Mission League Baseball Championship secured by Crespi in pre-game sports recap

Rewritten Article:

High School Baseball Drama: Intentional Walks, Clutch Hits, and League Titles

Nate Lopez, Crespi's star hitter, turned a tense situation into a thrilling victory, clinching the Mission League championship for his team. In a nail-biting sixth inning, Harvard-Westlake decided to deliberately walk Landon Hodge and Diego Velazquez to load the bases, bringing Lopez, a San Diego State commit, up to bat.

With the score tied at 4-4 and a man on third, Lopez capitalized on the opportunity, smacking a powerful double into right-center field, clearing the bases, and securing a 7-6 win for Crespi (20-2, 13-2). Mikey Martinez, a sophomore phenom, shone in relief, preventing Harvard-Westlake from tying the game in the seventh, with a little help from Gavin Huff's game-saving catch in left field.

Harvard-Westlake bounced back with two runs in the seventh, leaving the tying runner on second base. Jack Laffitte led their offense with three hits and three RBIs. Crespi's victories over Harvard-Westlake this week set them up as potential No. 2 or No. 3 seeds for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, with a week left in the regular season.

Santa Margarita Snatches Third Place in Trinity League

In a gripping finale, Santa Margarita claimed third place by hanging on to a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning. A wild pitch brought the Friars within one run, but relief pitcher Tyler Untermanaged to get Hayden Woodson to fly out, securing the win for Santa Margarita.

Hayden George contributed seven strikeouts and two hits to Santa Margarita's cause. With a 7-8 league record, they remain in contention for an at-large berth due to their strong power rankings.

St. John Bosco Ends League Play on Streak

St. John Bosco, the Trinity League champions, extended their winning streak to 11 games, with a 2-0 victory over JSerra. Jaden Jackson delivered the decisive blows with a two-run home run.

West Valley League Showdowns

El Camino Real clinched their twelfth consecutive West Valley League win with a 2-1 triumph over Chatsworth. This sets up an exciting two-game series against Birmingham, which could decide the league champion and potential No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs.Granada Hills secured second place in the West Valley League after a hard-fought 5-1 victory over Birmingham. Valencio Valadez pitched a complete game, while Assane Diaw drove in two runs with a double.

Other Results

Cleveland subdued Taft 7-2, with John Orozco-Ortega contributing two hits and two RBIs.
Banning clinched the Marine League title, defeating Narbonne 7-2, with Jared Nakazawa recording two hits and two RBIs.
Noah Stead's two-run home run powered Westlake to a 5-2 victory over Agoura.
James Latshaw struck out five in 5 2/3 innings to help Oaks Christian share the Marmonte League championship with Westlake.
A four-run sixth inning propelled Bishop Alemany to a 5-1 victory over Chaminade, with Joey Decker driving in three RBIs.
The Knights of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame held off Loyola, 8-6, maintaining their fourth-place position in the Mission League. Dominic Cadiz hit a three-run home run, and AJ LaSota surrendered no hits in five innings.
Sierra Canyon kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-0 shutout over St. Francis, thanks to Theo Swafford's three hits.
Gahr blanked Bellflower 13-3, with Taison Miller recording three RBIs.
Mira Costa wrapped up an undefeated 12-0 run in the Bay League and improved to 24-2 with a 4-1 victory over Redondo, courtesy of a three-run home run by Elijah Fox in the seventh inning.
West Ranch clinched the Foothill League championship, thrashing Golden Valley 23-0, with Mikey Murr hitting two home runs and finishing with six RBIs, and Landon Hu contributing four hits.
Los Osos triumphed over Damien 8-3, with Justin Yeutter recording four hits in the Baseline League victory.
Etiwanda edged past Upland 4-2, with Derick Kim registering two hits for the Eagles.
Rancho Cucamonga defeated Chino Hills 6-3, with Jose Gomez driving in two runs.
Huntington Beach trounced Edison 14-3, with Trevor Goldenetz contributing two hits and four RBIs.
Villa Park overpowered Foothill 11-2, thanks to Shawn Romero's four hits and two RBIs, and Ezra Ornelas' three hits.
El Dorado edged out El Modena 5-4, with Lorenzo Favela securing the walk-off single in the twelfth inning.
Thousand Oaks edged past Calabasas 10-9 in a dramatic 10-inning encounter, with Jack Quirk recording four hits for Calabasas.
South Hills claimed the Hacienda League title, defeating Colony 5-1, with Nikolas Munoz striking out seven.
Trabuco Hills decimated Capistrano Valley 18-8, with Tyler Hill and Evan Hall each registering three RBIs.

Softball Action

Granada Hills (21-3) continued their unbeaten run in the West Valley League with a 16-2 victory over Cleveland, thanks to Lainey Brown's four hits and three RBIs. El Camino Real demolished Chatsworth 17-1, with Senia Gutierrez contributing five RBIs, including a three-run home run.