PUMPED UP: Orange Lutheran's Gerrit Cole celebrates after recording the final out in the Lancers' 4-1 victory over Mater Dei. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
Cole is golden, sophomores are clutch in Orange Lutheran win
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No. 1 Lancers defeat No. 3 Mater Dei, 4-1, to clinch share of Trinity League title.
The big senior did his thing, as expected. Perhaps less expected was how Orange Lutheran's sophomores came through in such an important game.
Lutheran sophomores Dillon Bryant and Josh Doyle delivered the key hits as the Lancers scored three runs in the sixth inning and senior pitcher Gerrit Cole struck out 11 in a 4-1 victory over Mater Dei in a Trinity League baseball game Wednesday at Hart Park.
The victory clinched at least a share of the league championship for Lutheran, its first since the Lancers took the Olympic League championship in 2002.
Lutheran (20-3 overall, 10-1 in league) would have to lose its three remaining league games and Mater Dei (18-6, 8-4) would have to win its final three, including Friday at home against Lutheran, for the Monarchs to catch the Lancers at the top of the final league standings.
Even if that happened, Lutheran still would be the league's No. 1 representative in the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs.
Wednesday's game, coupled with a Lutheran league victory over Mater Dei in early April, guaranteed the Lancers will win their best-of-3 league series against the Monarchs.
Cole drove in junior Robby Vaughn in the first inning to give Lutheran a 1-0 lead. Mater Dei tied it in the sixth when sophomore Cory Hahn reached on a bunt single and eventually scored on a single by sophomore Jacob Medina.
With two outs in Lutheran's half of the sixth, junior Pierce Bily singled, sophomore Chase Harrison walked, and Doyle doubled to left-center field to drive in Bily and send Harrison to third base.
Harrison and Doyle scored on Bryant's single up the middle through the drawn-in Mater Dei infield.
“The sophomores were unbelievable,” Cole said. “They really came through in the clutch.”
Cole (7-1), a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior right-hander who has signed with UCLA and is rated as a top draft prospect, gave up three hits and one walk.
When Lutheran defeated Mater Dei, 6-1, in early April, Cole struck out 11.
“Gerrit was excellent again,” Lutheran coach Mike Grahovac said. “He did what he needed to do.”
Mater Dei junior Aaron Northcraft (5-3) gave up six hits and struck out seven with two walks in six innings.
(Click here for more game stats)
In another Trinity League game:
JSerra 4, Santa Margarita 3: Austin Hedges squeezed in the go-ahead run bottom of the sixth, and Quentin Renner singled home the eventual game winner to lift the Lions (16-8, 7-5) past the Eagles (8-16, 3-9).
Brett Dahlson threw six innings plus inning for his fourth victory of the season, and Joe Kurasch earned his first save.
Shane Boras went 2 for 3 with a double.
>> See all scores from Wednesday's games
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
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