The 2016 prep baseball season came to end for the Linfield and Great Oak High School varsity baseball teams Wednesday, May 18.
The Lions fell to Windward 13-5 after the visiting Wildcats jumped out in front, scoring 5 runs early in the second inning, but the Lions would not go down without a fight, plating four runs in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 5-4 game. Linfield used three pitchers in the upset as starter Ryan Dipoma would only go 3 2/3 innings before getting in trouble giving up 6 runs on 5 hits with five walks. Taylor York battled the best he could in relief, but an injury would take him out of the game and Tim Lee finished the game for the Lions, but could not handle a late Wildcat attack, giving up 7 runs during his season ending outing.
Windward’s Jack Ginsberg was 3-5, scored 3 times and had 2 RBI’s while teammate Luke Goldstein also had three hits, which brought two runs in. A few other standout players from the Wildcat lineup put the game out of reach on offense. Will Line was the winning pitcher for the Wildcats allowing five runs on 8 hits over 6 innings as Vince Dolcemaschio closed the game.
Connor Kisgen tripled, singled and knocked in 3 runs for the Lions while Dipoma also drove in a run as did Matt Lucas. Linfield finished with a record of 21-7 overall and placed second in the Ambassador league (10-2).
The Wildcats will travel to Banning Friday to play the Broncos in Round One of the playoffs. Banning was 16-4 overall and was the Mountain Valley League Co-Champion.
Down the street, the Great Oak varsity baseball team, who didn’t set any run scoring records this season, fell to Dana Hills 4-0 in their Division 1 wild card game.
Great Oak went with their ace, University of Oregon commit, Zack Noll, who gave up four runs on seven hits including a solo home run to Joe DeBaca in the sixth. Despite the loss, Noll, who struck out nine batters before being relieved by junior Trent Topping, will be leaving behind a strikeout record that could hold some value for many years to come. According to Great Oak pitching coach, Dan Dwyer, the lefty senior finished with 180 overall career strikeouts in 175.2 innings pitched while playing for the Wolfpack. With 98 K’s this year alone, Noll set the new school record with his 109th career strikeout earlier this season, ousting former Wolfpack great, Brad Wegman, who graduated in 2014 and currently pitches at USC.
Dana Hill’s senior lefty, Kayl Cota, the Dolphins No. 2 pitcher, shut out the Wolfpack, giving up just four hits and three walks while striking out nine batters.
“We were in a tough spot knowing great Oak was going to throw Noll,” says Dana Hills head coach, Tom Faris, who added, “Cota stepped up for us so we could save our No.1 guy and he delivered and though, like the Wolfpack, we suffered all season with the bats, the boys executed when they needed to, and of course a little luck, went a long way.”
The game was never out of reach, but got away from the Pack when the Dolphins second baseman, Chad Morgan, struck out in the fifth inning and reached first base on a dropped third strike, scoring two hits later when Max Mircovich drove him in with a base hit. Mircovich singled twice, scored and drove in a run for the Dolphins while teammates Jeremy Ciolek and David Clawson added to their lead
Great Oak’s Worth Planer had two hits and Trevor Lawrence doubled for the Wolfpack late in the game. Great Oak, who finished third in the Southwestern League went out with an overall record of 16-15.
The Dolphins will advance to play the No.2 nationally ranked, JSerra Lions, in San Juan Capistrano Friday, May 20. Game time is 3:15 p.m.
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