MISSION VIEJO — Sometimes a team runs into a buzz saw, and the team with the buzz saw also catches a break.
That’s what the Trabuco Hills baseball team faced against Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta and its starting pitcher Brian Gadsby.
Gadsby, a sidearm-throwing right-hander signed to UCLA, held Trabuco Hills to one run on three hits in a 5-1 victory for Crescenta Valley in a CIF-SS Division 2 second round playoff game at Trabuco Hills High on Tuesday.
Crescenta Valley (24-5) advances to play Carter of Rialto in the quarterfinals on Friday.
“He’s got a lot of different pitches from a lot of different angles,” Trabuco Hills coach Michael Burns said of Gadsby. “It’s really tough on a lineup that has mostly righties in it. You don’t see it a lot.”
Gadsby struck out five in the complete-game win.
Trabuco Hills (19-13-1) got its only run in the fourth inning as Grant Stoker scored on a Ryan Kearney groundout.
The one run came too late for the Mustangs as Crescenta Valley got its break earlier in the fourth inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, Gadsby hit a shallow fly ball out to center field. Kewin Ledesma tagged from third. The throw to the plate, Ledesma and Trabuco Hills catcher Erik Voller all collided. Ledesma scored as the ball sprung loose and rolled into the Crescenta Valley dugout and out of play.
Weston Walker was allowed to score for a 2-0 lead.
“It was rough,” Burns said. “It was definitely a CIF break that you need for them.”
The game continued as a solid pitcher’s duel before Mustangs pitcher Trevor Muse allowed a third run and was pulled in the sixth.
“Trevor just gutted it out,” Burns said. “He really did an outstanding job locating his pitches and throwing his off-speed stuff for a strike.”
Muse struck out six and allowed three runs on six hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
