Baseball Playoffs: Despite Cole's efforts, Orange Lutheran eliminated

ORANGE For Orange Lutheran's last major chance, the circumstances brought power vs. power, MVP vs. MVP.

Gerrit Cole had recorded eight of his 11 strikeouts by the time he stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the fifth inning. There were two runners on, two outs and Norco's Matt Hobgood had a shutout to preserve.

“I thrive off pressure,” Hobgood said. “I just went right after him.”

Cole swung and missed a full-count fastball on the outside corner, and Hobgood lifted his hands and screamed. Orange Lutheran, Orange County's top-ranked team, did not get another runner on base, falling, 1-0, to Norco in the CIF-Southern Section Division I quarterfinals Friday at Hart Park.

The Lancers stranded seven runners, leaving a runner in scoring position in four of the first five innings. Hobgood, a junior committed to Cal State Fullerton, struck out eight and walked one. He allowed five hits.

Cole did not walk a batter and gave up four hits. Just two Cougars reached scoring position.

Norco's Daren Carlson, leading off the fifth inning, swung late on a high-octane Cole fastball. With the pitch providing most of the power, Carlson managed to drop the ball just fair down the right-field line for a double.

He advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout to the right side.

Cole completed his senior season with 121 strikeouts, 18 walks and 30 hits in 75 2/3 innings.

Friday, out of the cleanup spot, he went 1 for 3 and did not get another chance after the fifth-inning strikeout.

“It was probably one of the hardest pitches he threw all day,” Cole said of Hobgood's third strike. “He beat me to the punch.”

Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com