It’s only been two short year’s since a Southwestern League team has made as much noise as the Murrieta Mesa Rams have this season, and that team, the Temecula Valley Golden Bears, won it all.
Of course that was then, in the Division 2 CIF-SS playoffs, and this…is now. The now is something electrifying for the players, coaches, fans, families and staff from Murrieta Mesa as the competition is even more fierce in Division 1. The Rams have had to battle every step of the way to prove they deserve to be one of the last teams standing.
That goal is even closer now that the Rams have taken out the No. 4 team in the state, defeating the Orange Lutheran Lancers 6-4 in quarterfinal action Friday, May 27.
Senior Zac Filos was strong at the plate and on the mound in helping carry Murrieta Mesa (25-7, 12-3) to their victory over the Lancers at Hart Park in Anaheim. Filos, who went 2-3 on the day with an RBI, recorded the win, struck out six, allowed no earned runs on six hits and only had one walk over five innings on the mound.
“Filos is a workhorse and deserves the praise, he is probably the most overlooked player in our program and needs to be on the radar of every college coach around,” exclaimed a very voicetress Mesa head coach, Bryn Wade, after the game.
The Rams jumped on the Lancers early, scoring three runs when Austen Salcedo, Caiden Matkins and Filos all scored off of hits by seniors Kevin Palm and Justin Randle in the second inning.
Orange Lutheran (22-9, 9-6) would see four different Mesa pitchers as sophomore starter, Tony Carreon, held Orange Lutheran off early with his 1 1/3 innings on the bump which was followed by quick outings from Nate Stillinovich and Kevin Palm before Filos would settle in.
The Lancers, who outhit the Rams, scored one run in the bottom of the third when Nathan Flores drove in Zach Busalacchi, which helped Orange Lutheran close its deficit to 3-1, but three more runs scored by Filos, Matkins and Kiel Palm in the fourth inning off a slew of walks and a hard hit ground ball by Salcedo gave Murrieta Mesa the cushion they needed.
“Our team is well prepared to play in the very last game of the season and our coaching staff is a major reason why we are so successful,” added Wade. “We feed off each other, make moves together, and back each other up when tough decisions have to be made.”
Despite two rushed throws by shortstop Brenden Avventino, leading to errors that ultimately cost the Lancers this game, Orange Lutheran did rally to score three runs in the fifth on a fielder’s choice and a two-run single by Zach Lew, but still, the Lancers couldn’t draw even as the game came to a close. Luke Matson was the game’s losing pitcher, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings, walked two and struck out two.
Murrieta Mesa continues their historic season run as one of four teams remaining in the Division 1 CIF-SS playoffs Tuesday, May 31. According to the brackets, Mesa will be the visiting team as they get set to face the West Ranch Wildcats (24-8, 11-4) out of the Foothill League. West Ranch defeated the No. 3 ranked team in the state, El Toro, 2-1 in quarterfinal action Friday, May 27. The game will be played at Blair Field in Long Beach, with a start time still to be determined.
*Schedules, standings and stats provided by MaxPreps and GameChanger.
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