The Sonora players had talked during the top of the seventh inning, and James Cacioppo realized he soon would be at the bottom of a rollicking dogpile.

“I told everyone before, ‘No one hurt me, we still have games to play,' ” the senior said.

Sonora's ace has been hurt enough this season. But his injury didn't stop the Raiders from winning a third consecutive Freeway League championship, and it didn't keep Caccioppo's teammates from mobbing him after he recorded the final out in a 13-3 victory at La Habra.

In mid-March, Cacioppo fell off a bicycle and suffered a separation of his right shoulder blade from the collarbone.

He had pitched in the Raiders' league-opening victory at Buena Park on March 14, but he would not start another Freeway game.

Cacioppo returned a few weeks after the accident to play left field. Since then, he has “thrown an inning here and there,” Coach Pat Tellers said.

Tuesday, the coach called on him with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Raiders leading, 5-1.

After throwing a wild pitch and walking pinch-hitter Alex Esquerra, Cacioppo struck out Zach Esquerra and induced Jon Mendoza into an inning-ending pop-up.

The Raiders sailed from there. Steven Mancilla and right fielder Nik Koski each homered, and Cameron Luitwieler went 3 for 4 with a walk.

Over 3 2/3 innings, Cacioppo allowed two hits, a run and struck out five.

“For us to win 19 games without him on the mound, our hats are off to the other pitchers,” Tellers said.

Sonora (20-5, 12-2) has lost two Freeway League games, after dropping none last season and one in 2006.

On March 28, La Habra snapped the Raiders' 29-game league win streak with a 5-4 victory. The Highlanders (13-9, 10-4) can clinch second place with a victory at Sonora on Thursday or a Fullerton loss to Buena Park.

JONATHAN KAY/OCVarsity.com

In other games:

No. 5 Capistrano Valley 2, No. 6 Aliso Niguel 1: Shane Loftus scored Vito Gioiello with the winning single as the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to keep pace with Tesoro atop the South Coast League.

No. 4 El Toro 4, Foothill 3: Dillon Penprase's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning kept the Chargers a game up on Trabuco Hills for first place in the Sea View League with one game to play.

La Quinta 12, Los Amigos 2: The victory clinches the Aztecs' state-record 16th consecutive league championship. Michael Hill got the victory as La Quinta clinched the Garden Grove League crown.

Orange 10, Ocean View 0: Coach Dennis McCuistion's 100th victory pits Thursday's matchup between the rivals as a Golden West League championship game.

>>See scores from all Tuesday games

>>Read more in Boys Baseball

Contact the writer: preps@ocvarsity.com