BATTLING BACK: Laguna Hills pitcher Ryan Wertenberger got off to a rough start but went the distance and earned the victory as the Hawks rallied to beat University, 6-5. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER CIF-SS baseball playoffs at a glance• Seedings and first-round pairings will be announced Monday. |
Laguna Hills builds momentum for playoffs with comeback
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The Hawks overcome four-run deficit to defeat University, 6-5, on last day of regular season.
IRVINE It has been hit and miss with the hitters at Laguna Hills.
“Some games we're on,” the Hawks' Ryan Westernberger said, “and some games we're not. But when we're on, we're fun to watch.”
Laguna Hills had some fun Thursday, rallying to overcome a four-run deficit and beat University, 6-5, in a Pacific Coast League game at University. It was the final game of the regular season for both.
Laguna Hills (21-7 overall, 10-2 in league) won the league championship outright for the second year in row, having returned to the PCL in the 2006-07 school year after a few years as a member of the Sea View League.
The Hawks, ranked No. 9 in Orange County, will be the league's No. 1 representative, guaranteeing them a first-round home game against another league's No. 3 or 4 team in the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs.
University finished the regular season 13-10 overall, 8-4 in league. The Trojans will be a No. 2 team in the playoffs.
Seedings and first-round pairings will be announced Monday. Wild-card round games are Tuesday in all divisions. First-round games are Thursday in Divisions I, III, V and VII, and Friday in Divisions II, IV and VI.
The Trojans built a 5-1 lead, as Elliott Martin hit a two-run home run in the first inning and delivered a run-scoring single in the third.
The Hawks scored three in the fifth, with Robert Refsnyder driving in one run with a single, Matt Giovinazzo driving in another on a groundout, and Kyle Harrison sending in the third run on a sacrifice fly.
They tied it in the sixth on an RBI single by Dylan Tendler, and took a 6-5 lead in the seventh when Jeff West's sacrifice fly scored Giovinazzo.
Wertenberger (7-4) pitched a complete game.
Laguna Hills has been shut out three times and lost two other games when the Hawks scored one run.
“Some guys have been in a funk, hitting-wise,” Laguna Hills coach Pete Tereschuk said, “but we got some big hits today.”
>>See all scores from Thursday's games
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
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