IRVINE – Beckman’s baseball team gave top-seeded Redondo Union all it could handle Tuesday afternoon, but the Patriots were unable to pull off an upset in the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs at Beckman.
Redondo Union, the defending Division 3 champion, pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh to capture a 5-2 victory to earn a trip to Saturday’s championship game against Woodbridge at 1 p.m. at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino.
Beckman (24-6) tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run double by shortstop Tyler Geurts.
“It’s never an easy speech to give after the playoffs, but they are pretty darn good,” said Beckman coach Kevin Lavalle said of Redondo Union. “What it really is about is competing from beginning to end, and I felt we did that and it’s something I’m proud of.”
With Beckman trailing 2-0, in the sixth, Ryan Carpenter walked and Connor Fidone singled to put runners on first and second. Matt McLain moved the runners over with a sacrifice.
Geurts followed with a double to left-center to drive in two runs.
“I knew once I got that hit we had the momentum,” Geurts said. “We did what we do best: put the ball in play. We played probably one of the best games of our season; we fought until the very end. I love these guys and I’m going to miss playing with them and it’s been a great four years with them.”
The next two batters, Austin Schell and Willie Lajoie, then laced infield outs to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, relief pitcher Collin Villegas, who came on in the fifth inning in relief of starter Will Cohen, retired the first two hitters.
But Matt Hanniff lifted a deep fly to left center. Two Beckman outfielders converged and appeared to make contact as the ball dropped for a double. Jason Dicochea followed with an RBI double to put the Sea Hawks ahead, 3-2.
“You can practice and practice and practice and nothing can kind of simulate the live experience of doing it,” Lavalle said. “It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just the way it goes sometimes. If that happens in the first inning we’re not sitting here talking about it.”
Sean Reynolds followed with a two-run home run well over the right-field fence to put Redondo Union (30-2) ahead, 5-2.
Reynolds then came on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh to blank the Patriots. Danny Zimmerman, who pitched the first six innings, got the win.
In the other Division 3 semifinal:
Woodbridge 1, Palm Desert 0: Ryan Santa Cruz had an RBI single that drove in Chase Bradley in the top of the second inning in support of winning pitcher Zak Baayoun, who went the distance with atwo2-hit shutout for the Warriors (23-7).
The third-seeded Warriors (23-7) will face top-seeded Redondo at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino Saturday at 1 p.m.
“He (Bayooun) left his last start against San Dimas with shoulder stiffness after the first inning,” said Woodbridge coach Tim Murray. “He came to me at practice on Monday and asked for the baseball and said his shoulder felt great.”
The Long Beach State-bound Bayooun improved his record to 10-2.
It is the second trip to the finals for Woodbridge, which lost to Beckman, 4-1, in the Division 3 title game in 2011 at Dodger Stadium.
Contact the writer: tburt@ocregister.com
