolds had 26 kills to lead Pacifica Christian to a 25-21, 26-24, 25-21 sweep of third-seeded Rancho Cucamonga in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs. Pacifica Christian's Ryan Pearson (21) spikes the ball against Rancho Cucamonga's Ethan Lee (14). Facing three set points in the second game, the Tritons received four kills in a span of five points from Reynolds during the momentum-shifting run. Junior middle blocker Grayson Baker's kill off an overpass by the Cougars evened the score at 24-24. Reynolds landed the next two kills and stalked back to his team's bench, shouting in celebration all the way. 'I've been very competitive growing up,' Reynolds said of letting his emotions show on the court. 'My family, we're very competitive, so winning means a lot to me. Going out there, I know how much energy shifts can mean for a game, like a turnaround. I know the bench was there today, helped us get a lot of energy. … The more energy I bring to the table, the better we seem to play, so that's why I always try to bring as much energy as possible.' Pacifica Christian (14-15) advanced to the quarterfinals, and it was scheduled to play at Tri-Valley League runner-up Santa Barbara Laguna Blanca (12-7) on Wednesday evening. The result had not been reported as of The Pilot's print deadline. Pacifica Christian's Joaquin Rigdon (35) reaches to keep the ball in play against Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. Regarding the latter stages of the second set, Pacifica Christian coach Cory Swartzbaugh described the five-point run as 'electric.' 'Being down 24-21 right there and having people step up and make plays and kind of grow into roles that they've been showing flashes of, that's been kind of a defining moment for our team recently because we didn't have our full roster for half, two-thirds of the season,' Swartzbaugh said. 'We're still building that chemistry. We're still figuring out whose value is where, what we can grow into, and how we can mold and shape and puzzle together. It really feels like we're catching steam and momentum at the perfect time.' Junior setter Joaquin Rigdon had 36 assists, two service aces and two kills. Rigdon was at the service line during the key rally late in the second set, and he also connected well with Reynolds, finding him on top of the net and in the back row when the Tritons had to have a point. Pacifica Christian's Jack Ferrell (26) blocks the ball against Rancho Cucamonga in a CIF Division 6 playoff game on Saturday. There's room for improvement, Swartzbaugh said, especially with passing. 'That serve-receive performance was the dark side of the moon compared to last week,' Swartzbaugh said. 'Last week, we were locked in. We were in system out of every single serve, and we were able to run anything we wanted. This match, it was brutal. It was very tough seeing them let nervousness and just general emotions, it seemed like, kind of phase them in passing. It obviously wasn't too bad of a detriment. We still won, but it was a big sore spot.' Reynolds and Rigdon both played on the boys' basketball team, too, which advanced to the CIF Division 2AA final in the winter. Pacifica Christian's Hudson Reynolds (10) celebrates with Jedidiah Darrow (23), Ryan Pearson (21) and Atticus Graham (11). Junior opposite Ryan Pearson had six kills, two aces and a solo block for Pacifica Christian. Junior outside hitter Atticus Graham had four kills and two aces, and Baker finished with six kills. Freshman libero Jedidiah Darrow added seven digs. Senior outside hitter Ethan Lee had 11 kills and three block assists for Rancho Cucamonga (19-14), which was an at-large qualifier from the Baseline League. Sophomore middle blocker Evan Lee had four total blocks. The Pacifica Christian boys' volleyball team celebrates after winning a set against Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. Also in the CIF Southern Section boys' volleyball playoffs: Huntington Beach 3, Redondo Union 0: Sophomore outside hitter Logan Hutnick's 18 kills paced the Oilers in a 25-23, 25-23, 25-19 win at home on Tuesday in the second of three pool-play matches in the Division 1 playoffs. Junior outside hitter Colin Choi had 15 kills, and junior opposite Ben Arguello added 11 kills for second-seeded Huntington Beach (33-3), which plays host to Los Angeles Loyola (27-5) on Friday at 6 p.m. Newport Harbor (24-11) was scheduled to play at Loyola on Wednesday, each side looking to notch its first win of the postseason. Corona del Mar 3, Beckman 1: Junior outside hitter Ben Brown had 18 kills and two aces to lead the host Sea Kings to a 26-24, 25-17, 17-25, 25-17 win on Tuesday in the Division 1 playoffs. Corona del Mar (23-5) plays at top-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (30-2) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a spot in the CIF championship match on the line. Junior opposite Brady Gant and sophomore middle blocker Daniel Booker each had 10 kills for CdM. Junior outside hitter Hunter Hannemann added nine kills, junior setter Drake Foley had 48 assists, and senior libero Brogan Glenn contributed 14 digs. Sage Hill 3, Pasadena Poly 0: The visiting Lightning advanced to the Division 4 quarterfinals with Saturday's win. Sage Hill (16-11), the reigning Division 5 champion, has not dropped a set in its first two playoff matches. The Lightning were scheduled to travel to second-seeded Simi Valley Royal (20-7) on Wednesday.
